Want to be a fast reader? Reading quickly is not just digesting a book or text without understanding or enjoying it, but rather learning to increase reading speed and still reach for information in a fun way. Read the first steps below to get started.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Improve Reading Speed
Step 1. Practice little by little every day
Most of the skills needed to increase reading speed don't come naturally. So you need to practice it every day until you feel comfortable. Even a short 15-20 minute workout per day can make a big difference to your general reading speed.
- Increasing your reading speed will take time, as you learn to read in a whole new way. Remember, it took you a few years to learn to read when you were a child, so be patient for now.
- A good way to keep track of your progress is to periodically log your time. Set a timer and count how many words you can read each minute. The more you practice, the higher the score.
Step 2. Start with easy material
When you're learning to read quickly, it's a good idea to start with easy material -- something you enjoy or can benefit from right away -- until your skills develop.
- Travel books or the history of famous people, for example, are good options. Starting the learning process with something as complex as a physics textbook will only make you give up and make the process more difficult.
- As your skills develop and you know what to look for in a text, you'll feel better equipped to deal with longer and more complex texts. In that time, you will develop an awareness of which techniques are working for you and learn to recognize which parts of the text are most important.
Step 3. Use your finger or index card to adjust the reading speed
It's a good idea to use your finger, pen, or index card while reading. While this prevents you from losing your way while reading, it's not the only function of the pointer.
- By moving the pointer quickly across each line and down the page, you can adjust your reading speed, as your eyes will be forced to follow it.
- Think of your eye as a magnet attracted to a pointer on a page -- wherever the pointer goes, your eyes will follow it!
Step 4. Read longer to improve focus
It takes time for your brain to get used to the rhythm of reading, especially if you were previously more active. Try to motivate yourself to read for at least 15 minutes at a time. That way, the brain has time to adjust its focus.
- You will find it easier to maintain focus by continuing to practice.
- You may take a break if necessary.
Step 5. Change your thinking about reading
In addition to applying specific techniques to increase your reading speed, it's also important to change your thinking about reading in general.
- Instead of thinking of reading as a must or something to do, you should think of it as an opportunity -- to have fun, to learn new things, to expand your horizons.
- Any subject -- a book on statistics or the history of the Colorado mines -- can be considered fun and easier to do if you accept the topic with open arms and a desire to learn.
Step 6. Know when to slow down
While speed reading is beneficial, it's important to know that there are times when you should slow down and really try to understand what you're reading.
- There's no point in scanning text if it prevents you from fully understanding the material or remembering important information. Therefore, the most important skill you can develop is recognizing when to read slowly.
- In addition, there are certain types of text that should not be scanned or quickly read, such as fiction, classical literature, poetry, or drama. The texts are works of art and creativity, where every word is meant to be read and even researched. You will lose a lot of the meaning of the text if you try to read it too fast.
Method 2 of 3: Breaking Bad Habits
Step 1. Avoid reading the words aloud in your head
Many people read aloud as they read -- either by moving their lips or hearing the words in their heads. This is known as sub-vocalization and is one of the biggest problems slowing down your reading speed.
- While reading aloud is an effective way to teach a child to read, it doesn't help you read fast, because sub-vocalization only allows you to read as fast as you can say the words -- which isn't very fast.
- By avoiding sub-vocalization, you can triple your reading speed. You can avoid reading aloud by keeping your mouth busy -- chewing gum, whistling, or whatever. Preventing yourself from hearing the words in your head as you read can be a bit more difficult, but it can be done with concentration, practice, and patience.
Step 2. Avoid reading word for word
Another common thing that significantly slows down your reading speed is reading each word separately. You should try reading by section.
- For example, most inexperienced readers will read the phrase "the horse is in the stable" as "the horse" + "it" + "there" + "in" + "the stable," and process each word separately.
- However, your brain has an amazing ability to fill in the gaps in information, so if you could train your brain to digest the phrase "the horse is in the cage" as a piece of information with the keywords "horse" and "kanda ng", your brain will fill the void. This way, you can get the same meaning from a text by reading only about 50% of the words. This speeds up the reading process significantly.
Step 3. Avoid inefficient eye movements
As children learn to read, they are taught to look at each individual word before moving on to the next. However, your eyes can pick up more information from one word at a time -- actually, up to four or five words -- so this practice makes the reading process much less efficient.
- Try to keep your face calm and watch the text casually as you read -- this will allow you to read more at once. Try to absorb at least four words at a time before moving your eyes to another set of words.
- In addition, you should also try to use "peripheral vision" when reading. This allows you to read to the end of a sentence without having to refocus your eyes, and it saves you time.
