DR. WALLACE: Is it true that if I could read faster, I could study less? I'm 17 and I have a friend who is all pumped up about taking a speed-reading course advertised in one of our local Learning Annex pamphlets that claims to teach anyone of any age to read at least five to 10 times faster than they currently can. This particular course is held for six hours a day over four Saturdays in the near future.

It's also very expensive, so I wanted to get your input before I part with my hard-earned money I just earned from my summer job. — Would Love to Speed When I Read, via email

WOULD LOVE TO SPEED WHEN I READ: There are studies that cut both ways on this topic. Some claim doubling the rate of reading in the same amount of time can be accomplished with lots of practice and concentration.

However, other studies indicate that attempting to speed-read can actually turn out to be counterproductive. Why? Because the key to reading successfully at any speed is to be able to master the comprehension of the material being read. Simply reading a textbook twice as fast as you usually do will not guarantee that you remember, comprehend, understand and be able to provide deductive reasoning to the subject matter successfully.

I'm not at all familiar with the class that you mentioned in your letter, but any expensive class that professes to be able to have you reading five to 10 times faster by attending only four classes sounds like quite a stretch to me. Your hard-earned summer revenue could likely be spent in much better areas of your life.

If you want to become a better student during the next school year, seek to maximize the quality of the study time you do put into your homework. Do this by finding a quiet place devoid of interruptions, where you can truly concentrate for blocks of time uninterrupted. Put your cellphone out of reach so that no calls or texts can interrupt you during this block of time.

Having the discipline to stick to a study schedule is one of the main reasons why successful students become and maintain their status as successful students, no matter what rate of speed they have during their allotted study time.

MY DAUGHTER CLAIMS MENTAL DYSFUNCTION

DR. WALLACE: I'm a parent, not a teenager, but I hope you'll answer my question all the same. My 16-year-old daughter is a slightly above-average student but certainly not a candidate for the honor roll. She's reasonably well-behaved to school and at home, but there is one caveat that truly worries me.

She seems to be overly dramatic about just about everything, and this is especially evident about things that pertain directly to her. She's a good kid, and I've been hoping that this is merely a stage that she's going through, but since it's been dragging on for over six months now, my patience has worn thin.

I won't bore you with the dozens of different areas of drama she professes to have difficulty dealing with in her life. Instead, I'll address the main one and present it to you for your valued feedback. In short, she feels that she has a mental issue of some sort. This mental issue that she speaks of, however, tends to drift and evolve into different manifestations depending on her moods, her obligations and her personal schedule.

I don't want to ignore her comments even though I think they are contrived and being used as a crutch to provide her leverage to either get her way or avoid something she does not want to do. But on the other hand, I don't want to be held hostage to her constant, immaculately timed outcries, which have become almost routine and predictable in advance at this point. What do you recommend here? — Concerned Mother, via email

CONCERNED MOTHER: Obviously, I don't know you, your daughter or your family's dynamic, but based upon your letter, I do agree that your perspective sounds plausible and could be the most likely characterization of what's actually going on.

My recommendation is that you seek out a medical and even perhaps a mental health professional, in that order. Speak openly to your medical professional about potentially also scheduling a meeting with a mental health professional. At the first stage, I'd suggest that you make and attend these appointments by yourself, without your daughter, and without her knowledge that you're attending these meetings. The reason for this is so that you can speak openly to these professionals to explain your side of the situation and also provide some background about your daughter, you and your family.

Listen carefully to what these professionals tell you and be sure to ask all of the questions you would like answered. Then, if appropriate after considering all you have learned, schedule a follow-up meeting for your daughter to visit one or both of these professionals with you. This will accomplish two things: First of all, it will ease your mind that you're not ignoring a potential plea for help. Second, your daughter will be placed in the position of explaining herself more completely and perhaps being taught useful tools to help her manage her life, her schedule and her obligations more successfully.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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