Speed Reading Success - Your Reading Environment
Noise.
Unless you are too old, train yourself to read in noisy surroundings. But whenever possible, read where it is quiet. The ability to shut out disturbing stimuli is priceless, but this is no reason why you should always try to exercise it by retiring to a boiler factory for your day's reading. Altogether too many children are coddled by parents and teachers, who place the little darlings in the quiet for their serious studies. I often think the old-style Chinese school is better than ours in this respect. For there, you know, all the pupils learn their lessons by shouting out loud in class.
Air.
Be sure that you do no serious reading in an overheated room. A headache may result; and, if not that, then poor comprehension of the subject matter. Chill air and draughts may disturb your reading. But they are less likely to do this than heat.
Time of Day.
At which time of day do you read best?
Check up on yourself carefully. Perhaps you know. But it is more than likely that you don't. Few of us ever study ourselves thus. I happen to be one of those unfortunates who can do no heavy reading after dinner. And I prefer to omit all early morning reading for the sake of other tasks requiring my best efforts. Hence, more or less of necessity, I am strictly a mid-day and early afternoon reader.
Whatever your natural and best distribution of reading time happens to be, make the most of it. Avoid trying to alter it, for it is certainly the result of hundreds of old, deeply rooted habits. (This, of course, would not apply to children. I am speaking solely to adults.)
