Speed reading practice

Questioning is the foundation of all learning.
The first step in rejecting not knowing, is to ask, why?
Sweetland

Introduction

This is an activity from my 1970's files for a reading learning center. Before screens, the internet, Google searches, and AI.

There are 12 packets with media pieces and questions for each to practice speed reading or skimming for answers.

They are:

  1. Foreign Rivers in a chart or table
  2. Eras chart or table
  3. Lakes of the World in table form
  4. Phone list 1
  5. Phone list 2
  6. Phone list 3
  7. Almanac entry - Lincoln
  8. Seven Wonders of the World lists almanac entry
  9. Skimming Baseball stats in table form
  10. Waterfalls almanac entry in table form
  11. Skimming fishing records in table form
  12. Skimming bridges in an almanac in table form

 

Prep - To make an old timey analog learning center you need.

Open packet

Materials

Construction paper 24 pieces, a marker, and 12 feet of binding tape or duct tape.

Directions

  • Print out one set of the following 12 media clippings to speed read or skim and the 12 questions to search for answers.
  • Glue the questions on one piece construction paper and the question on another.
  • Place a media article page glued to the construction sheet face up.
  • Put questions page facedown with question one at the bottom of the page on top of media article page.
  • Tape the two togethere with half the tape on bttom of the question sheet and the other half on the top of the media sheet. So when they are open the questions are above the media article.
  • Use the marker and write a title and directions or objective or outcome on the cover.

Since they can be done in any order, the center can accommodate as many users as is physically comfortable. Or they can be moved around a room so 12 readers could be using them simultaneously.

Enjoy!

Skimming Foreign Rivers in a chart or table form (Blk 1)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. What's the longest river listed?
  2. What does the Amazon River flow into?
  3. How long is the Rhine River?
  4. What does the Rio de la Plata flow into?
  5. What does the Volga River empty into?
  6. What river flows into the Hudson Bay?
  7. What does the Orinoco River flow into?
  8. How long is the Parana River?
  9. What's the area of the Amazon River basin?
  10. What's the area of the Mississippi and Misouri River Basin?
Rivers
Eras

Skimming the Eras (Blk 2)

How fast can you skimming the table below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. What's the oldest life that has left a record?
  2. What period was the age of mammals ?
  3. What period was the age of fishes?
  4. What period was the age of man?
  5. How long was th Mesozoic era?
  6. What period had the first land plants?
  7. What era brought sees bearing flowers?
  8. How long was the triassic era?
  9. What era was the age of reptiles?
  10. How long was the Mississippi period?
Eras table
Eras

 

Skimming lists of Lakes of the World in table form (Blk 3)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. What's the deepest lake in the world?
  2. What's the highest lake in the world?
  3. Where is the Koko lake?
  4. What's the lowest lake in the world?
  5. What lake has an area of 2,075 feet?
  6. What lake listed is the shallowest
  7. What's the depth of the Great Salt Lakes?
  8. What's the area of the Great Slave Lake? (Yes! In 2026 it is still its name)
  9. What lake is located at sea level?
  10. What's the third longest lake in the world listed?
Lakes
Eras

 

Skimming lists in table form (Brn 1)

How fast can you skimming the table below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. How many people named Thomas are listed?
  2. What's Turner's first name?
  3. What's the first name of the first Teinert listed?
  4. What's Roy Tucker's address?
  5. What's THE POST OFFICE telephone number?
  6. Who's phone number is 362-5943?
  7. Is there a street named grant in this listing?
  8. How manyRFD's are listed?
  9. Where or what number canyou call for a party?
  10. What's Mickey Thiele's address?
Phone book t
T Phone list

Skimming lists in table form (Brn 2)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. How many Staehr's are listed?
  2. What's George Snyder's phone number?
  3. Are there three RFD's in a row?
  4. What number would you call to find a price of a guitar?
  5. Who lives at Arbor Court?
  6. Is there a Rev. listed?
  7. Snyder is spelled also as _________________ & ________________?
  8. What's Walter Stahr's phone number?
  9. What's Roy A Speece's address?
  10. Sheriff's number - night?
Phone list s
Phone list

