Why do they not teach speed reading and memory techniques to kids at school ?

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   Draxposted 12 years ago

   Why do they not teach speed reading and memory techniques to kids at school ?
   
   IMHO the school curriculum has not changed much in the years since I attended school, they are still teaching kids things that do not have a bearing in their life and that are forgot about the minute the bell goes :-(

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   dianetrotterposted 12 years ago

   The first trick is to teach them to read.  So many students hate to read anything!

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      Draxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      thanks for the comment Diane, I was thinking of after that,  when they can read, why not teach them to read faster, it is a skill that will be of benefit all through life.. perhaps what kids are being asked to read is what is wrong...

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   Dantex460posted 12 years ago

   I left school not so long ago and there was allot on different reading techniques one was speed reading. As for memory they had that to and shared what they assumed was the easiest way e.g relating words to pictures. PS I live near London

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      Draxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Dantex460.. thanks for the comment,  that's great news, I know in England they had been running pilots using techniques developed by Tony Buzan. I wonder has that now hit the mainstream

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      If Your ability to edit is the result of learning how to speed-read,  then, No, Thank you!  Careful editing is the result of a slow process of re-reading and checking with logical thought processes.  Better luck next time with your editing!

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      Dantex460posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Tony Buzan looks like he has some pretty interesting ideas.

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      Garifaliaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      When you say you left school do you mean drop out or did you finish? My son is dyslexic too and he and I had a hard time the first five years in elementary school. Now at 25 he's finishing university. How did you go about reading texts?

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      Dantex460posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I finished and went to college for 3 years, I'm about to go to uni. I read and understood long text by rewriting important points in a way I would understand and remember, and eventually got use to doing this in my head, as if I were translating it.

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      Garifaliaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Bravo Dantex. I'm sure you're proud of yourself because you should be. Having to write essays is also quite challenging. My son learnt to do it by reading literature books on topics he liked. That way his mind mapped correct syntax. All the best!!!

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      Dantex460posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you.      Your son sounds like he had the right idea to get ahead.

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      Garifaliaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You're welcome. The poor boy went through hell for a long time. Finally, we found a child psychologist who referred us to a teacher who helped him a lot. But like all dyslexics, the right method is what they discover themselves on the way.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 12 years ago

   ...because they need to develop the ability to read slowly and carefully first.  What age are you referring to?  I bet you have some hubs on this... I will look into them. Thanks for bringing this issue up. 
   However, the concrete must be experienced before the abstract. Speed reading is for those who have learned how to read the traditional way first. 
   
   In the Montessori environment, preschoolers start learning their letters by the feel of them, (her didactic materials include sand paper letters that children trace with their fingers,) and the sound of them. ah, bah, etc. This exercise is an example of "the concrete".   Elementary school students are learning how to coordinate thinking and writing and they need to read slowly in order to keep in touch with inner thoughts and feedback.   Why speed things up?  Even High school kids need to enjoy reading at their own pace. I would say that adults who are at least 18 and over might be ready to learn how to speed read.  Does speed reading help people comprehend and understand what they read?

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      Dantex460posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I am dyslexic, speed reading and scanning to find key words was the only way I was able to keep up with the rest of the class. I will never need to use such precise writing in my job nor anything I will most likely do will need such precision.

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      Draxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Kathryn, thanks, I was not thinking about a specific age range, after say 3 years one is able to read well then it would be time to be taught to read faster, comprehending & understanding being an integral part of this process.

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      What about the writers who intend their readers to enjoy the creativity of their words and sentences, like Charles Dickens? I wonder if The didactic materials used by Maria Montessori would help you with your dyslexia.
      Precision is a good thing.

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   Garifaliaposted 12 years ago

   Dear Drax,
   
   this is not possible in primary and secondary education since there are students with learning difficulties in the same class. Apart from that, it takes time for a child to become a descent reader under normal circumstances. That's why it's offered in college or university. I would agree with such a subject being offered extra as is art or sewing class. That way those who can follow the course, won't be deprived of it. Memory techniques, however, could be useful to everyone at any age.

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      Draxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      thanks for the comment Garifalia, perhaps though this is part of the problem, that the learning is tailored for the slowest and the fast become bored and disillusioned. One can spend thousands of hours studying but never really learn anything.

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      dianetrotterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      And there are lows about immersion.  We have to differentiate to make sure the slowest learners are not left behind.  Often the fastest learners suffer.

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      Garifaliaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't agree with you (sounds like you have personal experience). Teaching tailored for dyslexics, for instance is such that helps everyone. Now if a child is so quick to pick up that he becomes bored, then educators have an obligation to that child

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   fitmomposted 12 years ago

   As a teacher, I taught my students many memory techniques. As part of the test taking strategies, we taught strategies finding key words in order to find the answers to the questions. Unfortunately, with all of the emphasis on standardized tests, a lot of time in school is spent on preparing students for these tests.

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      Draxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Fitmom...  it may well be this standardization is the problem, if one looks at what is happening in forward looking companies where there is much more emphasis on fun. IMHO standard school does not prepare one for a variable life..

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