By Mwebe Morgan

Photo by cottonbro: 

Speed reading is the process of quickly recognizing and assimilation of complete phrases or sentences on a page, rather than identifying individual words.

Most of us read something every day, whether it's a news story, a working document, or a novel. Many things compete for our attention in today's fast-paced digital environment, yet you want to read quicker. Reading may be time-consuming and exhausting.

Did you know that the majority of educated people can read between 250 and 400 words per minute with decent comprehension? A regular discussion between two individuals moves at a rate of 150 to 160 words per minute. As a result, normal reading becomes an incredibly difficult operation. Elizabeth Schotter, a cognitive psychologist at UC San Diego, maintains that no human being can read 1,000 or 2,000 words per minute and maintain the same levels of understanding as they would do at 200 or 400 words per minute. Speed-reading strategies can help you read faster and more successfully without sacrificing comprehension or understanding. Improving your reading speed benefits both students and working people by allowing you to acquire information more quickly and with less effort.

Can speed reading help you understand what you're reading? In actuality, you have the option of having both! Did you know that reading quicker might help you concentrate better? Here are 12 tips or strategies to help you become a huge speed-reading machine:

• Skim the text first.

• Read words in chunks

• Avoid travelling back in time

• Stop the inner monologue: Don’t subvocalize

• Word–chunking

• Use a timer on your phone.

• Never reread the words on the page.

• Use your peripheral vision.

• Set a Goal

• Use a marker or coloured corded card.

• Work on improving your vocabulary

• Summarise

• Final Thoughts

Skim the text first.

Reading can be frightening to many, but you read something, skim it from start to finish. Look for sections, essential headings, bold words or sentences, bullet points, and graphics as you browse. Look for significant summaries of the information, particularly at the beginning and end of the chapter. Skimming may sound like you’re doubling the work it takes to read something, but you’re doing the opposite: you’ll now comprehensively understand what the text is about and what topics are most important to focus on. The confusion about the more difficult sections will be less when you reach them. You won’t waste too much time on parts that are not relevant to the central point.

Read words in chunks

Speed reading allows you to grasp more information in less time. You do not have to read every word on the page. Your eye span is really 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) (almost four cm), allowing you to collect up to nine words in a single glance. Use this to your advantage by visually grouping words into “chunks” of three to five words. Scrub your eyes over one section at a time. Before going on to the next section, glean the meaning from the previous one. This prevents you from subvocalizing (you won't have time!) and allows you to skim over a paragraph before going on to the next, without compromising any sense in the text.

Avoid travelling back in time

As you read quicker, you realize you weren't paying attention to the paragraphs you were reading. We have a habit of going back and rereading it. This is so ubiquitous that it has its own term: regression. Regression significantly reduces our reading rates. To avoid regression, you must approach a text with care. Reduce external distractions such as annoying background noises. If you happen to lose track of time, it's typically better not to go back and reread anything. Using the context cues in these paragraphs, you should be able to figure out what the substance of the paragraph was. We may also utilize a method known as gliding, in which you cover each line you read with your hand or a piece of paper, so you don’t have the safety net of going back and rereading.

Stop the inner monologue: Don’t subvocalize

Readers are prone to having an inner monologue, often known as subvocalization. The most difficult barrier to raising your reading speed is speaking the words in your brain as you read.

Don't be concerned if you hear voices in your brain while reading. Though reading in your own voice will take longer, you will be relieved to know that you will get quicker with practice. Teachers educate students to read by saying the words silently in their heads while they read.

When your teachers taught you to read aloud and sound out everything, they were hoping to improve your reading speed. Once you've mastered the technique, your teacher will have you repeat the words in your head. This is how the habit began, and most people continue to read in this manner. It doesn't bother them unless they desire to read quicker. If you want to improve your reading speed, this is the first hurdle you must conquer.

According to Forbes, the average adult reading speed is 300 words per minute.

