Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer PRing a collection of short stories

I have a summer reading book called Cuentas by Eva Luna (for Spanish class) which, as the name suggests, is not one, but 23 stories bound into one book. I am supposed to read all of them. I have PhotoRead the book three times, but have not yet started any activation on it because I'm not exactly sure how I would go about it with optimal efficiency since the book is so segmented. Any suggestions or tips?

-CameronJ

Just activate them one by one. That's what I did with a childrens encyclopaedia. I was was baby sitting and for the lack of reading material I PhotoRead and activated a couple of them.

Spent about 30 mintues on the whole book there were about 36 articles. My brother got home just as I was about to activate the 2nd book and he happened to ask me about PhotoReading. So in explaining I grabbed a book the one I happened to activate. In the process of explaining PhotoReading I was pointing to each article and telling him the interesting tidbits I picked up from them. Went through the whole book. He knew I couldn't have spent more than 30 minutes at it because the kids were still awake. Needless to say my brother was impressed.

So when you activate set yourself your time and just activate. Treat them a little like articles, a 10 page one would take about 7 minutes all up (A4 pages which is about 20 pages in a book) 2 pages say 3 minutes tops (I spent about 60 to 90 seconds per article in the Enclyclopaedia longest was 4 pages) I suggest 3 to 5 minutes allowing for the fact that Spanish isn't your natural reading language.

Alex

Thanks, Alex. I'll let you know how that goes :-)

BTW, I got a 4 on the AP American/United States history exam. It is the only class for which I used PhotoReading and no slow reading for the second semester. The first semester, I had used speed reading and then when I got discouraged, I reverted back into slow-reading.

Also, I didn't really make many mind maps at home while I was studying each chapter, but I did mind map everything we did in class second semester.

I'm sure that if I had done consistent mind maps I would have easily gotten a 5 instead of a 4 :-)

-CameronJ

Live and learn.

Keep going for your personal best.

Alex

OK, Alex; now since this is for school for me and because I have not had as much experience with PRing as you, I want to know how would a Postview/Mind Probing questions and a Mind Map fit into all of this? So far I've tried with and without actually writing down mind probing questions after the Postview; obviously, formulating them mentally and immediately seeking info saves a ton of time for such short passages. The Mind Map also adds a few minutes to the end of my SR/dipping, but I think it is worth it so I remember the stuff I've gained better and have a reference point for SR/dipping questions for the next activation layer.

It is a normal paperback book, btw, regular (not too small) sized type. 23 stories total, about 240 pages total.

I'd appreciate it if you'd break the likely sequence of actions down explicitely, not just "activation," but trigger words, questions, choose questions, SR./dip, Mind Map, etc; this step for about between x and y minutes... Thanks; I think this'll help make this activation more efficient and effective. BTW, if I'm spending xtra time sr/dipping because it's Spanish, that means technically doing more than one layer @ once (1 layer, then a second to fill the recommended time and gain more comprehension.)

I am infinitely grateful to you!
Thanks!
-CameronJ

Email me with the name of the book and a few more details about the book. I'll talk to you then how I would consider handling that particular book. I'll point out here and now that it can only be based on how I would do it that is not the only way that it could be approached.

Things like how long I would spend at each stage varies according to what I want and need to know from a books so I'd also be sourcing out what the teachers expect me to know (will that be on the test isn't as dumb a question as it sounds and a teacher should realise when any bright spark asks that question s/he has some explaining to do if it is on the test because it's an outspoken students way of saying... I got no idea what the heck you're talking about am I going to be tested on this?

My email is under my profile.

Alex