Do you actually know how to read?

Welcome.

Of course we do.  We're reading this right now!

Well, yes, if you are reading this, you are at least literate.

Keep in mind though that you are at Advancing to Greater.
I'm going to show you how to get more out of everything you read.  (Well, maybe this isn't the best way to read your latest fun fiction novel of whatever genre you're into...let's read those normally.)



Too often, we all notice that we have to re-read something we just read because we realize that we had merely passed our eyes over the text, without actually reading the words - or at least without comprehending what we took in.

Here's how to advancing your reading skills to a higher level using ogres.

Well, not really ogres.

That's just a mnemonic for OGRRS, a five-pronged approach to being better at reading which I've developed through much effort, research, and effortful study.

Overview

First, try to get an idea of what you are going be reading.  Get an overview, take a general survey of the material so that you can then...

Guess

Next, guess what the material is going to teach you.  Writing down questions that you expect the material to answer for you is extremely helpful, as your brain will immediately bring information to your attention when it provides an answer that you were looking for.

The purpose of the first two steps is prepare our minds for the material that we are about to read, this primes our mental faculties and our brains start thinking about all we know about the given subject.  This makes it easier for our brains to critically examine, comprehend, and assimilate the new knowledge that we are taking is as we....

Read

At last, we arrive at the actual reading part of the material.  Read the material thoroughly and with the expectation that the answers you guessed that you might find will be answered.  Do not allow your attention to wander though - we're not going to go looking for the answers to the questions we wrote down, we're just thoroughly reading the material here.

Sometimes, it is helpful to jot notes as you read.  If you're using your own book, jot notes directly into the book as you go, underline and highlight passages that jump out at you.  This is also a great time to note when your questions are being answered as you read the material.

Now we can...

Review

Were your questions answered?  Review the material again, focusing on the notes you took, the parts you underlined and highlighted.  If your the answers you guessed that you'd find were not there, why not?  Was it simply not covered by the material?  Or did you miss something?  If you missed anything jot down those answers now before we move on to...

Speak

That's right, we're going to talk to ourselves now!  I know, I know, it feels weird, especially at first. Super-especially in public.  You can choose best for yourself when and how to employ this step.

Recitation is however, the way we are all best-able to retain the information.  Start by reading aloud your notes and underlined and highlighted portions first.  Next, we will read aloud our questions and answers.  The last step is to see if you can recite a short summary of all of the important information within what you just read.  If you can, it is most likely that you will remember it.  If you are realizing that you cannot recite some parts, go back and re-review those parts aloud.  Then try again to recite a summary - covering all the important points - from memory.  Once you can do that, you are done.

Whew!  That's a little bit more effort than what normally goes into reading something, but it is well worth it.  As you put this into practice, you will join those of us who use this awesome technique to advance their reading, comprehension, and retention of information to a greater level.

This is also a technique that is easy for us all to apply to smaller sections.  You can use the OGRRS method of reading not just for a whole book, but for a chapter at a time.  This is especially helpful if you are reading through material in a structured way, such as when we take classes.



That's it.  Using the ogres to help your reading advance to a greater skill level is awesome, and it will pay many dividends in life.  Being the one who remembers more is helpful, and it is certainly faster than having to look things up all the time.  It helps at work, in our hobbies, and in our private lives.

Enjoy, and I wish you the best of luck as you make use of this technique.

Let me know what you think, please.  My email address is rich at advancing to greater dot com.
Thanks!

Welcome to Advancing to Greater

I have decided to create this to satisfy a burning desire I feel inside of me to share valuable information with others.  Too often, I see people who are operating blindly, taking advice from anyone who offers it and stumbling through the world as life pushes them about.

I offer this as a place of common-sense and as an ever-growing well of knowledge for weary Internet wanderers and knowledge-seekers.  Much of what I will share here will seem obvious to the casual reader, but most people will find that they had been lacking the simple crystallization of this knowledge and how to apply it to their lives.  I hope to offer simple truths, success secrets, and financial information to any who would like to start winning at life.

This world, your life, and those around you will respond to your actions, to your sense of purpose, to your passion.
They will also react to your inaction, your lack of direction, your apathy.

Are you going to steer your ship?  Or are you going to let the winds of life blow you around?

You can change the course of your life.  You can project yourself into a greater future.
Winning at life is fun; it is rewarding, exhilarating, and satisfying.

I'm glad you're here.

Welcome to a life of Advancing to Greater.