How to Improve Speed Reading Skills
Look at groups of words, not single words even if you do not want to not do it., Read with your hands., Scan for keywords., Chunk the material., Race the clock.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look at groups of words
If you read a text one word at a time, then this will slow your reading speed way down.
However, if you can get into the habit of reading groups or chunks of words at one time, then you can read much faster.Start by trying to look at a group of three or four words at once, then work up to looking at an entire line of words.
Focus on words that give the sentence meaning, such as the nouns and verbs and pay less attention to the filler words, such as “A, the, and, etc.” To see the biggest improvement in your speed reading skills, combine this technique with other speed reading techniques. -
Step 2: not single words even if you do not want to not do it.
Use your finger to push yourself through the page.
As you read, move your hand left to right under the text as if underlining it.
Move your hand at the speed which you would like to read.
You may start by moving at a slightly faster pace than your ordinary reading, and speed up on subsequent readings.While it used to be claimed that this use of the hand or finger "guided" the eye, it now appears that the finger sets the pace of reading rather than guiding its path.
This is because it is difficult to pace the movements of your eyes, but easy to pace the movements of your hands.You can also use a pen or other object to pace yourself. , Scanning is a highly effective way of extracting answers from a text without really reading it.
If you know exactly what you are looking for—a name, a date, a statistic, or a specific word—you can find it quickly by skipping over large chunks of the text.
To scan, first visualize the word, number, or phrase you would like to find.
Then, run your eyes rapidly over the text.
The information you are looking for should pop out at you.Try scanning with your hands or a pen, preferably a blue or black pen.
Experiment with shapes to see which gets you the quickest results. , One of the reasons you read slowly is that you have to pause sometimes to understand what a passage is saying.
You might also have to go back and reread things you have already read.
To improve your speed reading, try to pause for reflection only at the end of a reading session (i.e. after about 15 to 20 minutes) or after finishing a section, such as chapter.To check for comprehension at the end of every speed reading session, write down keywords, or just summarize what you read in a few sentences or by explaining it to someone.
This will help you keep to improve your comprehension, and it will also help you to retain information better. , You can train yourself to read faster by timing yourself as you go.
Start by getting your base time.
Set a timer for fifteen minutes, and speed read as you normally do.
When the timer goes off, check to see how far you got.
Do not count the words, just the pages or paragraphs.
Record your figures: for instance, you might write "15min/6.5 pages."Check your comprehension.
Say what you learned out loud—you don't need to write it down, just check to see that you took in the information you were reading.
The next day, set the alarm for 15 minutes again and try to read faster.
Record your times again ("15 min/7 pages," for instance), and check for comprehension.
Do this every day or 5 days a week to improve your skills.
Try to beat your last time every session.
If you notice your comprehension is dropping, you may have reached your peak, or you may need to aim for a more moderate improvement in speed. -
Step 3: Read with your hands.
-
Step 4: Scan for keywords.
-
Step 5: Chunk the material.
-
Step 6: Race the clock.
Detailed Guide
If you read a text one word at a time, then this will slow your reading speed way down.
However, if you can get into the habit of reading groups or chunks of words at one time, then you can read much faster.Start by trying to look at a group of three or four words at once, then work up to looking at an entire line of words.
Focus on words that give the sentence meaning, such as the nouns and verbs and pay less attention to the filler words, such as “A, the, and, etc.” To see the biggest improvement in your speed reading skills, combine this technique with other speed reading techniques.
Use your finger to push yourself through the page.
As you read, move your hand left to right under the text as if underlining it.
Move your hand at the speed which you would like to read.
You may start by moving at a slightly faster pace than your ordinary reading, and speed up on subsequent readings.While it used to be claimed that this use of the hand or finger "guided" the eye, it now appears that the finger sets the pace of reading rather than guiding its path.
This is because it is difficult to pace the movements of your eyes, but easy to pace the movements of your hands.You can also use a pen or other object to pace yourself. , Scanning is a highly effective way of extracting answers from a text without really reading it.
If you know exactly what you are looking for—a name, a date, a statistic, or a specific word—you can find it quickly by skipping over large chunks of the text.
To scan, first visualize the word, number, or phrase you would like to find.
Then, run your eyes rapidly over the text.
The information you are looking for should pop out at you.Try scanning with your hands or a pen, preferably a blue or black pen.
Experiment with shapes to see which gets you the quickest results. , One of the reasons you read slowly is that you have to pause sometimes to understand what a passage is saying.
You might also have to go back and reread things you have already read.
To improve your speed reading, try to pause for reflection only at the end of a reading session (i.e. after about 15 to 20 minutes) or after finishing a section, such as chapter.To check for comprehension at the end of every speed reading session, write down keywords, or just summarize what you read in a few sentences or by explaining it to someone.
This will help you keep to improve your comprehension, and it will also help you to retain information better. , You can train yourself to read faster by timing yourself as you go.
Start by getting your base time.
Set a timer for fifteen minutes, and speed read as you normally do.
When the timer goes off, check to see how far you got.
Do not count the words, just the pages or paragraphs.
Record your figures: for instance, you might write "15min/6.5 pages."Check your comprehension.
Say what you learned out loud—you don't need to write it down, just check to see that you took in the information you were reading.
The next day, set the alarm for 15 minutes again and try to read faster.
Record your times again ("15 min/7 pages," for instance), and check for comprehension.
Do this every day or 5 days a week to improve your skills.
Try to beat your last time every session.
If you notice your comprehension is dropping, you may have reached your peak, or you may need to aim for a more moderate improvement in speed.
About the Author
Christine Ramirez
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in lifestyle and beyond.
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