BSc CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT/QUANTITY

SURVEYING (HK)

INDUCTION SESSIONS – 2022-23

Reading skills

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 Reading Skills

1. Faster Reading
2. How do people read?
3. Summary

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 1. Faster Reading ~ A
• Average speed between 200 and 300 wpm
• Speed is not related to intelligence, education,
status, occupation or sex
• Can be slowed by:
– Complexity, author's style, typeface, monotony,
unfamiliar words and expressions
• Effective reading requires technique
• Effective readers can cover 50% more words

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 1. Faster Reading ~ B
• Improving reading speed
– Use different speeds for different material
• Reasons to read
– Pleasure, information, judgement
• Comprehension and speed
– Can both be improved at the same time

BENCHMARK YOUR READING SPEED (Exercise 1)

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 2. How do people read? ~ A
• Eye-movements
– Fixation = 0.25 to 1.5 secs
– Number of words per fixation = recognition span
– Larger recognition span = fewer fixations = faster
reading
– Good readers: read thought groups not single words

• Sub-vocalisation and visualisation

– Slow readers register sound of words as read

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 2. How do people read? ~ B

• Barriers to fast reading

– Comfort
– Position
– Lighting
– Eyesight
– Rests
– Vocabulary

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 3. Summary

• Rapid reading =
– Eyes moving quickly and smoothly across the
page
– Brain searching for the meaning of what is
being read, rather than concentrating on
single words

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 Better Reading

1. Determining reading priorities

2. After sorting, reading can begin
3. Summary

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 1. Determining reading priorities
• Important to identify what is:
– Essential
– Useful
– Irrelevant
• Ineffective readers don’t prioritise
• Only read after gaining an overall idea of
content:
– Scanning and skimming

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 Scanning
• Scanning • Involves:
– Allows a broad view – Seeing key words
– Assess the value of – Reading rapidly for
the content key words
– When to read – Gives an
– How much effort is introduction to the
required structure
– Allows reader to
categorise
structure

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 Skimming
• Reading as fast as possible
• Gaining a broad outline
• Ignoring the details
• Find the topic sentences
• Be aware of signposts
– Visual signals
– Verbal signals
– Other ‘signpost’ words
• Slow-down words / Keep-going words / Here-
it-comes words

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 Rules for skimming:
– Fastest possible reading speed
– Don’t slow down or stop for ‘interesting’ bits
– Read title, contents, summary, headings and sub-
headings
– Read first paragraph of a document or chapter
– Read the first sentence of subsequent
paragraphs
– Near the end, read the last two or three
paragraphs completely

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 2. After sorting, reading can begin
• One effective method is: SQ3R
1.Survey
2.Question
3.Read
4.Recall
5.Review

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 ‘SQ’
• Survey • Question
– Essential for lengthy or – Concentrate at all times
complex material – Question author
– Scan through contents – ‘Active’ participation
and / or index
– Skim whole document,
if necessary
– Never miss out preface
or synopsis

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 Now undertake exercise 2 – structured reading
1. Class split into two groups (group A: surname
starting with A to L group B: surname M to Z) .
2. Both groups will be given a document, on
groundwater pollution, to be read in 10 minutes.
3. Group A also given a set of 'themes' to guide
their reading.
4. Take as many notes as you wish
5. A closed book test will then be carried out (you
can refer to your notes, but not the document)
6. A comparison of scores between the groups will
be undertaken.
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 ‘3R’ ~ 1
• Read • Recall
– Confirm main ideas – Read through (twice
from survey stage for complex work)
– Look for supporting – Make notes by
detail recalling the ideas
– Don’t take notes – Can’t remember?
Repeat stage 3
(properly!)

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 ‘3R’ ~ 2
• Review
– Go back, quickly, over stages 1-4
– Survey whole report
– Remember questions asked/raised
– Rapid skimming
– Checking the notes
– Filling in any gaps

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 3. Summary
• Reading is a skill
• All skills need training and practice to master
• Techniques suggested should improve
reading ability and make it more enjoyable

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 THANK YOU
ANY QUESTIONS?

RE-CHECK YOUR READING SPEED (Exercise 1)

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