How do deaf from birth read internally?

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Treadmill

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Greetings, all! I'm new and have this burning question in my head that has bothered me for weeks. Coulden't find much answers about it, so I thought I try and make a topic about it here.

It may sound silly, but I'm struggling to improve my reading speed. I'm too much of a slow reader, at 200 words per minute, and its been bothering me for months as I try futile attempts to eliminate sub-vocalization. It is hilarious to see me even attempt to eliminate subvocalization. I try to blur out all kinds of weird stuff as I go by the words, but it doesn't work at all. I either go by the words not recalling I've seen them or I accidentally hear the words in my head by my inner voice. Without this inner voice, its like I've never even read the page. I can't seem to comprehend without the inner voice. It works sometimes, but its really hard for me.

I've heard that deaf people naturally read at high speeds since they don't have an inner voice. My inner voice is always present. My thoughts are composed of my inner voice. When I read, my thoughts simply changes because my inner voice dictates the stuff on the page automaticly. Its a habbit that has become sub-conscious. When I want to understand something, I have to read it. Reading means hearing it in my head. Even writing this goes automatic. I only have to think with my inner voice and I will automaticly type the words on to the page. The typing is also a subconscious habbit. I think in sound words, not visual words.

So how is it for deaf people? How do deaf people think and read? What is the experience of reading like for deaf people? I'm too sound centered, being into music, and it impairs my reading speeds a great deal. I have to learn to think in new perspectives using my other senses more.

How on earth can I learn to read like deaf? I'm willing to put allot effort into this. If anyone has any advice or experience to share, I'm very interested, please!
 
Isn't reading- a "taught activity"? I don't know about "inner voice" hypothesis which the "Deaf/deaf?DEAF" have "naturally"?
One can study from books how to increase reading speed.

Implanted A B Harmony activated Aug/07
 
:wave:Treadmill

but why assume all deaf "naturally read at high speeds because they don't have an inner voice"? why assume deaf people don't have an inner voice?

there are many thread and thoughts on these topics that may give you some insight and help you to understand, if you go to see...
 
dogmom said:
:wave:Treadmill

but why assume all deaf "naturally read at high speeds because they don't have an inner voice"? why assume deaf people don't have an inner voice?

there are many thread and thoughts on these topics that may give you some insight and help you to understand, if you go to see...
Click to expand...

Oh i definately have an inner voice; my mind won't shut up. I can read about 500 to 600 words per minute.

That said, I know some deaf who are slow readers. I assume that my reading speed has a great deal to do with how much I read as compared to others. It has nothing to do with my deafness.
 
:wave:DS, yes, that's what I was getting at:)

I think like anything else, reading speed depends on exposure, practice, enjoyment of activity and natural ability.
do many people in your family like to read?
 
i definitely have an inner voice and when I read, that voice is sounding the words out loud in my head (same thing when I watch tv with the volume off). I am a fast reader but that's due to how much I read, not to deafness. Same as deafskeptic above.
 
Back in the days when I was a student, I would read two lines at a time. Obviously this was very involving demanding a lot of concentration. I used this technique most when I had an open book test and am looking for quick answers. I visualize what I am reading like a movie. words are like a part of the puzzle rather than an independent meaning. Sometimes I read and know that something doesn't make sense, I have to go back and re-read until I find the spelling mistake or grammar mistake that threw me off.

I cannot do this with sci-fi type of books because they make up too much and I need all of the details or I lose track of what I am reading. But romance, mystery, biographies - I just zip through these.

And no, I don't usually have an inner voice. Just a moving picture of the actions and the knowledge of what is said.

Edit: after writing this, I realize I use an inner voice to make sure my posts "sound" correct.
 
It really depends on how into the book or whatever I am reading.

Sometimes I have an inner voices. Other times I have photogenic images in my head of what is going on.
 
There are courses to improve reading speed and comprehension. Try your local community college.
 
Cheetah said:
Back in the days when I was a student, I would read two lines at a time. Obviously this was very involving demanding a lot of concentration. I used this technique most when I had an open book test and am looking for quick answers. I visualize what I am reading like a movie. words are like a part of the puzzle rather than an independent meaning. Sometimes I read and know that something doesn't make sense, I have to go back and re-read until I find the spelling mistake or grammar mistake that threw me off.

I cannot do this with sci-fi type of books because they make up too much and I need all of the details or I lose track of what I am reading. But romance, mystery, biographies - I just zip through these.

And no, I don't usually have an inner voice. Just a moving picture of the actions and the knowledge of what is said.

Edit: after writing this, I realize I use an inner voice to make sure my posts "sound" correct.
Click to expand...

yeah... thats about like me too... a lot of the books I read show like movies in my head... but when I read over my posts... I use an inner voice. I don't "sound" them out... This might make me unusual... because I didn't grow up with sign... but its always been like this for me.
 
I not fast reader, no inner voice either. Stone deaf, from birth. Aaverage speed read I think.
 
