Nowadays, there are many training courses and seminars available to learn speed reading, along with numerous scientific and popular books, both in print and digital formats. Recently, several mobile apps have emerged to help master the art of speed reading. But you can also learn to read quickly and easily absorb information at home, by yourself. All you need is determination, confidence in the result, and daily practice for 20 minutes.
Speed Reading Practice Using a Pointer
This technique involves consciously controlling reading speed using a pointer—such as your finger, a pen, or a small pointer. Place it at the start of a paragraph and move it along as you read, without lifting it from the line. Try to read the text at the same speed the pointer moves. The advantage of this method is that your eyes won’t return to previously read text, allowing you to set a faster reading pace. This technique can be divided into three stages:
- Gradually increase the speed of the pointer until you can read one line per second. Practice this for one minute.
- In the next exercise, start reading from the second word in each sentence, skipping the last two words. Practice for two minutes.
- For a more challenging exercise, start from the third word in each sentence and skip the last three. Your eyes should follow the pointer at two lines per second. This exercise lasts three minutes.
Developing Peripheral Vision
Most untrained readers don’t use their peripheral vision while reading, which means they miss nearly half of the words during each fixation. A single fixation can last about a quarter of a second. To increase reading speed, try reading two to three words with each fixation.
One exercise to develop this skill is to hold your hand in front of your eyes with the fingers extended. Focus on the middle finger, but try to also see the index and ring fingers simultaneously. With practice, your brain will learn to process peripheral information more efficiently.
Another method is to draw a colored dot in the center of a page and focus on it while trying to read the surrounding words, capturing as much of the page as possible with your peripheral vision.
Eliminating Subvocalization
After improving your reading speed with a pointer, you’ll need to stop mentally subvocalizing (silently pronouncing) the words as you read. While subvocalization can help some people retain information better, it significantly slows down reading speed. To increase speed, aim to eliminate any internal or external articulation while reading.
Reading Text Upside Down
At first, reading upside-down text seems impossible, but with persistent practice, it greatly enhances your reading speed and ease. Start by reading a small paragraph upside down, then switch to reading the text normally. You’ll quickly notice how much faster and easier normal reading becomes.
Reading Text Diagonally
In this technique, you move your eyes diagonally across the page without returning to previously read lines. Initially, you may only pick up individual words, but with more practice, you’ll increase the amount of text you can absorb. The key to this method is learning to spot the main ideas while skipping secondary information. Begin reading from the top left corner of the page and guide your eyes diagonally to the bottom right.
Effective Reading and Text Comprehension
When reading in the traditional way, most people focus on each word before moving to the next, which slows down the process. Studies show that the human brain and eyes can process up to four or five words simultaneously.
- To improve comprehension, relax your face while reading—this allows you to capture more text at once.
- Use peripheral vision to finish reading the end of a sentence without moving your eyes, saving time.
- Avoid regression—rereading parts of the text. Regression often happens subconsciously and takes up about 30% of reading time.
- Focus on understanding the key points, skipping unnecessary details if you’ve already grasped the main ideas.
- One effective technique is to preview the text first, which helps you understand its structure and identify important parts to focus on.
What Aids Fast, Productive Reading
For the best results, create a conducive reading environment. Sit comfortably and avoid distractions. Some people find white noise or nature sounds helpful for focus.
Mastering speed reading techniques can significantly boost your reading speed while maintaining comprehension. Speed reading requires more concentration than regular reading, but with daily 20-minute practice, you can make noticeable progress within a month.