Monday 28 November 2016

How to Choose a Good Book

 Forgetmenot.

How to Choose a Good Book

Do you love to read? Do you never know what you want to read?
You have already read your favorite book a thousand times,
and you want to read something new but you don't know what you want to read.
You are going to go to the library but you haven't decided on a good book.
If you have the right information, it is super easy to choose a book!

1 Make a list answering these questions:
What genre of books do you like? Sci-fi, adventure, mystery, non-fiction, fiction, realistic fiction?
What authors do you like? Research books by authors you've enjoyed in the past.
Chances are they'll have another publication that you'll also enjoy, and by searching by authors,
you can get more of the same types of books that the author wrote.
Is there a type of book, or a specific book you would like to try? If there is, search the book up
and read its summary. That will help you decide if the book is right for you.
Are there any books in a certain series you would like to read? If you know the series
then you can search the series online and you can find the books.
You can also go to the library and see if they have the series that you are looking.
What are your interests? Insert your hobbies into your library catalog search and set it to, "Keyword." By doing this, you will find books that you can read that you might like.

2 Search your house.
 Often times good books will be quietly collecting dust in your own house.
Maybe you forgot about one, or someone who is living with you has a couple good books.
Also by search your house, you can find books for yourself, that you can read,
and it won't even cost you any money.

3 Ask someone to recommend a good book. 
You can ask your older sibling, your mom, your dad, your best friend, or even your English teacher. Friends or family with whom you have things in common can often make excellent book recommendations. Local, small bookstores often have wonderful recommendations,
and when they get to know you, it's even better! You should ask people that like the same genre
of books that they have read, so that you can match books that you read.

4 Read book reviews in newspapers and magazines. 
Read the bestseller lists published in most newspapers or weekly magazines.
Find out which new books are making headlines, and why.

5 Join a book club. 
Being a book club member is often a way to experience new books you might never have had
the motivation to read otherwise. Joining a book club or making a book club helps you
know who else likes the same books as you, and you can read books that others have read
and discuss them. Get people that like to read books to join your book club.

6 See if the library or bookstore has computers. 
If it does, then look on the library's search engine. You can use the search engine to find
a certain book, books by a certain author, or anything as broad as just a certain genre.
You can also do this at home.

7 Ask the librarian or book seller
about the location of the books you're looking for. He/she will be happy to help you.

8 Skim through the shelves in the section you're interested in.
If you see anything that looks appealing, pick it up and read the back of the book. 
Skim over the back of the book or the inside flap, wherever the summary is.
If that holds your attention, read the first page or so. If it still holds your attention,
then it's probably a good book for you. The subject might be interesting to you,
but the writing style can be key to enjoying it.
If it looks interesting, put it in your pile. Keep doing this until you have a few books.

9 Find a place to sit, or stand if you must, and read the first chapter of each book.
Of course, if you have many books, this can be time consuming.
Reading the first chapter of a book can help you know what books and genres of books that you like,
and so that you won't have a hard time looking for books again.

10 Narrow down your stack. 
Research reading lists of your favorite writers. Chances are great that you'll like what they recommend. Make this list where you can see it, so that you can keep adding to this list as time goes on. This way you can see what books you have already read, and what books you really want to read.

12 Go to websites such as Gutenburg.org or Gutenburg.ca. 
These two sites have loads of free e-books that you can download, print, or read on your computer. If your school or library has its own e-books then you can go see them too from there.

13 Go Random! 
Grab anything vaguely interesting off the shelves, check it out, and read it!
You'll be surprised at what you like.

14 Gateway books (like Harry Potter or The Unfortunate Events)
re great ways to keep your reading occupied while exploring other options.


http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Good-Book

Turbo Charged Reading: Read more>>>Read fast>>>Remember more>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR music, poetry or self development material for internal knowing.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube 
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com         gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com               which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com        just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Better Motor Skills Linked to Higher Academic Scores

Catching the last rays of the day.

