If you’re trying to increase your reading speed, it probably seems counterintuitive to include note-taking in the process. After all, if you’re stopping to take notes or mark a spot in the text, you’re also stopping the reading process, right? And the answer is “yes, you are” – but also “no, you’re not.” It all depends on whether you define reading process as your moment-by-moment words per minute rate, or as the total time it takes you to get all of the information you need out of a particular text.
The goal of speed reading is to absorb, process, and retain the essential contents of an article, book, magazine, or other written material. If you read something very quickly but don’t remember what you read, and later have to go back and re-read the material to look up a fact or figure, then the total time you spend reading the text is doubled. On the other hand, if you pause briefly to make notes, you’ll do two things: first, you’ll help your brain retain those specific items by incorporating another activity (writing) and thus activating more parts of the brain; and second, you’ll have a quick reference for later use, and so won’t have to page through the material looking for one small phrase.
You can make notes in the margins of the text, highlight or underline key phrases, or jot down what you need on a separate piece of paper (highly recommended if you’re reading a book from the library!). Here are some notes on taking notes you might find helpful:
Mark key words to get a quick visual overview of the entire page or chapter for later reference.
Highlight phrases that encapsulate the main ideas in the text.
Make a note of quotes that might be useful when citing the text in a presentation, and keep a list of facts, figures, and statistics that you can use later.
Write down in your own words the main points of a section; rewording something adds impact and makes the information easier to remember. Be sure to include the reason why you found what you marked important.
At the end of each major section or chapter, make your own short summaries to lock the information in your understanding and memory.
If you transfer all the notes you made to another page or two, it’s the perfect review material, and there’s no need to keep the original text. This will help you keep clutter off your desk, and you can organize the notes in a file folder in your desk drawer or on your computer.
