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The power of spaced repetition to remember what you read

To learn from a book, it is better to read that book more than once. This is where speed reading will help tremendously. When you start reading a book, look at the cover. Read what it says on the back cover of the book. Open the book and read the opening pages, then look at the table of contents. Flip through the pages, look at some pictures. Prepare your mind for what you are about to begin. On your first reading, you can read fast and not worry about understanding or remembering everything. It’s like when you build a house. At first you put the foundation with the cement, but you don’t expect to sleep there the first night.

On your second reading, have a notebook and a pen or pencil to take notes. You may even want to highlight or underline if that’s possible. You may not want to read as fast as the first time, and of course you want to stop and take notes. Don’t worry too much about remembering everything right away. Through the power of spaced repetition, you will be able to remember and retain more each time you read the book or your study notes. Reading a chapter two or three times in a row is a great way to remember much of what is being read. The more you read or listen to something, the better chance you have of remembering it. Have you ever seen someone who looks familiar to you? You may have seen it once before. You may have seen it at the mall, or maybe even on TV. This may be the second or third time you see him. If you see it again, it will definitely look familiar.

It is the same with reading. On the second reading, many things will be familiar to you and you will remember some. When he writes his notes, he will further strengthen the memory. Even if you never looked at your notes, just writing them down on paper will leave an impression in your mind and help you remember them. By reviewing your notes between readings, you are strengthening recall. On your third reading, you will have a much better understanding of the material than you did the first time. The more you read and review, the stronger the memory becomes.

Many people wait until the last minute to read and study the night before a test. This is a hard way to learn. Set aside a certain amount of time each day for your study time. Thirty to forty-five minutes is usually a good time to focus and learn until you want to take a break. Remember, you don’t build a house in a day, and you don’t become a great sports champion in a day.

Every time you read or speed read, when you focus, study and learn, you are developing your skills, as a reader and speed reader. You are also helping to build a strong memory as well as learning about the subject you are reading about. Use the power of spaced repetition to learn much more than you ever thought possible.

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