How to Learn Speed Reading

The average person comes across thousands of words everyday. Whether it is a textbook or the newspaper, many people really wish they could read faster. Speed reading is one way to take in more information in a shorter amount of time. Here are some tips on how to learn to speed read.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Read. First thing you need to do is find your current reading speed. Read a block of text and time it. Use a stopwatch and a book. Use this as your base speed.
2. Break text into smaller blocks to scan. Whatever it is that you’re reading, get yourself into the habit of breaking it into smaller chunks for easier scanning.
3. Practice scanning for pertinent nouns and verbs. Speed readers train their eyes to select nouns and verbs so that they can discern the content of a document without having to read every single word. This allows them to comprehend the main theme in a fraction of the time that it would take to read it word for word.
4. Use your hands. If you follow your finger or hand, it may help you to read faster. Not only does it keep you from jumping ahead, it helps keep your eyes moving.
5. Time yourself at weekly intervals to gauge your progress. Find a word count that works for you and apply that number to magazines, books, online text or anything else. Only by testing yourself can you determine any gains that you may be making in your reading speed.
6. Practice. Speed readers do not gain this skill overnight. You must consciously apply speed reading skills to everything you read to gain overall speed and comprehension. If you make it a habit, you will find yourself unconsciously ramping up your reading speed over time.

Tips & Warnings

• Know when to slow down. At times you will need to slow down your reading to increase your comprehension. For example, it is a bad idea to speed-read religious materials or assembly instructions, as you may miss an important phrase.
• When you are reading, remove all distractions. Don't have music playing or anything else that might distract you from your reading.
• Don't buy a speed reading book or tape right away. Many of these books are rip-offs. If you absolutely cannot increase your speed on your own, then buy a book. But before you buy, do research.