The Reading Faster and Understanding More developmental work books recognize the inseparable links between comprehension, vocabulary and reading rate. With vocabulary and study skills instruction integrated throughout, each chapter guides students through the reading comprehension and rate improvement processes and includes exercises to practice these skills. Book 1 features lively readings-from the 6th to 8th grade level-on the Fry test, with the “textbook” chapter at the 9th grade level.

Table of Contents:
(Before each chapter begins with "Vocabulary Preview".) Preview Your Text. Preview Your Reading Habits. A Note To The Instructor. Pretests. Vocabulary Pretest. Comprehension and Rate Pretest. Phonics Pretest. 1. Preparing to Read. I. How to Understand More. Study Unit: Preparing to Read. Practice the Preview Method. Find the Topic. Expand the Topic into a Main Idea. Study Notes. Paragraph Practice: Famous People Looking Back. Exercises 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Make Three Changes. Check Your Reading Rate. Phrase Practice: Exercise 1F, 1G. Longer Readings: Famous People Looking Back. Exercise 1H, A Father's Gift, Michael Jordan. Exercise 1I, Death on the Coffee Plantation, Rigoberta Menchu. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 2. Finding the Main Idea. I. How to Understand More. Study Unit: Finding the Main Idea. Think of an Umbrella. Look for Topic Sentence in a Paragraph. Look at Other Locations for Topic Sentence. Look for Implied Main Idea. Study Notes. Paragraph Practice: Feeling Good. Exercises 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Read in Phrases, Not Words. Phrase Practice: Exercise 2F, 2G. Longer Readings: Feeling Good. Exercise 2H, How Anger Affects You, Allison Glock. Exercise 2I, Ways to Destress Your Home Life, American Institute of Stress. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 3. Finding the Framework. I. How to Understand More. Study Unit: Finding the Framework. How We Remember Details. Key Words. Four Logic Patterns. Study Notes. Paragraph Practice: Problems with Progress. Exercise 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Avoid Margin Reading. Avoid Regressing. Phrase Practice: 3F, 3G. Longer Reading: Problems with Progress. Exercise 3H, Home Alone, Anna Quindlen. Exercise 3I, But Now You Can't NOT Eavesdrop, Jeanne F.Brooks. Exercise 3G, To Spy or Not to Spy, Ross Werland. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 4. Connecting Logic Patterns. I. How to Understand More. Study Unit: Connecting Logic Patterns. Look for Transitions. Six More Logical Patterns. Study Notes. Paragraph Practice: Tracing Our Roots. Exercises 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Take Another Look at Phrase Reading. Break Bad Habits. Phrase Practice: Exercises 4F, 4G. Longer Readings: Tracing Our Roots. Exercise 4H: Barrio Boy, Ernesto Galarza. Exercise 4I: The Brown Bomber, Maya Angelou. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 5. Organizing Details. I. How to Understand More. Study Unit: Organizing Details. Why Organize Details? How to Organize Details. Three Types of Outlines: Mapping, Topic, Sentence. Study Notes. Paragraph Practice: Outlining Paragraphs. Exercises 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Assess Your Progress. Set a Goal. Phrase Practice: Exercises 5F, 5G. Longer Readings: Outlining Essays Exercise 5H, Musical Medicine. Exercise 5I, Learn How to Listen, Walter Stromer, as told to Eileen L. Daly. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 6. How to Understand More. Study Unit: PRO and Study-Outlining. Why PRO? How to PRO. Study Notes. Paragraph Practice: Studying a History Textbook. Exercises 6A, 6B, 6C. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Adjust Your Speed to Fit Purpose. Consider Your Attitude. Phrase Practice: Exercises 6D, 6E. Longer Readings: Apply the PRO Method. Exercise 6F, from The Plains Indians: A way of Life Extinguished, by John A. Garraty. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 7. Skimming and Scanning. I. and II. How Read Much Faster but Understand Less. Study Unit: Skimming and Scanning. Skim for Overview. Scan for Answers. Study Outline. Skimming and Scanning Practice: Exercises 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E, 7F. Longer Readings: The Global Village. Exercise 7G, Around the Globe, Water Quality is a Matter of Life and Death, by Molly Moore. Exercise 7H, Depression on the Rise. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 8. Reading Critically. I. How to Understand More. Study Unit: Reading Critically. Decide Author's Purpose. Is it a Fact or Opinion? Study Outline. Paragraph Practice: Controversial Issues. Exercises 8A, 8B, 8C. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Use a Pacing Device. Keep a Pacing Chart. Phrase Practice: Exercises 8D, 8E. Longer Readings: Controversial Issues. Exercise 8F, ...and the Beep Goes On, Tanveer Badal. Exercise 8G, The Spies Who Love Me, Ross Werland. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 9. Drawing Inferences. I. How to Understand More. Study Unit: Drawing Inferences. Infer from Actions. Infer from Words. Infer Tone. Infer Irony. Study Outline. Paragraph Practice: The Gender Gap. Exercise: 9A, 9B, 9C. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Practical Suggestions for Reading Faster. Phrase Practice: Exercises 9D, 9E. Longer Readings: The Gender Gap. Exercise 9F, The Dinner Party, Mona Gardner. Exercise 9G, Playing Barbies, Sharon Steeber deOrozco. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). 10. Interpreting Literature. I. How to Understand More. Study Unit: Interpreting Literature. Observe Character Traits. Identify the Conflict. Infer the Theme. Study Outline. Passage Practice: Conflicts in Literature. Exercises 10A, 10B, 10C. II. How to Read Faster. Rate-Building Tips: Review Your Reading Habits. Phrase Practice: Exercises 10D, 10E. Longer Readings: Conflicts in Literature. Exercise 10F, The Moths, Helena Maria Viramontes. Writing and Discussion Activities. Reviews (Vocabulary and Comprehension). Appendix. Homework Lessons. HOMEWORK LESSON ONE: How to Use the Dictionary. HOMEWORK LESSON TWO: How to Build a Vocabulary File. HOMEWORK LESSON THREE: Word Attack—Roots. HOMEWORK LESSON FOUR: Word Attack—Roots. HOMEWORK LESSON FIVE: Word Attack—Roots. HOMEWORK LESSON SIX: Word Attack—oots. HOMEWORK LESSON SEVEN: Word Attack—Prefixes. HOMEWORK LESSON EIGHT: Word Attack—Prefixes. HOMEWORK LESSON NINE: Word Attack—Suffixes (nouns). HOMEWORK LESSON TEN: Word Attack—Suffixes (verbs, adjectives, adverbs). Phonics Review. Letters and Their Sounds. Syllables and Stress. Word Lists. From Vocabulary Previews. "By Chapter" List of Words. Alphabetical List of Words. From "Homework Lessons". Alphabetical List of Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes. Alphabetical List of New Words. Answer Keys. Progress Charts. Pretest and Posttests Chapter Reviews and Unit Tests Longer Readings