Speed Reading For what purpose would you “speed read”? What are some tips that you know already? How can you get faster?

Steps to reading faster 1. Get your body ready. Sit up straight, edge of the chair, feet flat on the floor or stand up. 2. Set a time limit. Use a clock, digital watch or stop watch. Set realistic goals. Set a goal to read two or three sections of a chapter in an hour. Then, set a goal for fifty minutes. Give yourself a gentle push to cover the material in less time. 3. Relax. It promotes concentration. Remember—it’s not the same as “zoning out”.

4. Move your eyes faster. Our eyes look at text in fixations called saccades. Our eyes physically take in groups of words at a time (usually three), although we experience the illusion of continually scanning text. Our eyes stop at those certain fixations. Try to increase the groups of words from three to six at a time. Use a pencil or an index card as a guide.

Key word reading: The boy went/ to the store/ to get a loaf of bread/ and a gallon of milk Phrase word reading: The boy went/ to the store/ to get a loaf of bread/ and a gallon of milk

5. Notice and release ineffective habits. Notice when you make regressions and try to limit them by paying attention to the text the first time. Also notice sub-vocalization. You can read faster if you don’t mentally “hear” the words as you read them. 6. If you are pressed for time, skim. Read the headings, subheadings, charts, graphs, and summary paragraphs. 7. Stay flexible. Skillful readers vary their reading rate according to the nature of the material. Or, you can use different rates with the same material, such as skimming a chapter before you read it carefully.

8. Explore more resources. There are speed-reading classes offered, Internet articles, and books about reading rates. The first rule of reading fast: Just do it!

Practice Increasing Your Reading Rate Choose high interest material. When practicing, use material you are familiar with and are interested in. Practice everyday. At least minutes a day. Read at slightly faster than comfortable speeds. You should feel a little uncomfortable, but you should still be comprehending what you read.

Check your comprehension. Increasing your reading rate while losing comprehension provides no benefit. It is okay to have only % understanding during pushed reading. Make sure you get all the key ideas in the passage. If you have 100 percent comprehension, you can probably read even faster! Try to read at the same time each day. Choose a time when you are most alert, and read at the same time every day for about 15 minutes. Don’t give up. This is a slow, but steady process. Don’t worry about fluctuations in your reading rate, as long as you are seeing an overall increase in your reading rate.