Skimming lists in table form (Brn 3)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. What number should you call if you need insurance?
  2. How many steinmetz's are listed?
  3. Which Wade Sloan is listed first?
  4. What's the phone number of the National Guard Armory?
  5. What's John Steffen's phone number?
  6. Who lives on Blackburn Road?
  7. Who's phone number is 36-3137?
  8. How many people live on Burlington?
  9. Slot's address?
  10. Gerald Stauber's address?
Phone list s
Phone list

Skimming an almanac entry - Lincoln (red 1)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. Where was there yellow fever?
  2. Where was Booth first buried?
  3. Who shot Abraham Lincoln?
  4. Who fled to Europe?
  5. What amendment abolished slavery?
  6. Who furnished vehicles?
  7. Where was Lincoln shot?
  8. Where was Booth shot?
  9. Where was Booth reburied?
  10. What's this articles title?
Lincoln
Lincoln - murder

Skimming Seven Wonders of the World lists in table form (O1)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. What's the name of the seventh wonder that was a lighthouse?
  2. No trace remains of this garden?
  3. Bronze statue of who?
  4. What is the original size of the pyramid at Cheops?
  5. What's the statue of Zeus made from?
  6. Who set the temple at Ephesus on fire?
  7. How was the tomb of Mausolus destroyed?
  8. What was used to light the light house?
  9. Which of the seven wonders are still erected?
  10. What was leveled by an earthquake in 1375?
Seven Wonders of the World
Seven wonders of the World almana entry

Skimming Almanac entry for Nebraska (O2)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. How long has Nebraska had a unicameral?
  2. How did French fur trappers enter Nebraska?
  3. How many square miles is Nebraska?
  4. What county is the largest producer of natural gas?
  5. How many acres are under cultivation?
  6. How far is Boy's Town from Omaha?
  7. When did Nebraska join the union.
  8. The Big and Little Blue River enter into what river?
  9. What does the Platte River empty into?
  10. Where did the Union Pacific start its transcontinental railroad?
Nebraska almanac entry
Nebraska almanac entry

Skimming Baseball stats in table form (P1)

How fast can you skimming the baseball stats below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. What year did Babe Ruth hit the most number of home runs?
  2. How many games did he win as a pitcher?
  3. How many runs batted in did he have in a lifetime?
  4. How many strike outs has Babe had?
  5. What was his batting average in 1930?
  6. What team did he play with during most of his career?
  7. How many triples did he hit?
  8. How many home runs did he hit in all- star games?
  9. What year's did Babe have themost stolen bases?
  10. In what year did Babe have the best batting average in a world series?
Baseball stats
Baseball stats

Waterfalls almanac entry in table form (P2)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. Niagara Falls carries water betweenwhat two lakes?
  2. What's the highest falls listed?
  3. What's the lowest falls listed?
  4. Where is the Tower falls located?
  5. How many falls listed are in Sweden?
  6. Is the American or Canadian side of Niagrara Falls higher?
  7. How high are the Feather Falls?
  8. What falls are 1,325 feet tall?
  9. How many falls are listed from New Zealand?
  10. How many falls are listed from Colombia?
Waterfalls
Famous waterfalls

 

Skimming fishing records in table form (P3)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. What's the heavist fish on record caught?
  2. Where was the record tarpon caught?
  3. What record fish was caught at Rockport, Mass.?
  4. Who caught the record dolphin?
  5. What's the length of the shortest record fish?
  6. What date did Jim schultz catch his record fish?
  7. What fish did Jane Haywood catch?
  8. What record fish was caught the longest time ago?
  9. What was caught most recently?
  10. What record fish had the largest girth?
Fishing records
Rod & Reel fish records

 

Skimming bridges in an almanac in table form (P4)

How fast can you skimming the ___ below and find the answers to these questions?

  1. What's the oldest bridge listed?
  2. What's the longest main span?
  3. What's the newest bridge listed?
  4. What type bridge crosses the Tennessee River at Chattanooga?
  5. How many bridges have a main span of 700 feet?
  6. What's a name of a floating bridge?
  7. How many continuous truss bridges cross the Mississippi?
  8. Where is Rip Van Winkle Bridge?
  9. What's theshortest bridge listed?
  10. How many cantilever bridges cross the Ohio River?
Notable U.S. bridges

 

 

Answer keys

 

Key 1

 

Key3

 

Key 2

 

 

 

 

Top

Dr. Robert Sweetland's notes
[Home: homeofbob.com & thehob.net ]