Reading literature.. Read fast or slow?

<p>Unfortunately, my reading speed is slow when it comes to English. It's like 2 min/page (Reading Catch 22). Should I try to speed up my reading a bit? I constantly have to reread and look up words that I don't know and these processes will bump my speed up even more. Sometimes I just read and then my mind drifts off so I need to reread what I have read but not understood. I've tried reading fast but I just can't comprehend and internalize the information and meaning of the words. Hmm. what should I do??</p>

<p>Well, I read pleasure books extremely fast. I take notes on books to remember them, but my reading speed is equal to most students NOT taking notes, or a little quicker. I usually read once through the book, taking note of things that seem important, then retype all the notes. Then, if I seem a theme, it's more obvious going through it all.</p>

<p>Oh, these are books that we are reading and that we need to write reading logs for. we are tested on these too. Is it okay if you skip some things you aren't sure of??</p>

<p>Also, is the best way to learn vocabulary looking words that you don't know up in the dictionary intermittently? I like looking at the synonyms and learning those as well. Sometimes I spend a couple minutes per word. Is this basically like learning vocabulary off flashcards but in a more natural way?? Is this how people usually learn vocabulary? For example I have just come across the word "remorse" I did not know what I that word meant exactly so I looked it up. There were some synonyms that I did know however: penitence and contrition. They mean basically the same thing. So should I just think of these words as interchangeable? are they interchangeable? The definitions of them even include each other!</p>

<p>What would you guys suggest to read quicker? I read like 20 pages per hour and am really slow. I get distracted and take "breaks" which last for like 20 min. Plz help.</p>

<p>I suggest watching anime and reading the subtitles...for a few hours each day. My reading is incredibly faster...but now I have to create mental pictures as I go along</p>

<p>The only way to read faster is to read more often. Practice makes perfect.</p>

<p>I usually read really slow when I do it for pleasure... that's the only way I get he WHOLE picture. A lot of people tell me they skips prepostions and articles most of the time. ._. However, my reading habits screw me over for the SATs and English tests/APs. I usually read it through quickly to get a just, and when I see a question about it, I go back to where it was located -- but I digress. I don't think there's anything wrong, and your vocab thing is great -- I wish I could make myself do that.</p>

<p>Well if your teacher tests you on specific details (not the main ideas, but like what color something is and stuff like that) then you really have to read slowly even if it takes up a lot of time. The only way you can make time to read is if you know which courses' homework you can put off until later and just focus on finishing that book.
but there's still sparknotes and other notes sites if you're still reading past 12 or 1am and you know you can't finish.</p>

<p>watch TV with closed caption on. I've been doing that since I was little, and I have very, very fast reading speeds. (I read the entire LOTR trilogy in 2 weeks)</p>

<p>When reading books for classes, I would read them multiple times. Once, quickly, to get the feel of the story, then once, more slowly, taking notes in the margins, underlining significant sections, etc. I would usually reread 1-2 more times while we were working on the book or to prepare for exams on the book. I tend to be a fast reader when reading for pleasure, so only the 2nd (thorough) reading would take a serious time committment. I don't know how you'd ever know a novel well enough to be tested on it based on only one reading (unless you use Cliff notes, or something like that, which I never did).</p>

<p>Reading literature? SparkNotes all the way! Actually, that is how I manage through the more boring novels/plays in English class. The books I do end up reading, I speed-read (as I do with pleasure books) and if I liked it, reread more carefully...</p>

<p>-The Speedy Coot66</p>