Better Motor Skills Linked to Higher Academic Scores
Christopher Bergland

Children with poor motor skills score lower on reading and arithmetic tests.
A new study from Finland has found that children with poor motor skills also have poorer reading 
and arithmetic skills. The study found that children who performed poorly in agility,
speed and manual dexterity tests also had lower reading and arithmetic test scores
in first through third grades. Across the board, children with better performance in motor tests scored higher in reading and arithmetic tests.
The study was published October 28, 2013 in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
The study investigated the relationships of cardiovascular fitness and motor performance
in the first grade to reading and arithmetic skills in grades 1–3 among 174 Finnish children
as part of The Physical Activity and Nutrition (PANIC) Study at the University of Eastern Finland and The First Steps Study at the University of Jyväskylä. These associations were stronger in boys than girls. Those children in the lowest third of motor performance
had dramatically lower reading and arithmetic test scores than children in the other two thirds.
Interestingly, a recent study from Harvard University ranked Finland as the number one country
in the world for childhood education.
As American children become less active and spend more hours each day in front of a screen,
it appears that their cerebral and cerebellar function is declining.
There is growing evidence of the link between improved motor skills, dexterity, and cognition.
I have written extensively in The Athlete's Way about the link between stimulating neural growth
in all hemispheres of the brain—which includes the left and right hemispheres of both the cerebrum and the cerebellum. One backlash of the “No Child Left Behind” approach to over-emphasizing
the importance of test scores are the consequences of literally causing a child’s cerebellum and its related motor skills to atrophy, which reduces cognitive abilites and lowers academic performance.

5 Finnish Guidelines for Childhood Well-Being and Education
The objective of the Finnish PANIC Study is to provide new scientific evidence on physical activity, sedentary behavior,  diet, eating behavior,  cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular fitness,
excess body fat, and metabolism. In addition the study looks at cardiovascular function,
bone mineral density, cognition, reading and arithmetic skills, sleep, pain and other aspects of life quality. These include oral health and healthcare expenses.
The main focus of the study is on the effects of increased physical activity, improved diet
d genetic factors on health and well-being among children and adolescents.
The Finnish researchers recommend the following 5 guidelines:

1) Increase total physical activity to at least two hours per day
by increasing different types of physical activity, such as unstructured physical activity, 
physical activity during recess, organized sports, structured exercise time,
and commuting to and from school on foot, bicycle, scooter... 

2) Increase the versatility of physical activity
to develop physical, emotional, cognitive and social skills and brain functions.

3) Provide a variety of positive physical activity experiences
to help each child find a suitable type of physical activity and to be able to enjoy exercise
in the long-term.

4) Decrease sedentary behaviors,
such as watching television and playing on computer, to an absolute maximum of two hours per day.

5) Increase energy expenditure
to maintain energy balance and to prevent becoming overweight.

Conclusion: Cerebellar Dexterity Linked to Cerebral Smarts
What are the Finns doing that we could emulate in the United States to improve our education
and global competitiveness? The findings of this study emphasize the importance
of motor performance and movement skills as key to a child’s academic success during the first years of school, and most likely throughout a lifespan.
The academic development of children with poor motor performance should be closely monitored. Teachers and parents should strive to include daily activities and take steps to support
not only the development of reading, arithmetic etc. but make sure to include time each day
focused on movement skills and physical activity.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/better-motor-skills-linked-higher-academic-scores


Turbo Charged Reading:  Read More>>>Read fast>>>Remember more>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR specialist and language dictionaries that are spontaneously accessed.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube 
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com        gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com              which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com       just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”

Thursday 10 November 2016

Cultivate Creativity to Study Better and Dominate Assignments

Horsetail 

Cultivate Creativity to Study Better and Dominate Assignments
Ransom Patterson 

What comes to mind when you hear the word “creativity”?
A painter toiling away at a canvas into the wee hours of the morning?
A composer spending hours on a new piece until it’s perfect? Or maybe an actor
bringing an audience to tears with the right word said at just the right time?

What about that final project you have due for your Intro to Anthropology class?
I don’t know about you, but if you’d asked me a couple years ago if creativity 
had anything to do with course work, I probably would have said something like,
“Well, sure, but only if you have a creative major like art, creative writing, music, drama, or dance.”
What I’ve realized lately, however, is that my assumptions were all wrong.
Creativity absolutely has a place in your studies, no matter what your major is.
To excel at college-level work, you have to think creatively.
That’s why in today’s post I’m going to break down what exactly creativity is,
how you can practice it, and how you can apply it to your studies.
Don’t worry: berets are optional.

Want to listen to an audio narration of this article? Just click play below:
https://collegeinfogeek.com/cultivate-creativity/

