| Long ago, there was a time, when parents told | | | | you don't get the idea of the subject, you can |
| children to read slowly and loudly to understand | | | | come back to the sentence after you finish |
| everything they read. | | | | reading the chapter. Never look up a dictionary |
| A lot of things have changed. Today's children | | | | while in the middle of reading a chapter. Refer |
| have bigger syllabi to learn. Now, learning experts | | | | dictionary only if you don't automatically |
| and teachers ask students to read faster and | | | | understand the meaning of a word after finishing |
| grasp important points. | | | | the paragraph and the chapter. |
| Here are a few tips for students who have a lot | | | | - Note down the points you remember. Now |
| to learn, but very little time. | | | | check if you have taken all the important points, |
| Make a Timetable | | | | with another fast reading. |
| Your timetable should have separate time for | | | | How to increase memory |
| eating, playing games, exercise, reading | | | | Try to understand completely what you read or |
| newspaper and study materials. You should not | | | | hear. |
| only make a timetable, but also should stick to it. | | | | Repeat what you hear or read in your mind. |
| Give priority to leisure and games in the | | | | Make notes of what you learn at school or read |
| afternoon, but separate early morning time for | | | | from books. A single word can help you |
| studies. Make sure you read all the class notes | | | | remember a whole idea. |
| before you go to bed. | | | | Give number to the points. |
| While allotting time to different subjects, allot | | | | Don't try to bring to memory all the things you |
| more time to difficult subjects. You need only less | | | | have learned. Learn the technique of bringing to |
| time for the subjects that are easier for you to | | | | memory one thing at a time. |
| learn. | | | | How to increase concentration |
| Taking Notes | | | | Mental concentration is important to memory and |
| Taking notes is an important part of learning. You | | | | better learning. |
| need to take lecture notes (classroom notes) and | | | | Stick to your reading timetable. You should |
| notes from your textbook. | | | | separate a specific place and specific time of the |
| - Go through the lessons on the day before your | | | | day for reading. |
| teacher would teach it in the class. This gives you | | | | Sit erect. It increases your concentration. |
| an idea of what to expect. | | | | Don't allow disturbances like phone calls, music etc |
| - Write down important ideas as bullet points. One | | | | while reading. |
| word or a phrase is enough to include an idea. | | | | Concentrate on the lessons you read. Don't think |
| - Give prominence to important ideas by | | | | about the next book you have to read while you |
| underlining them in your notes. | | | | are reading a book. A better way is to make an |
| - Leave lot of space in each face of paper. This | | | | order of the books and lessons to read and |
| will help you add new points later. | | | | arrange them in order before you start reading. |
| - Organize your notes into separate files. Each | | | | Immediately after reading a paragraph, try to |
| subject should have a different file. Label the | | | | recall the idea from that paragraph. This helps you |
| outer page of the file with name of the subject | | | | concentrate more on your reading. |
| and your teacher. You should also neatly organize | | | | Ideal conditions for reading/learning |
| each file according to chapters and topics. | | | | A silent location that you don't use for sleeping, |
| - Read the notes (important points) in the night, | | | | eating or leisure purposes is the most ideal |
| before going to bed. Read only once. This helps | | | | condition for reading. |
| you memorize the lessons clearly. | | | | Install a fluorescent tube light in the reading room. |
| - While taking notes from a book, label the name | | | | This helps mild light to fall evenly all over the |
| of the book and author. Also, note the page | | | | room. Don't sit in the darkness while reading. If |
| number next to your notes. It makes it easy for | | | | you use table lamp, arrange it towards your left if |
| you to refer to the book three or six months | | | | you are a right-hander. |
| later. | | | | Arrange the papers, pencils, boards and books on |
| Reading Techniques | | | | the table before you start reading. |
| You need to read fast and grasp more things. | | | | Never try to read while you are tired or ill. |
| Here are some pointers to fast reading. | | | | Eat healthy food rich in carbohydrates, proteins |
| - Note the name of the book and its author in the | | | | and fibres. Replace fast food, pizza, burger, |
| reading log. | | | | chocolates, ice creams, etc with fresh fruits, |
| - Take a quick look from cover to cover to | | | | whole grain food items (like chapatti), milk, fruit |
| identify the important chapters. | | | | juices, etc. |
| - Take a quick look over the chapter, identify the | | | | Exercise daily. Swimming, cycling and jogging are |
| important points, and note them down. | | | | good for students. Practise yoga. It increases |
| - Read the lesson fast. To increase the speed of | | | | concentration and willpower. |
| learning, pass your eyes through the top of the | | | | Don't watch TV. Instead, play some games in the |
| letters and not through the centre. For example, | | | | outdoors. While TV makes you dumb, the games |
| while reading, pass your eyes through the area | | | | make you smarter. |
| where the dot above the letter i appears and not | | | | Read lot of books. Read classic stories, fables (like |
| through the loop of the letter o. | | | | Aesop fables, Panchatantra stories, etc), etc. |
| - Don't take notes while reading. | | | | Don't spend too much time on comic cartoons. |
| - Don't go back to read a word or a sentence. If | | | | |