How to master speed reading

Video: Learn How To Speed Read - Best Speed Reading Techniques

Content

Part 2 of 3: Quickly View Text
Part 3 of 3: Determining Reading Speed
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

1 Stop saying words to yourself. Almost every reader mentally pronounces the text (subvocalization) or is distracted by repeating a word. This helps the reader remember the terms, but it also slows down the reading speed. Here are some ways to keep this habit to a minimum:

Chew gum or hum as you read. This will take up the muscles used for subvocalization.
If you move your lips while reading, press them down with your finger.

2 Cover words you've already read. As you read, your eyes often return to the words you have already read. Basically, these are short-term movements that do not improve understanding in any way. Use a bookmark to cover words after reading them, weaning yourself out of this habit.

These "reverse jumps" also occur when you fail to understand the material. If your eyes jump a few words or lines back, this is a sign that you should slow down.

3 Let's move on to eye movement. As you read, your eyes move in jerks, stopping on some words and skipping others. Reading only happens when your eyes stop. If you reduce the number of movements per line of text, you will learn to read much faster. But beware - there have been studies that have found the limit of what the reader is able to see at a time:

You can read eight letters to the right of your eye position, but only four to the left.This is about two or three words at a time.
You notice letters 9-15 spaces to the right, but you can't read them.
Ordinary readers cannot read words on other lines. Learning to skip lines and still understand the material is extremely difficult.

4 Reduce the number of eye movements. Usually, your brain decides where to move your eyes based on how long or how familiar the next word is. You can read faster by teaching your eyes to jump to specific places on the page instead. Try the following exercise:

Take a bookmark and place it above the line of text.
Draw an “X” on the bookmark above the first word.
Draw another X on the same line. Place it three words further for good understanding, five words for simple texts, and seven words for key points.
Continue drawing the Xs at the same spacing until you reach the end of the line.
Try to read the line as soon as possible, putting the bookmark down and concentrating only on the text under each X.

5 Read faster than you can understand the text. Many programs are built on the principle of increasing the reading speed with the help of reflexes, so that the brain gradually learns to adjust to the new pace. This method has not been thoroughly studied. Your speed of moving through the text will undoubtedly increase, but you will understand little or nothing at all. Try this method if you are aiming for maximum reading speed and hope that a few days of practice will help you understand the material better. Here's how to do it:

Follow the text with a pencil. Come up with a phrase that will take you exactly one line of text to pronounce at a calm pace.
Try reading at the speed of a pencil for two minutes. Even if you do not understand anything, concentrate on the text and do not stop your eyes for a full two minutes.
Relax for a minute and then accelerate. Now try to read for three minutes, but now the pencil should cross two lines while you pronounce the phrase.

6 Use speed reading software. If the above methods did not help you achieve your goal, try a quick, consistent visual presentation. In this technique, a telephone application or computer program displays text one word at a time. This allows you to choose any reading speed. But don't set your speed too high, or you won't be able to memorize most of the words. This method is useful for browsing the news quickly, but not while studying or reading for pleasure.

Part 2 of 3: Quickly View Text

1 Know when fast browsing is warranted. This reading method can be used for general acquaintance with the text without deep understanding of it. You can quickly scan the newspaper to find an interesting article or identify key points by skimming through the textbook before the test. Fast browsing is not a substitute for full reading.
2 Read the titles and headings of the sections. Read only the chapter titles and all subheadings at the beginning of large sections. Read the titles of all news articles or magazine content.
3 Read the beginning and end of the section. All paragraphs in textbooks usually contain an introduction and conclusions. For other types of text, read the first and last paragraph of the chapter or article.
- Read faster if you are familiar with the topic, but don't try to overtake yourself. You will save yourself time flipping through unnecessary text, but it is still important to understand the meaning of what you have read.
4 Circle important words in the text. If you want to learn more, instead of reading it normally, quickly go through the text with your eyes. Now that you have a grasp of the section, you can highlight keywords and highlight important areas. Stop and highlight the following words:
- Words that are repeated several times
- Key messages - often include words from a title or section title
- Proper names
- Italic, bold, or underline
- Unknown words
5 Examine images and diagrams. From them you can glean most of the information without having to read mountains of text. Spend 1-2 minutes studying each diagram in detail.
6 If you get confused, read the first sentence of each paragraph. If you are confused about the material, read the beginning of each paragraph. The first or first two sentences will remind you of the main points.
7 Use your notes. Go back and look at the words you circled. After reading, can you get a general idea of the material? If you are stuck on a particular word, try reading a few sentences around that word to remind yourself of the topic. When doing this, circle the additional words.

Part 3 of 3: Determining Reading Speed

1 Determine your reading speed. Track your progress by timing each day or each time you do these exercises. The desire to beat your best time will provide you with motivation. Here's how to measure your reading speed in words per minute:
- Count the number of words per page, or count the number of words per line, and then multiply by the number of lines per page.
- Set a timer for ten minutes and determine how many words you can read during that time.
- Multiply the number of pages by the number of words per page. Divide by ten to get your words per minute.
- You can use the online reading speed test, but you will likely read words on a screen at a different speed than words on paper.
2 Set goals for yourself. Your speed should improve if you repeat one or more of these exercises daily. After a few weeks of training, most people manage to double their reading speed. Set goals for yourself to stay motivated and keep exercising:
- 200-250 words per minute is the standard reading speed for children 12 years of age or older.
- 300 wpm is the reading speed of the average college student.
- At 450 words per minute, your speed is equal to that of a college student skimming through key points. Ideally, you can achieve this speed while maintaining a thorough understanding of the material.
- At 600-700 words per minute, you read as fast as a college student trying to find a word in a text. Most people can learn to read at this speed while understanding 75% of what they read.
- At a speed of 1000 wpm and above, you will reach the level of people taking part in reading speed competitions. Typically, this speed can be achieved with extreme methods that skip most of the text. At this speed, most people are unable to remember anything.

Tips

Take a break every 30-60 minutes. This will improve your concentration and reduce eye strain.
Train in a quiet area with good lighting. Use earplugs if necessary.
Analyzing and modifying reading technique is challenging because you focus on technique rather than text comprehension. Make sure you don't read too quickly and have time to delve into what you read.
If you are unable to improve your reading speed, your eyesight test is worth it.
Get some rest and concentration before reading anything important. Some people are more active in the morning, while others are better at thinking in the afternoon.
Don't keep the page too far away from you, or it will hurt your reading speed. Most people automatically adjust the distance to maximize their speed.
"Zigzag" exercises, according to which you need to move your eyes from left-to-right-left, most likely will not help you.Most of those who have practiced this technique still move their eyes from left to right, line by line.

Warnings

At some point, reading quickly will lead to the fact that you stop assimilating information or memorize it worse.
Don't trust products designed to teach you speed reading. Many of the tips in this article overlap with teaching methods.