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CLUSTER

(To Increase Speed and Comprehension)

Most of us learned to read by looking at each word in a sentence-one at a time. Like this:

My-bother-Russell-thinks-monsters

You probably still read this way sometimes, especially when the words are difficult. Or when the words have an extra special meaning, as in a poem, a Shakespearean play, or a contract. And that’s okay.
But word-by word reading is a rotten way to read faster. It actually cuts down on your speed.
Clustering trains you to look at groups of words instead of one at time to increase your speed enormously. For most of us, clustering is a totally different way of seeing what we read.
Here’s how to cluster: Train your eyes to see all the words in cluster of up to 3 or 4 words at a glance.
Here’s how I’d cluster the example of the story

My brother Russell thinks monster live in bedroom closet at night.
But I told him he is crazy.
“Go and check then,” he said.
I didn’t want to, Russell said I was chicken.
“Am not,” I said.
“Are so,” he said.
So I told him the monsters were going to eat him at midnight. He started to cry. My dad came in and told the monsters to beat it. Then he told us to go to sleep.
“If I hear any more about monsters,” he said,”I’ll spank you.” We went to sleep fast. And you know something? They never did come back.

Learning to read cluster is not something your eyes do naturally. It takes constant practice.
Here’s how to go about it. Pick something light to read. Read it as fast as you can. Concentrate on seeing 3 or 4 words at once rather than one word at a time. Then reread the piece at your normal speed to see what you missed the first time.
Try a second piece. First cluster, then reread to see what you missed in this one. When you can read in clusters without missing much the first time, your speed has increased. Practice 15 minutes every day and you might pick up the technique in a week or so. (But don’t be disappointed if it takes longer. Clustering everything takes time and practice).
With enough practice, you’ll be able to handle more reading at school or work, and at home, in less time. You should even have enough time to read your favourite comic books, and War and Peace!
(to download the original document, click here)