You don't have to say every word in your brain to comprehend what you're reading. 

Word–chunking

Eliminating the inner monologue is similar to word-chunking. This is the process of reading numerous words at once, and it is essential for reading quicker. These reading strategies are related, but word-chunking is perhaps the most active tool to utilize while working to improve your reading speed.

Even if one has been trained—as described in the inner monologue—to read each word at a time and not miss a single article, a person can take in numerous words at a time. Using your peripheral vision is one method to make this step easier, but we'll get to that in a minute.

Just concentrate on reading three words at one look. Continue down the page in this manner, noting how much faster you finished the whole page of text. You can still analyse and grasp what you read, but it will take much less time.

Use a timer on your phone

Using a timer to put yourself to the test is a good cliffhanger. You will be able to speed up your reading. Set a one-minute timer and read normally as the timer counts down. When the timer runs off, keep track of how many pages you've read.

WordstoPages can assist you in determining how many words you have read. As always, you can use what you've learned and retake the test.

Continue repeating this, beating your previous count each time. Set a daily or weekly goal for yourself and reward yourself when you achieve it. Continue playing this short game, and you'll be able to fast boost your reading speed!

If you observe the average person's eyes while reading, you will see their eyes bounce and flicker around. They do not flow back and forth just as they should. This is because the ordinary person—and you, too—returns to previously read words. This inhibits you from speeding up your reading.

Use your peripheral vision

Congratulations! You've arrived at the crucial stage that links everything together. This isn't the final step, but it's a crucial one.

Use the strategies described above to examine and comprehend several words at once. Instead of chunking them into smaller sets of words, try reading one line at a time. This entails staring at the centre of the line and reading the remainder of it using your peripheral vision. Scanning the page in this manner will reveal that you not only understand what you read, but you did it in record time.

Set a Goal

Photo by Streetwindy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-sitting-on-chair-beside-table-reading-a-book-2912515/

Holding yourself accountable will guarantee that you complete your reading and timed examinations. Set a goal for yourself to read a certain number of pages each day or week, and stick to it. After you've met your goal, reward yourself with something nice. It's not going to harm anyone!

Be an avid reader—read more

The cliché “practice makes perfect” is actually quite true. Any professional (artist, musician, etc.) frequently practices their craft.

The same should be done by the reader. The more you read proficiently, the faster you'll become. Theodore Roosevelt read one book before breakfast and three or four more in the evening, in addition to newspapers and pamphlet-style material. Few knew how lengthy these volumes were, although they appeared to be of normal length. Use your Theodore devotion to propel you toward your own goal.

Use a marker or coloured corded card

Do you find your vision slipping and sliding through the page as you read? Place an index card below each line, and slip it down as you read. This will ensure you stay focused on reading one line at a time, rather than flitting your eyes about and taking nothing in.

Work on improving your vocabulary

As you read, do you notice your gaze slipping and sliding over the page? Insert an index card beneath each line and slide it down as you read. This will keep you concentrated on one line at a time, rather than darting your eyes about and taking in nothing.

Summarise

Asking yourself, “What did I just learn?” at regular intervals throughout the book can help you avoid regression and digest what you just read. Some individuals mentally summarise the concepts. Those ideas are considerably more likely to remain with them throughout their reading. You can establish greater connections between concepts in the text if you are a quick reader. Finish a text by producing a succinct, bulleted summary of what you learned. Making a note of anything helps you remember it long after you've moved on to the next text. It also allows you to reflect on the text's core topics, ensuring that you understand what you're reading.

Final Thoughts

Reading quicker is without a doubt one of the most effective strategies to enhance focus, and it is not only for students. Anyone who wants to engage in more meaningful conversations and comprehend complicated issues quickly might benefit from increasing their reading speed. By using the suggestions in this article, you may simply reduce the amount of time you spend reading while increasing your understanding level! Do you have any other suggestions about how to read faster? Please let me know in the comments!