Step 4. Avoid regression
Regression is the process of reading a passage or sentence two or three times in a row, whether intentional or not. Of course, it adds unnecessary time to your reading time, without increasing your understanding of the reading material.
- Some people regress because they lose their way in the text and go back to the beginning of the page or paragraph to find it again. You can avoid this by using a pointer to mark your place as you read -- either with a finger, a pen, or an index card.
- Others regress because they feel that they didn't really understand the text the first time they read it. To work around this, you have to make sure that you really concentrate on the first try -- reading should be an active activity, not a passive one -- so interacting with reading from the start will prevent you from repeating the reading process.
- Also, you need to decide whether the information is important enough to reread -- if you've absorbed the basic concepts of a sentence or paragraph (even if you haven't absorbed every word), rereading is a waste of your time.
Step 5. Avoid distractions
Many people read slowly simply because they are trying to read in an inappropriate environment. If you want to read quickly and absorb the material before you, you need to eliminate internal and external distractions.
- Don't try to read in a crowded environment, with lots of people chatting or the television or radio on behind you. You will be annoyed and forced to return to reread paragraphs or use subvocalization to digest what you have read. Read in a quiet, quiet environment where your reading is your focus -- don't try to do anything else.
- You should also try to eliminate internal distractions, such as thinking about problems at work or deciding what to eat for dinner. Your internal monologues will be hard to stop -- stopping them requires focus and concentration -- but if you can stop them, you'll read faster.
Method 3 of 3: Changing the Way You Read
Step 1. Go through your material at a glance
One of the most efficient ways to speed up your reading process is to skim the material before you read it. This will help you see the theme of the text and help you decide if the text is worth reading in its entirety.
- To get a preview of the material, try reading the entire first paragraph, the first sentence in each subsequent paragraph, and the entire final paragraph.
- Among all these items, look at the headings, bullet points, and words in bold. It won't give you all the details, but it will help you determine the most important parts to read and the ones to skim.
- This technique is especially good for long, unfamiliar, or difficult-to-understand text that you're trying to understand.
Step 2. Scan the most important words
Another technique is to scan the material and select keywords. This way, you can get a glimpse of the material without wasting time on unnecessary things.
- For example, in the sentence "the terrible lion is secretly hunting for its victim -- an antelope," you don't have to read the whole word to understand what it means. By searching the text for keywords, you can find the phrase "lion - hunt - antelope", which conveys the same meaning.
- This way, you can cut the time you need to read in half, without losing too much meaning. This technique is good for simple, short text, such as newspaper articles and magazines.
Step 3. Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph
If you're reading scientific articles, books, or articles just looking for new information, then a useful technique is to read the first and last sentences of each paragraph, especially if the text repeats what you already know.
- A lot of non-fiction reading can get very repetitive and contain lengthy explanations of simple concepts. Once you understand the concept, you don't need to read the entire paragraph line by line.
- The same goes for magazine and newspaper articles -- if you just want to get a basic preview of the content, you'll be surprised at how much information you can get just by reading the first and last sentences of each paragraph.
Step 4. Skip the part you already know
If you're trying to increase your reading speed, you should get into the habit of skipping information that you already know or understand, because reading those sections gives you little added value.
- You can decide which sections are worth reading by scanning the text for keywords or reading the first sentence of each paragraph. This will give you a fairly good view of the content of the text and will allow you to decide whether reading the text is worthwhile.
- This also applies to things that do not interest you. If you're reading something like memoirs or history, it's okay to skip parts you don't like. This may go against your conscience as a reader, but it will save you time and keep your interest in what you are ready to read.
- With that in mind, you shouldn't feel bad if you don't finish a book that you don't like or that you feel doesn't teach you a lesson. Most books are poorly written or cannot explain advanced concepts. Try to read about 10 percent of each book you choose and if you don't like it, you can save it and move on to another book. This will save you time and be useful in the long run.
Step 5. Remember the most important information
One of the biggest issues people have when they start speed reading is that they have a hard time absorbing and retaining the information they find. While the best solution to this problem is to become an active and engaged reader, there are more specific ways you can try:
- Link the concepts in the book to what you already know. Linking complex ideas to personal experiences, memories, or emotions will help you access information more easily. For example, linking the French word heureux (which means happy) with a pleasant memory of when you were happy will help you remember the word more easily.
- Highlight important information and write a summary. Use a highlighter as you read (or fold the page slightly) to highlight important concepts or ideas. Once you have finished the book, return to the highlighted section and use that section to make a 200-300 word summary of the book. Doing so will provide you with references you can use in the future, which will also help you remember ideas.
