Tips on Becoming a Faster Reader

Do you like to read? What if I told you that you could spend just a few minutes reading this article, and dramatically improve your reading speed?

Perhaps you’d reply that you could read faster but absorb very little of what you read, so what’s the point…?

Fast reading is not only going through pages, it also means understanding what you read. Some people like to read more than others and find it entertaining. But most people today have really short attention spans and they get distracted very easily.

There are also some common mistakes that people make while reading. They read the same way as they were taught to read when in school. People read word for word, letter for letter, and out loud, which slows them down. This article will show you how to increase your reading speed AND improve your comprehension.

Being able to read faster has many advantages. You are able to utilize your time more efficiently and be able to take in more information in less time. Isn’t that what everyone wants?

Being able to read faster is one of those things that I’ve been trying to achieve myself for years. There is a plethora of free speed reading software and online courses available that teach you fast reading. I went through several articles online and found some really simple and useful tricks to fast reading on the internet. I also have read books and articles over the years that show fast reading techniques.

Now I am going to summarize all that I have learned over the years for you, in this article!

Benefits of reading

Reading is something that you should have as a part of your daily routine. It’s fun, allows you to utilize your brain while you learn new things. Reading is far more stimulating for the brain than watching TV or a video.

People read books and articles for many reasons. Reading gives us knowledge, gives us better focus and concentration and improves our analytical power. It’s also a great way to stimulate our brain, improve memory, and reduces stress. Reading can also be a form of entertainment.

For those who want to become writers, reading is an absolute necessity because it gives you exposure to more articles and reading material. You are able to improve your vocabulary and writing skills by reading some excellent published materials online.

What are the advantages of reading fast?

Whether you are reading for pleasure in your free time or trying to learn something new, fast reading will always help you to learn more things in less time. Being able to read faster is always beneficial.

There are other forms of media that give us information that some find more appealing than reading today, such as video. The best way to learn is to attend classes and, if possible, find an expert on a certain topic and listen to them inform you about the things you want to learn. But, you are not always lucky enough to find someone to teach you about the things you want to learn, and so reading their words is crucial.

Fast reading techniques

To develop reading speed, you need to develop reading awareness. Begin to recognize words that are more important in a paragraph and try to move your eyes faster across more common words. Here are some fast reading techniques given below.

Develop reading awareness

The more you know about a topic, the easier it will be for you to read about it faster. So, practice reading regularly, and read about the background on the topic before you start reading about something entirely new. Search on the internet about related topics to learn more about what you are trying to read and learn.

Break free from bad habits

People develop many bad habits as they read. One of them is called sub-vocalization or sounding each word aloud or in one’s head, while reading. There are many bad habits that tend to slow you down. Some more details are given below.

● Reduce sub-vocalization

Many people move their lips and sound out words aloud. Sub-vocalization also happens when we pronounce the words in our head. This is how we were taught to read as children. But this will slow down your reading speed. Chewing gum while you read will speed up your reading because you can keep your mouth busy while you read.

● Reduce passive day dreaming

Passive daydreaming is when you start to think about something else while you are reading. Has this ever happened to you that after reading for a while, you realize that you have been thinking about something else? Continuously checking in with yourself to be sure you’re paying attention to what you’re reading is a helpful way to speed up your reading.

● Avoid reading word for word

A common mistake that most readers make is to read each word in a sentence. However, you can train your brain to process each sentence in a paragraph as a block of information. All you need is the first and the last letter of a word to know what the word is. Once you know the first few words of a sentence, your brain can already process the information given in a sentence.

For example, try reading the following sentence:

I cnduo’t bvleiee taht I culod aculatly uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg.

(I couldn’t believe that I could actually understand what I was reading).

I’m sure you had no trouble reading the sentence above, even though all the words were spelled wrong!

The human brain has this incredible power to see things in the right way. According to research done by Cambridge University, “it doesn’t matter in what order the letters in a word are, the only important thing is that the first and last letter be in the right place.”

● Avoid regression

Some people read a sentence a few times before moving on the next sentence, intentionally or unintentionally. This happens because some people lose their patience in the middle of a sentence and they go back and read again to make sense out of it. Some feel that they haven’t really grasped the meaning of the text the first time around.

If this becomes a habit, they will spend twice as much time reading one paragraph as what it should take.

Speed reading strategies

So, there are some really simple tricks to fast reading with full comprehension.

First of all, you need to read more and more often to become a fast reader. Greater reading competence will actually make you faster reader. Below are some tips on fast reading strategies.

1. Read regularly

Regular reading will increase your word power and reading speed. You will train yourself to recognize words and sentences more quickly instead of reading the whole sentence. Make time for reading every day.

2. Get away from distractions

Your reading place should be free of distractions. Keep your mobile phone on silent mode and if you can’t be in a quiet place, consider wearing headphones with soft music playing.

3. Use tools to improve your reading

Keeping notes while you read will improve your reading speed. Notes increase comprehension and the greater you understand, the faster you can read. Simple notes on paper are as good as any word processor, and be sure to keep track of new words that you have learned.

I hope you have found these tips as useful as I did!

Please add your thoughts on this article in the comment box below. If you have a technique to improve reading speed, please let us know.

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Source: Institute of Ecolonomics