How to Speed Read - What You Must Know!

How to Speed Read - What You Must Know! by Wayne Combes

Not all people are born with the talent to read fast. But you can strive to teach yourself how to speed read. In this day and age, people need to be able to absorb information quickly to keep up with the demands of time and to stay ahead of the competition. That explains why you need to become skilled at speed reading.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to speed reading. One technique may work for a person but not for another. So the best advice for those who want to learn how to speed read is to practice reading often. That doesn't mean you have to turn into a bookworm overnight. Also, you don't need to force yourself into reading a book that can bore you to death. To be able to appreciate the beauty of speed reading, choose a material that's interesting and engaging to you. It can be a romance novel, a comic book, magazine, or a blog site - anything that catches and sustains your attention.

As you're practicing, take note of the factors that prevent you from learning how to speed read. For one, lack of practice alone can kill your chances of reading quickly. Poor concentration due to a lot of distractions can also make you re-read certain sentences or paragraphs, making it take longer for you to finish a page.

You can also observe others so that you know how to speed read. Some fast readers read silently and skim through pages, focusing only on the important points. Then try the methods and see which one works best for you.

When you start to see an increase in your reading speed, you can accomplish incredible results. There are courses available that claim to increase your reading speed by anywhere from 10 to 100 times faster than normal reading speed.

The one issue with some of the speed reading courses is the only focus is on reading speed, not comprehension. Reading faster is only one piece of the puzzle. There are other major benefits that can be derived from increasing reading speed such as improved grades and better use of time.

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Wayne Combes is a father of three with a passion for learning and reading. He discovered an excellent system that will teach you how to speed read and a lot more, including; improving concentration and focus, boosting self-esteem and confidence, reducing stress, and becoming much more organized.

This system has allowed his son, Andrew, to decrease his high school work load and improve his grades at the same time. Learning how to speed read is a great advantage for both kids and adults.

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Cultural Achievements Of Denmark

Cultural Achievements Of Denmark by Jack Devlin

Denmark has a rich cultural and intellectual heritage. The astronomical discoveries of Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), Ludwig A. Colding's (1815-1888) neglected articulation of the principle of conservation of energy, and the brilliant contributions to atomic physics of Niels Bohr (1885-1962) indicate the range of Danish scientific achievement. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75), the philosophical essays of Søren Kierkegaard (1813-55), the short stories of Karen Blixen (penname Isak Dinesen, 1885-1962), the plays of playwright Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754), the authors of the modern breakthrough including Nobel laureate Henrik Pontoppidan and author Herman Bang and the dense, aphoristic poetry of Piet Hein (1905–1996), have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen (1865-1931).

Danish applied art and industrial design have won awards for excellence. The name of Georg Jensen (1866-1935) is known worldwide for modern design in silver. Danish Porcelain Factory ("Royal Copenhagen") and Bing & Grøndahl, renowned for the quality of their porcelain and ceramics, export their products worldwide. Danish design is also a well-known brand, often associated with the world-famous designers and architects Børge Mogensen, Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen. And of course one should not forget that the architect who designed the iconic Sydney Opera House was a Dane - Jørn Utzon'

In recent years, Danish movies have attracted international attention, especially those associated with Dogme 95 wuch as the filmmaker Lars Von Trier. However the country has always had a strong tradition of movie making and in Carl Theodor Dreyer has produced one of the world's greatest film directors.

During the Christmas holidays(or Jul) paper cutting of Christmas ornaments is a very big family event. Spending hours around a table with the family cutting intricate designs into paper is a national holiday standard pastime.

In software engineering, Danes have made significant contributions through Bjarne Stroustrup (inventor of C++) and Anders Hejlsberg (creator of Turbo Pascal, Delphi and the C# programming language). The Dane Janus Friis was one of the driving forces behind the invention of Skype.

Visitors to Denmark will discover a wealth of cultural activity. The Royal Danish Ballet, an exceptional company, specializes in the work of the great Danish choreographer August Bournonville (1805-79). Danes have distinguished themselves as jazz musicians, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired an international reputation. The modern pop and rock scene is not as well developed as that of, say, Sweden but has still produced a few bands of note (for example, The Raveonettes, Junior Senior and Mew). International collections of modern art enjoy unusually attractive settings at the Louisiana Museum north of Copenhagen and at the North Jutland Art Museum in Aalborg. The State Museum of Art and the Glyptotek, both in Copenhagen, contain treasures of Danish and international art. The Museum of Applied Art and Industrial Design in Copenhagen exhibits the best in Danish design.

Among today's Danish writers, probably the best-known to international readers is Peter Høeg (Smilla's Sense of Snow; Borderliners). Benny Andersen writes poems, short stories, and music. Poems by both writers have been translated into English by the Curbstone Press. Kirsten Thorup's Baby, winner of the 1980 Pegasus Prize, is printed in English by the University of Louisiana Press. The psychological thrillers of Anders Bodelsen also appear in English. Suzanne Brøgger and Vita Andersen focus largely on the changing roles of women in society. In music, Hans Abrahamsen and Per Nørgård are the two most famous living composers. Hans Abrahamsen's works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC.

