What Is Speed Reading?
Speed reading is the process of rapidly recognizing and absorbing phrases
or sentences on a page all at once, rather than identifying individual
words.
The amount of information that we process seems to be growing by the
day, whether it's emails, reports and websites at work, or social media,
books and magazines at home. We likely feel pressure to get through this
information more quickly, so that we can "stay in the loop" and make
informed decisions.
Most people read at an average rate of 250 words per minute (wpm),
though some are naturally quicker than others. But, the ability to speed
read could mean that you double this rate.
We'll now explore some of the skills that you can use to accelerate your
reading.
How to Speed Read
All speed reading techniques have one thing in common: you avoid
pronouncing and "hearing" each word in your head as you read it, a
process known as as "sub-vocalization." Instead, you "skim" lines or
groups of words, as you can understand words more quickly than you can
say them.
One way to stop yourself from sub-vocalizing is to focus on blocks of
words rather than on individual ones. Do this by relaxing your face and
"softening" or expanding your gaze on the page, so that you stop seeing
words as single, distinct units. As you practice this, your eyes will skip
faster across the page.
Then, when you approach the end of a line, allow your peripheral vision to
take your eye to the final set of words. This will help to stop pauses in
your reading (often at full points), meaning that you scan across and down
to the next line more quickly.
Now let's look at three methods to boost your reading speed:
1. The Pointer Method
Utah school teacher Evelyn Nielsen Wood was one of the pioneers of
speed reading. In the 1950s, she claimed that she could read at up to
2,700 wpm if she swept a finger along the line as she read.
This became known as the Pointer method, and is also sometimes called
"hand pacing" or "meta guiding." Holding a card under each line and
drawing it down the page as you read works just as well.
2. The Tracker-and-Pacer Method
This is a variant of the Pointer method where you hold a pen, with its cap
still on, and underline or track each line as you read it, keeping your eye
above the tip of the pen. This will help to increase the pace at which you
take in each line, and improve your focus on the words. Whether you
actually underline the words is your choice.
Try to spend no more than one second on each line and then increase
your speed with each subsequent page. You will probably find that you
retain very little information at first, but, as you train your brain and you
become more comfortable with the technique, your comprehension should
improve.
3. The Scanning (or Previewing) Method
"Scanning" involves moving your eyes quickly down the page – often down
the center – and identifying specific words and phrases as you go. These
can be key sentences (often the first sentence of each paragraph), names,
numbers, or trigger words and ideas. Learning to expand your peripheral
vision can help with this.
You won't read every word, but your eye will land on what is important to
allow you to grasp the basic idea.
When to Speed Read
These techniques can all help you to read more quickly, but are they
appropriate for what you're trying to achieve?
Effective speed reading is a balance between pace and
comprehension. Studies have found that the faster you read, the less
information you take in, particularly when it comes to remembering detail.
So, speed reading is clearly not the answer if you're reading a complex
legal or technical document, even if you are pushed for time. Similarly, it
would be sensible to slow down if the material you're reading is new or
unfamiliar, or if you have to teach it to someone else.
When you need to understand only the basic arguments or conclusions
being presented, though, using a speed reading technique can work.
This may especially be the case if you intend to go back and re-read
something more slowly when you're less busy. In fact, one study has
suggested that skimming a text can improve your comprehension the
second time around.
Generally speaking, if you want to memorize something, you'll need to
read slowly, at less than 100 wpm. A normal rate for learning is 100-200
wpm, and for comprehension it is 200-400 wpm.
Speed reading is normally done at a rate of around 400-700 wpm.
Anything above 500-600 wpm means sacrificing comprehension, although
this varies from person to person.
How to Improve Your Speed Reading
Knowing the "how" and "when" of speed reading is only the first step to
success. Here are some more tips to help you:
Avoid distractions. Create an environment where there are as
few interruptions and distractions as possible, to allow you
to focus fully on the words in front of you.
Go easy. Read an uncomplicated novel or a simple online article
to get a feel for which technique is going to work best for you.
Gauge how much you've remembered or understood, and set a
timer to see how much faster you are now reading.
Cover words that you've already read. This helps you to stop
your eyes flitting back to earlier words and slowing down your
reading.
Know what you want from the text. This can be useful if you
are using the skimming method, as it primes you to pay attention
when you see relevant words, sentences or phrases. You can
then slow down at these points, or circle them for emphasis, but
otherwise move across the page quickly.
Benchmark your progress. This way you can tell whether your
practice is paying off. There are many free speed reading
assessments online, such as at [Link].
Practice, practice, practice. You have to practice speed
reading to get good at it. The more you train yourself, the more
natural it will feel.