The words on the NGSL list are high frequency, core foundational words that will show up again and again. You would be wise to make sure you know them well before moving on to other words. You WILL run into them repeatedly. The question is: Will you have had the foresight to study them beforehand?

A good "shorthander" must have two skills- the ability to write rapidly as well as the ability to read what has been written.

Reconstructing sentences, while perhaps not typically seen in shorthand, is commonly used as an exercise to help learners improve their comprehension and vocabulary skills.