Researchers Suggest Reading Slower For A Better Experience

BOSTON (CBS) - Slow down, you're moving too fast. Or in this case, reading too fast. That's the advice of some researchers who don't think we are getting everything we can out of reading today.

David Mikis, author of "Slow Reading in a Hurried Age", believes "what we're trained to do these days is not read. It's actually scanning."

Mikis is an advocate of reading at a slower pace. "What slow reading is, is the deliberate practice of trying to get back that kind of experience that you had a kid, where you just feel completely absorbed by the literary work."

Tom Newkirk, author of The Art of Slow Reading, added, "It's not necessarily just about reading slowly. It's about having a relationship with what you're reading; you feel a connection to the author."

There are now book clubs which emphasize slower reading forming around the world.

Research shows benefits in terms of comprehension and retention, especially for students. High School teacher Kreigh Knerr has seen the benefits with the students he has slowed down.

"It really helps people engage more complex issues," explained Knerr. "They're used to being able to read 30 pages and it takes them, you know, maybe an hour for the 30 pages, and then, all of a sudden now, it is 10 pages or 15 pages that take up to an hour."

The students admitted this takes some adjustment.

Payson East said it takes discipline to slow down, but "it's very rewarding." Amber Dieringer said the approach made her think more.

Experts say it is helpful to be patient and give your brain time to adjust. Go back and re-read passages to adjust your timing.

Finally, use a dictionary and make an effort to focus on the language that's used.

Student Mathew Baughman added, "Slow reading doesn't have to become a set way of life where that's the only way you ever read again, but it is definitely a method that will enrich your own life."

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