Speed Reading

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Make the rest while speed reading

So just relax, or your mind will only concentrate on the task, rather than the content and comprehension of the material. One of the first things to remember when speed-reading, is to relax. But getting worried about an assignment will cause your mind to tense up, making it impossible to concentrate. If you were presented with a 200-page report that must be read by the weekend, your first reaction may be to completely stress over the thought, as most people would.

Stretch when your momentum seems to be slowing down. Stop, close your eyes and squeeze them together tightly for a second, then open them wide. Play around for a few minutes by pacing yourself through "simulated" reading of a book held upside down, page by page, at extremely rapid speeds just to ger the feel of rapid, rhythmic movement down the page again. With new momentum established, turn the book right-side up and continue reading at your fastest possible speed.

Speed reading tips

Don't read too much at once. Never read more than a chapter at once. It's best to read only one section at a time. That way, you won't find yourself looking up from the book wondering what you've just read.

Read it more than once. The first time should be a skim (see a above), the second time a speed reading, and the third time a thorough going over. It sounds like a lot, but it won't seem that way if you do it this way --and you'll be glad you did!

Look it over before you read it. Skim over the headings and boldface terms --and take a quick look at the illustrations. It'll give you a good idea of what you are about to tackle.

Let your fingers do the walking. It sounds silly, but if you read with one finger on the text and the other on the related figure, you'll find you can read more easily --and RETAIN more of what you have read.

Use a reading strategy. There are many strategies for reading textbooks that study specialists have developed, each suited to different learning and reading styles. Use the links below to explore some of these techniques.

Related subvocalization articles

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• Stop talking to yourself when you read
• Vocalization and human brain
• Eliminate subvocalization exercises
• Read and count for elimination habit of pronouncing words
• Skimming texts and subvocalization
• Elimination habit of subvocalization
• Is the subvocalization bad thing?
• How to eliminate subvocalization in order to increase speed reading
• Scanning texts and subvocalization

Speed reading tip. Use time pressure. Be confident that your brain can handle print faster than you can talk or read aloud. To rapid read, you should be physically relaxed but mentally active! Most people find that some tension, some pressure, helps them concentrate on their reading. In fact, skilled rapid readers are not passive and comfortable. In rapid reading as in scanning, you must be conscious of time passing. So time yourself, or have someone else time you, or work up a little competition with class members.

One tried-and-true way to apply time pressure is to chart your reading rate. As usual, choose a fairly easy book and make sure your purpose is enjoyment. Keeping an objective record (e.g.,list, chart, or graph) is important, since we seldom know just how fast we are reading.

Rate charts, whether handmade or commercial, operate the same way: graphic records or your ups-and-downs that will spur you to faster and more consistent speeds. Even a simple time-block record is helpful. With this, you read for a fixed time, then stop, count the pages read, and list or graph the number.