How to Read Faster

Your reading time can be more effective if you learn to read faster.

Learning how to read faster is beneficial in many areas of life, such as work or school. Reading faster helps you finish books and other material faster, which can save you time. It is possible to increase your reading speed while maintaining your level of comprehension. Fast reading allows you to obtain the knowledge you need sooner than you normally would. If you are a student, you can study for a test more quickly and have more time for fun. If you are an employee, you can read reports faster and avoid working overtime.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Read frequently. The more you read, the more opportunities you have to practice reading faster.

2. Avoid moving your lips when you read, or talking to yourself in your head. Doing so slows your reading down because speech is slower than reading.

3. Read material with large fonts to make it easier to read faster and to avoid skipping lines.

4. Adjust your reading rate to fit the content. Read faster for easier content, and more slowly for content that is harder to digest.

5. Give reading your full attention. Don't try to watch TV or listen to music while you read.

6. Use a pen, your finger or a bookmark as a tool to guide your reading. Move the tool faster and your eyes will follow it at the speed you move it.

7. Read in phrases rather than individual words. The more your eye stops in a sentence the more slowly you will read and the less you will comprehend what you read.

8. Practice reading with a book you have already read. This will make it easier to get used to skipping certain words and passages.

9. Prioritize content and skip unimportant information. Many people spend too much time reading unimportant content, which slows down the reading rate.

10. Pay attention the first time you read so you won't have to reread paragraphs or words.

References

• Glendale Community College: "Reading Better and Faster"; Dennis Doyle
• Study Habits: How to Read Faster