Many people are intimidated by the idea of speed reading, but in reality it's not that difficult. Speed reading is simply about cutting down on subvocalization — or the tendency to vocalize words in our heads as we read them. The phrase itself is misleading, because speed reading can actually be anywhere between 300 and 1,200 words per minute (WPM).
In order to become a speedy reader, you need to practice with comprehension in mind. You need your eyes, brain and mouth all on the same page for this technique to work.
1. Use a sustained focus on one idea or paragraph. This can be accomplished by reading an article straight through or a chapter in a book. It has to make sense to you as it's being read, not as you look back on it. You should be able to summarize the central idea without looking back at the text in order to pass this test. It's possible that you may come across words or phrases that aren't familiar, but if you can figure out their meaning then you've passed with flying colors.
2. Ask yourself questions while the text is still fresh in your mind after completion of the passage. The point here is to ask yourself questions that will help you understand the text and its meaning. Perhaps you're wondering why a particular word or sentence was included, or what the author might be getting at. This is important because it'll remind you of the central message and how it connects with the rest of your reading material.
3. Pull out quotes and use them as memory cues. While speed reading is usually done without notes, having them on hand will give you a great advantage when it comes time to look up information in a book later on. You can use both headings and footnotes as reminders, especially if they're well-organized and clearly marked with abbreviations.
4. Pull out word lists and cross-reference them with the text you're reading. Word lists are useful for three things: 1) Have an idea of the amount of vocabulary you need to look up, 2) It will help you remember individual words or how they relate to one another, and 3) It can be used as reference material when you're struggling to remember a specific part of the text. You can also use crossing references (notes explaining how two ideas connect) to find related information in other parts of the book.
The Benefits Of Reading Faster Than Ever
1. You'll Learn To Read More Creative Sources More Easily
When you speed read, it's like learning a new language. You're forced to learn new terms and concepts that might not be familiar to you otherwise, but when you learn them it almost becomes second nature.
2. You'll Skip Over Bad Content & Unnecessary Content
You can easily skip over parts of a book if they're too shallow or trivial to warrant a read. Looking something up in a dictionary or finding related information will help you avoid this problem, because then you'll only have to read through key parts of the text that are important.
3. You'll Gain A Sense Of Urgency For Reading
When you speed read, it's like reading through a blur sometimes — like a speeding car on the freeway. This will help you to feel more urgency for reading, because there's not as much time to spend on every part of the text.
4. You'll Learn To Read With A Purpose
Speed readers are very focused on their reading. They're looking for details, looking for facts and looking for places where the material is being explained in a way that they can easily understand. They're not interested in inner monologues, or what the author has to say about a particular subject — they want to learn and they want to do it quickly. This sense of purpose will carry over into your daily life and will be a real asset when you need to survey large amounts of information very quickly in order to make smart decisions.