Identifying Problems that

Leads to Slow Reading

Prepared & Presented by: SADIA KHAN
Lecturer English, INS,KMU
BSN 3rd, English III
Problem #1 – Poor Concentration

 Having to reread frequently may be caused by the lack of concentration. Here are some typical
symptoms of and remedies for ineffective concentration:
 Daydreaming. If you catch yourself daydreaming while you read and don't know what to do to stop
it, try The Mark Technique. Put a checkmark, an "X", or a star on a piece of paper each time you
catch yourself daydreaming. By doing this one simple task, many students find that they daydream
less and concentrate more.
 Worrying about problems. This impediment to reading is common to college students but can be
controlled by The Worry List Technique. Each time you catch yourself thinking about something
not related to what you are reading, write that thought down with the intention of doing something
about it later. Then DO something about it later.
 Can't remember what is read. Check the distraction level in your study environment. Auditory
and visual distractions interfere with concentration. Eliminate TV, radio, and other sources of sound
or remove yourself from the environment in which they are contained. In other words, study where
it is quiet and where it is going to stay quiet.
Problem #2 – Underdeveloped Vocabulary

 A second cause of slow reading involves a vocabulary in need of further development. A

large part of a college requires learning new terminology with which to grasp new ideas
and concepts.
 Without new terminology, understanding new ideas and concepts in college courses is
difficult for most and impossible for the rest.
 Therefore, successful college students must be willing to do what's necessary to acquire
and expand vocabularies and refine techniques for doing so.
Problem #3 – Poor Reading Techniques

 To become good at anything, you must practice. Reading is no exception.

 Stuck in one gear. The cure for this problem is to Vary Reading Speed. Understanding what
you read depends on the type of material you are reading and the reading speed you use on it.
 Textbooks - Reading speed for textbooks should be slow to gather the main ideas and details
necessary to do well on exams and become an educated person. When textbook reading skills
are working properly, a textbook chapter need only be read once. Learning should take place
from notes.
 Newspapers and novels should be faster because recall is not as important as it is with text
material.
 Journals for research papers should be scanned very quickly.
 Problem #4 – Vocalization and Sub vocalization

Vocalization
This is when you begin to say the words of what you are reading to yourself or when you
move your lips. Such reading habits don’t only slow down your reading speed but it also
affects the rate of comprehension.
Sub-vocalization
The reader, in this case, does not actually move his/her vocal organs but says the word to
him/her self mentally. It is more difficult to break this habit than its antecedent because
sub-vocalization is not easily noticed by the teacher. The reader has to catch this himself.
One of the ways of checking this is to invite the student/reader to place the thumb and
middle finger of the same hand lightly on the sides of the larynx (Adam’s apple). In this
way, any slight lip movement can cause the buzzing of the larynx that often accompanies
sub-vocalization.
Problem #5 –Pointing words with finger

The fix?
Stop doing it by focusing upon groups of words instead of individual
ones! It can take time to stop doing this “bad reading habit” and
actively thinking about not vocalizing the text can reduce your focus
on your material. Within a short space of time, however, you should
find the process much easier, which will only help your literacy
abilities considerably. You may also learn how to visualize what you
read to overcome this bad reading habit
Pointing to words
 Following the line with your finger or with a pen, a ruler etc is another bad habit which
can slow you down. This is because when you begin to point individual words, you may
not be able to take in a whole phrase or sentence.