What Is Creativity?
Like love and the recipe for the perfect burrito, creativity is a difficult thing to define.
This hasn’t stopped scientists from trying, though. As neuroscientist and psychiatrist
Nancy C. Andreasen explains, attempts to study creativity
usually fall into two categories: “little c“ and “big C.”
“Little c” refers to research that attempts to quantitatively measure creativity.
One popular way of doing this is to give subjects tests of divergent thinking.
Andreasen defines divergent thinking as “the ability to come up with many responses
to carefully selected questions or probes.” This is in contrast with convergent thinking,
“the ability to come up with the correct answer to problems that have only one answer.”
A classic test of divergent thinking would be to ask people a question such as,
“How many uses can you think of for a brick?” 
The idea is that the more uses a person can come up with, the more creative they are.
But “little c” isn’t the only method for studying creativity. As Andreasen explains, such tests are based on the assumption that creativity = divergent thinking. This, she argues, is not necessarily
the case, since there are equally creative achievements that are the result of convergent thinking. She cites the mathematical accomplishments of both Newton and Einstein as examples.
Because of this discrepancy, many researchers also study “big C.” The “big C” approach starts
with a group of people who are already recognized as being highly creative
and then attempts to study them in order to reverse engineer a definition of creativity.
This approach also has its problems, since it involves a subjective assessment of creativity,
not to mention neglecting all the highly creative individuals who just haven’t been lucky enough
to achieve wide recognition.
Since science is still unsure exactly how to define and quantify creativity,
I think that popular and philosophical definitions of creativity are just as helpful.
My favorite definition comes from author Denise Shekerjian, who defines creativity as,
“…the idea of connecting two unrelated things in an efficient way.”
Shekerjian’s definition gets at the idea that creativity is something inherently wondrous
and even magical. It’s the surprise that comes when you or someone else notices
and articulates an unlikely connection.
With all this being said, is creativity something that you can learn and practice? Absolutely.
Creativity is hard, but it is a skill you can cultivate. You just need the right approach…

Why Creativity Matters to Studying and School
“Creativity is a process, not an event.” – James Clear
Now that we have a working definition of creativity, we need to discuss why exactly it matters
so much to the work you do for school.
The simple answer is that rote memorization can only get you so far.
When you were in high school, it was probably enough to just read the textbook,
take notes on the lectures, and then memorize the appropriate terms and facts.
 If you did even that much, you were usually guaranteed a good grade.
In college, however, that’s not enough. Sure, you may be able to get through
your first couple semesters just by regurgitating facts, but to excel in any higher level courses
you need to be able to think creatively.
 Higher level courses ask you to think outside of the box, to go beyond the surface level.
For instance, let’s say that your philosophy professor assigns you to write a paper
on the meaning of life. If you want to do well, it’s not enough to write a paper summarizing
the opinions of different academics on the topic. This will get you part of the way,
but to make your paper shine you need to comment on and critique the existing arguments, integrating them into your own original answer. Activities such as this are inherently creative.
Furthermore, creativity is essential if you want to distinguish yourself. 
This is true while you’re in school and after you graduate. Devising creative solutions
to novel problems helps you stand out in a good way. Particularly as many work tasks
become increasingly automated, creativity is a skill that will only become more valuable.
This is not to say, of course, that creativity can replace hard work. Deliberate practice 
is still essential to mastering your discipline. Nothing can replace putting in the hours (at least,
until our world becomes like The Matrix and you can download ju-jitsu directly into your brain).
Nonetheless, creativity can augment your learning in many different ways.

How to Apply Creativity to Your Course Work
So what does a creative approach to studying look like day-to-day?
Well, that depends on the type of work. In general, the creative approach is best when you need
to create new information, devise a novel solution, or retain a large number of complex facts.
Of course, creative thinking works well for “obviously” creative projects that involve writing, 
drawing, dance, painting, or music-making, but it also applies in less obvious areas.
For instance, creative thinking is highly valuable when working on a math problem
without a straightforward solution (or multiple solutions). I can’t claim to know much about math (certainly not at the college level), so I’ll defer to Kai Brunkalla, a professor of mathematics
at Walsh University.In his paper “How to Increase Mathematical Creativity – An Experiment” 
Brunkalla argues that creativity is involved in the following three areas of mathematics:

Abstraction – “The creativity of abstraction concerns the creation of models
that reflect the real world and can be solved with mathematical tools known to the individual.”

Connection –  “The creativity of connection is the realization that known mathematical tools
can be applied to new problems, allowing problems to be viewed in a new way.
Connections are also made when mathematical and other knowledge come together
to understand and solve problems from a variety of areas.”

Research – “The creativity of researching is the discovery of new mathematical tools
that fit unsolved problems and add to the available tools for other users of mathematics.”
Additionally, creative approaches are very powerful for memorizing large volumes of information. Specific methods include mnemonics and the method of loci.
I’ll explore each in detail below to give you an idea of what’s possible.

