Slow reading and its double faces

Reading is arguably an unavoidable path for many members of the Nigerian society. Although audio books and motion pictures continue to sneak away large chunks of the reading populace, the immortality of letters, in hard or soft copies, still drive people to read. In school where reading is the norm, students download electronic materials to […]

Reading is arguably an unavoidable path for many members of the Nigerian society. Although audio books and motion pictures continue to sneak away large chunks of the reading populace, the immortality of letters, in hard or soft copies, still drive people to read. In school where reading is the norm, students download electronic materials to prepare for either assignments and examinations, while some buy business books, novels and the like from the internet. In a bid to meet their individual needs, how then does the time a reader take to absorb a material impact on the mind at that present moment, and subsequently?
Jerry Ankeli, a habitual reader from adolescence, opines that slow reading could be as a result of the readers’ experience, knowledge, attitude, language or environment. “Anyone and everyone could read slowly at one time or the other,” he says.“However, putting it in the perspective of understanding, for some it actually means having enough time for their brains to process unfamiliar pictures, text, and symbols, while for others it may really mean the depth of understanding and inspiration derived from a particular text, which they may not want to discontinue. So, while slow reading may mean more time to understand for some, for others it may just be the time for more inspiration and insight. I do both sometimes, depending on what I am reading.”
Although reading at a slow pace could be an incident, now and again, for even the fastest reader, the fact that the latter takes in more words per fixation and moves on at great speed means that he or she can be generally classified as a fast reader. Odohofreh Enobong, a 500 level Law student from the Igbinedion University, Benin is in this category. “I read fast. Very fast,” she reiterates.“So much so that people that have watched my eyes while I read have exclaimed in shock at how fast my eyeballs move while reading. I think it comes from the fact that I have read so much right from when I was old enough to read. So, I hardly stumble over words, or phrases or idioms and all those. I just fly through them, slowing down only when I am struck by something really arresting.
Reading fast is good for me when I have to read a lot in a short time, especially when I am reading for an examination, or a novel that I have only a short time to round off. But I have realised that when I want to read something of which I want great understanding, I read slower. This means that slow reading may be what gives me more understanding as I take note of every single element of the sentences I am reading. It also gives my mind more time to properly think over what I read, and consequently, gives me more understanding too.”
Another ardent reader, Sibbyl Onyeocha, told Bookshelf that reading is fun for him, but not when it involves academics.  “I am a fast reader – devouring over 400 pages in three uninterrupted hours. But that does not in any way lessen my understanding of what I have read. Although I have noticed that information gotten from reading non-academic works are stored without any conscious effort and easily recalled, unlike when I read for exams. I do not think that the rate at which one reads has a thing to do with understanding. But then, it is each to his or her pace,” he concludes.
“There is no relationship between fast reading and accumulation of knowledge. It is a matter of choice and style,” explains Esson Alumbugu. “I can sit down and read a 300-page novel within several hours and understand every bit of it. I know people who read a novel in a month. Probably that is the time they need to read and understand, while it takes a shorter time for me to do so. The speed has no relationship with understanding, but rather it is a matter of ability. The only difference may be in meeting a deadline. For example, when one needs to summarise an essay, then this may apply.
Also, it all depends on the fast readers’ access to books and the level of interest in them. One may read more books in a lifetime while another reads a single book. But this does not imply that the former would have more knowledge than the latter because knowledge transcends reading.”