A method of storing data includes storing a first portion of data in bit positions of a non-volatile memory having a first probability of error; storing a second portion of the data in bit positions of the non-volatile memory having a second probability of error, wherein the second probability of error is lower than the first probability of error; storing error correction parity bits with the data; and applying an error correction scheme to read data using the error correction parity bits, wherein at least one bit of the first portion is checked for correction before any bit of the second portion is checked for correction. The error correction scheme is stopped before checking for correcting of all the data.