Mnemonics
You’re probably familiar with mnemonics already. A mnemonic is simply “a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something.” Really, they can be anything. 
A classic example is using “H.O.M.E.S” to remember the names of the Great Lakes:
Huron
Ontario
Michigan
Eerie
Superior
But mnemonics can also include stories and bizarre images. For instance, in his book 
Why Spanish Is Easy, polyglot Benny Lewis describes how he used mnemonics to quickly memorize Spanish vocabulary. To memorize the Spanish verb “caber” (“to fit” in English), Benny came up with an image of a bear trying to fit into a taxi cab. Associations like this are so absurd
that you’re guaranteed to remember the word’s meaning.
As you can imagine, mnemonics are useful in dozens of fields. With the right amount of creativity, 
you can devise a mnemonic to help you remember almost anything.

Method of Loci
Mnemonics are great for most kinds of memorizing you’ll need to do for school.
Sometimes, though, you need to remember an absolutely absurd amount of information.
 Think all the muscles in the human body or the capital cities of every country in the world.
If this is the case, then the method of loci may be the approach you need.
Technically, the method of loci is a mnemonic device.
 It just takes things a bit further than your standard verbal mnemonics.
To use the method of loci, you first take an environment that you’re very familiar with.
It could be anything, though I’d recommend using your childhood home,
since that’s likely to be well-established in your memory.
Each location in the environment becomes a “locus,” a place associated with a specific category
of thing. Within each locus, you then imagine ordinary objects and associate them
with the information you need to remember.
Taking our example of the capital cities of every country in the world, you would first need to decide how to divide the countries to correspond with the locations in your environment.
The details will depend on your situation, but I might, for instance,
decide that each room in my house is a geographic region or continent.
From there, I could associate the country and capital with specific objects.
So my kitchen might represent Eastern Europe, and within that I might associate Budapest, Hungary, with my kitchen sink.
All throughout, this process requires large amounts of creative thinking.
Consider how superior this process is to just rote memorization or even to flash card techniques.
I’m just scratching the surface of creative memory techniques, so if you’re curious to learn more
I suggest starting with the Wikipedia article on mnemonics or checking out the book 
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer.

How to Practice Being Creative Outside of School
As I said in the beginning of the article, creativity is a skill that you can learn and practice. 
But how exactly do you practice it? Sure, you can always adopt creative approaches
to new course work, but if you don’t want to risk your grades
there are plenty of other ways to practice being creative.
In addition, these are all great stress relievers and many of them can help you make new friends.
Here are a few ways I’d suggest practicing creativity outside of the classroom:
Fine art – Painting, drawing, sculpting, or even salt! This is one of the most obvious choices,
but that doesn’t stop it from being an excellent way to develop creativity.
Word games – Scrabble and Bananagrams are my favorites. Divergent thinking at its finest.
Journaling – This one is so helpful, I even wrote a whole post about it.
You could also start your own blog.
Music – Write your own songs, even if they suck.
As a bonus, songs can also be powerful mnemonics.
Physical movement – There’s not a lot of creativity in weightlifting or running, but activities
such as dance, rock climbing, and skating blend creativity, skill building, and physical exercise.
A win in so many areas.
Drama – Especially improv. I guarantee your college has at least one improv group.
If there isn’t one, then start your own!
Drama is also a great way to improve your public speaking abilities.
Give yourself constraints – This one is a bit more general, but according to James Clear,
constraints are essential to fostering creativity.
For instance, try thinking of how many words you can create with a limited number of letters.
Paint a picture with just one color. Learn to write with your non-dominant hand.
Build things – This could be something old school such as woodworking or a newer activity
like programming Arduino or Raspberry Pi. Skills like this look great on a resume.
Entrepreneurship – Starting your own business requires creativity at every stage.
And these are just a few ideas to get you started. I’ve no doubt you’ll find dozens more on your own.

Conclusion
There’s no manual for being creative. It’s an inexact process that science
still struggles to measure. But the benefits of creativity both in college and beyond are undeniable.
I hope this post has given you some ideas for bringing more creativity to your studies.


https://collegeinfogeek.com/cultivate-creativity/

Turbo Charged Reading: Read more>>>Read fast>>>Remember more>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR software and engineering manuals for spontaneously recall – or pass that exam.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube  
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com        gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com              which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com       just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.

Friday 4 November 2016

The Top 3 English words you need to know – HAVE

Perennial cornflower.



There are three words in English you must know to master the language.
 Do you know which ones they are? In this lesson you will be taught the first: HAVE.
We use this word in basic sentence structure, but it has other uses, too.
Do you know its basic meaning? Do you know the five ways that HAVE is commonly used?
Watch this lesson now and find out! Then test your understanding with the quiz: http://www.engvid.com/top-english-wor...

Turbo Charged Reading: Readmore>>>Read fast>>>Remember more>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR music, poetry or self development material for internal knowing.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube  
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com         gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com               which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com        just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”