Such an interesting question! That "inner voice" is something we (hearies) never really stop to think about - it's just there, always been there. It is completely sound-oriented in my head and I cannot imagine it visual-oriented or not there at all. Right now, there is no way I can describe my 'hearing' inner voice with any accuracy whatsoever. I would imagine it is equally difficult for a deafie to describe their inner-voice (or lack of). But if anyone can, what a wonderful bit of imagery and education that would be for me! :) I look forward to reading what others have to say.

Maybe Reba has some insight into this topic. From what I have read in this forum so far, she seems to be a wealth of information when it comes to making bridges between deaf and hearing experiences :).
 
Try training your speed reading with this. Free online speed reading software | Spreeder.com

It's free.

Cut and paste text into it, and gradually increase the speed as you practice. Eventually, your sub-vocalization will subside, because your brain won't be able to keep up with sub-vocalization.

I have sub-vocalization when I read, because that's how I was taught to read. So I have to suppress it if I want to speed read.
 
I'm not sure what you guys mean by an "inner voice." I was born hearing, but I don't think I have an inner voice. I have something like a movie constantly playing in my head. For example, every word has a picture, some are moving some are stationary. They aren't always the same either. So I might hear dog and think of a specific dog I've known, and then later hear dog again and think of a generic dog shape. Some words, mostly action words vary a lot depending on the sentence. Sometimes I see the action, sometimes I see something related to the action, etc. For example, when typing action, I see one of those black and white movie clicker things snapping shut. Sometimes it is a realistic picture, like a photograph, sometimes it moves, sometimes it is more like a road sign or a symbol on a map.

What is really interesting is some words have pictures that simply don't make sense, even though it is always the picture with it. For example, there was this campground we went to a lot when I was a kid. We saw animals there, some birds, deer, buffalo, etc. but I'd never seen a bald eagle there, in fact, I didn't see a bald eagle until I was older, but the picture for that campground was a perched bald eagle. Completely unrelated, yet for whatever reason linked in my mind.

Pictures come from all sorts of sources, movies, tv, commercials, advertisements, life experiences, even sometimes stories from other people or books (this can create problems when I picture something one way and it turns out to be completely different when I see it for real). Sometimes it comes from something I dreamed about.
 
By inner voice, I'm assuming you're talking about the auditory memory loop. That's the voice that a typical hearing person "hears" when they read...they kind of imagine the word being said. Is that what you're talking about?
 
That's what I thought the OP meant deafbajagal.

" ... every word has a picture, some are moving some are stationary." I think that is fascinating Emmer :). Do even the small non-important words have pictures - like: has, some, are, the, but, etc.?
 
Babyblue said:
It really depends on how into the book or whatever I am reading.

Sometimes I have an inner voices. Other times I have photogenic images in my head of what is going on.
Click to expand...

I am the same as you.

I feel when I have the photogenic images, I am really "reading" than when I am using my inner voice. I love the feeling of being in the story.

I read fast. Too fast sometimes.
 
Cheetah said:
Back in the days when I was a student, I would read two lines at a time. Obviously this was very involving demanding a lot of concentration. I used this technique most when I had an open book test and am looking for quick answers. I visualize what I am reading like a movie. words are like a part of the puzzle rather than an independent meaning. Sometimes I read and know that something doesn't make sense, I have to go back and re-read until I find the spelling mistake or grammar mistake that threw me off.

I cannot do this with sci-fi type of books because they make up too much and I need all of the details or I lose track of what I am reading. But romance, mystery, biographies - I just zip through these.

And no, I don't usually have an inner voice. Just a moving picture of the actions and the knowledge of what is said.

Edit: after writing this, I realize I use an inner voice to make sure my posts "sound" correct.
Click to expand...
This is how I read too. However my "movies" also have audio as well but it is limted to what the characters say to each other and there's no sound effects for the other stuff that i imagine unless they have explosions or guns in the story.

When I read non fiction, I'm much less likely to use inner "movies".
 
I see images, too, when I read. But sometimes it is accompanied by this inner voice. It doesn't even have to be an understandable voice. It usually is just mumbling to me. But if you were trained to read Hooked on Phonics style, then you will probably have a "reading voice." Probably only people who hear a little bit would have this.

Sometimes my mind will put in sounds when I'm lipreading someone on TV and I don't hear them. I think it's kind of the same phenomenon. If I read Closed Captions, same thing.

I see pictures and images with this.

Kinda weird, I know. lol :)

Very interesting discussion.
 
DeafBadger said:
Try training your speed reading with this. Free online speed reading software | Spreeder.com

It's free.

Cut and paste text into it, and gradually increase the speed as you practice. Eventually, your sub-vocalization will subside, because your brain won't be able to keep up with sub-vocalization.

I have sub-vocalization when I read, because that's how I was taught to read. So I have to suppress it if I want to speed read.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this. I didn't realize that it would be possible to really get and retain info without doing sub-vocalization. I'm not going to buy the software as times are a little tight for me right now -- but I'm going to try to drop the sub-vocalization.
 
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