Learning and even keeping up with technology, news, health and investment reports in this information age can seem overwhelming. Many people can actually cover tons of material but in actuality the fastest reading people with the best comprehension and understanding of content have the advantage in many aspects of business, life and even finances.
Do you want to become a fast reader? Reading faster is not about going through text of books without understanding the context. Rather, it is about taking in the information in at an enjoyable manner but still pick up the speed. The question is if it takes you a few days to finish a long novel how would you like to finish those same novels in a few hours? If you would like to speed up your reading time to this pace, then this article is for you!
Do Not Sound out the Words
When we were kids, we were taught to sound out the words in our head. Of course, this is an effective method in teaching kids to read. However, we carry this habit into our adult years as well. This technique is called sub-vocalization, and this surely affects our reading speed. The problem with this technique is that our eyes register the text much faster when compared to inner monologue. Hence try to avoid this, and it can be achieved through practice and concentration.
Stop Reading Word by Word
Another common mistake is reading text word by word. This is another practice that slows down your reading speed. Try to read in chunks. Few people will read the whole sentence. However, you can eliminate the prepositions and scan for only the important words. Our brain is complex and hence it has a great ability to fill in gaps of information.
Preview the Material
Review text material before you read. Look at the headings of each chapter and go through the bullet-points. Try reading the first and last paragraph of the chapter. This won’t give you details, but overall you will know the important parts. Use this method for difficult and unfamiliar text.
Eliminate the Habit of Regression
This is the method of reading the same paragraph, sentence or section two to three times. Most of the people regress since they lose track of their place in the text. You can avoid this with the help of a marker or a pointer. Few other regress since they think they have not understood the text in the first round itself. Try to concentrate and understand the matter in the first attempt itself. Become an impatient reader, be anxious to see what is around the next page and red with a purpose. Moreover, you need to decide if the information is that important to reread.
Practice with Easier Text
If you want to train yourself, to read faster, start with simple and easier text. Something like a travel book might be a good start while a physics textbook can throw you off. Read at least three times a week and gradually increase the speed in reading the text.