Sexual equality is a high priority in Denmark. Danes are quite liberal and tolerant towards sexual minorities.

Copenhagen is a popular destination for lesbian and bisexual travellers. It has an active gay community and lots of nightlife options. The main gay and lesbian festival of the year is the Mermaid Pride parade, a big Mardi Gras-like bash that occurs on a Saturday in early August. There's also the Copenhagen Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, held each year in October. The LBL (Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske, a national organisation for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals) was established in 1948, and in 1989 Denmark became the first country in Europe to offer gay partners most of the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. Adoption laws are liberal compared to other Western countries and public displays of affection between people of the same sex are unlikely to provoke ire. Lesbians wishing to have access to artificial insemination do not provoke the sort of scandals that can occur in other societies.



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What Every Parent and Educator Should Know About Enriching Young Brains and Minds

What Every Parent and Educator Should Know About Enriching Young Brains and Minds by Alvaro Fernandez

To learn important lessons for all parents and educators, we interview today Eric Jensen, a former middle school teacher and former adjunct professor for several universities including the University of California, San Diego. Mr. Jensen co-founded the Learning Brain Expo, a conference for educators, and has written 21 books on the brain and learning. His most recent book, Enriching the Brain: How to Maximize Every Learner's Potential (Jossey-Bass, 2006), is highly recommended for educators and parents alike.

Alvaro Fernandez (AF): Eric, thank you for your time. Can you explain the role that you and your organization play?

Eric Jensen (EJ): We act as translators between the neuroscience and education fields, helping to build a Brain-Based Education movement. We launched the first conference that attempted to bridge these two worlds in 1998. The goal of the conference, called Learning Expo, was for teachers to speak to scientists, and, equally important, for scientists to speak to educators.

Critics say that neuroscience research can add little to educational practices. What we say is that, whereas it is true that much needs to be clarified, there are already clear implications from brain research that educators should be aware of. For example, four important elements that are often neglected by educators, given the obsessive focus on academic scores, are nutrition, physical exercise, stress management, and overall mental enrichment.

AF: Since 1998? How would you characterize the progress so far?

EJ: The good news is that today many educators, more than ever, are learning about how the brain works. There is a growing number of academic programs such as Harvard's masters program in Mind, Brain, and Education, and peer-reviewed journals such as the Mind, Brain and Education Journal.

Still, there are clear areas for improvement. Too many staff developers are weak on the science. I see too many books saying "brain" in the title that are not grounded in any brain research. Something I always recommend when shopping for books is to check the References section, making sure the book references specific studies in credible journals from 2000 on.

AF: Now, those are mostly awareness-related initiatives. What, if any, are the implications in daily teaching and learning in schools?

EJ: You are right, this is still an emerging field. A number of private, independent, forward-thinking public schools and charter schools are implementing specific initiatives, mostly around brain-based teaching strategies, nutrition and exercise. But these are tougher for some public schools, which have limited resources and flexibility. to implement. We also see an growing number of enlightened parents learning about the principles we discuss and applying them at home.

AF: Have you seen any impact at the policy level? specifically, what do you think about the current debate about the merits or demerits of No Child Left Behind?

EJ: I agree with the move towards accountability. Now, the question is, accountability for what? for creating narrow, specific test scores? or for helping nourish better human beings. I have seen very little policy activity in the US; some in Asian countries such as Singapore and China, that are evaluating how to refine the curriculum for 5-10 year olds. In the US, there was a major push for music enrichment programs, that was somehow misguided, in the late 90s. The problem is that, whereas it is clear that enrichment has an impact, it is tough to measure specifically what type of enrichment, since much of the benefit develops over time. The short term "stock-market" mentality that measures student growth over a few weeks or months has to be tempered by long-term measures, too.

For example, it seems clear that there are important skills that can be trained, that make for a better and more successful human being - such as the ability to defer gratification, sequencing, emotional intelligence, improved working memory, vocabulary, and processing skills. However, the type of assessments used today to measure schools' performance don't focus on these. We would need broader assessments to allow educators to focus on those important long-term skills, beyond the immediate pressures.

A specific area going from bad to worse is the level of stress in the system, and the lack of resources and knowledge to regulate it.

AF: You mention processing skills, as well as other cognitive skills. In your recent column you highlight Scientific Learning's computer program that can train auditory processing. What's your view on the role of computer-based programs?

EJ: It is encouraging to see programs based on extensive research, such as Scientific Learning's. I appreciate the value of such programs to tailor individualized interventions to the needs of specific kids. So I believe these programs present a huge potential.

Now, we must not confuse what is just one narrow tool with a whole enrichment program. Brain-based education also must take into account other important factors such as nutrition, physical exercise, the arts, stress management, social interactions...


Copyright (c) 2008 SharpBrains



Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains.com, which covers the brain training and brain plasticity fields. SharpBrains has been recognized by Scientific American Mind, Newsweek, Forbes. Alvaro holds MA in Education and MBA from Stanford University, and teaches The Science of Brain Health at UC-Berkeley Lifelong Learning Institute. You can learn more at http://www.sharpbrains.com/

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