Scandinavians rank among the best readers in the world. Why? Because they loved watching TV when they were kids.
Cartoons that come with a hurdle
What was your favorite TV- show when you were a kid? The Muppet Show? The Pink Panther? Vicky the Viking? Kids all over the world love watching cartoons. So do kids from Nordic countries. They, however, have a very special hurdle to overcome: In their countries movies both on TV and at the cinema are being aired in their original version with subtitles. This means, there’s not only a lot to see but also a lot to read!
If you think this is a disadvantage, think again! As soon as the kids learn how to read at school, they get very motivated to read fast. The faster they understand the subtitles, the more time they have to enjoy the movie.
Speed reading- Holistic reading
This way Scandinavian children learn a very special kind of reading: holistic reading. This means, that they are able to process word groups instead of just single words. Consequently they become able to process whole lines of subtitles with only one or maximum two eye fixations in an early stage of their lives. Therefore adult Scandinavians read twice or three times as fast as German or Austrian adults.
Several European and American research studies have addressed this phenomenon. Their findings are the basis of my speed reading training for adults. You will here about them in my Brainread seminars and can read about them in my book.
Purchase now: BrainRead – Effective Speed Reading. Reading like the Swedish. Amazon Kindle Edition
175 Pages, $ 10.91
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