3 Steps on Speed Reading
We have all heard about is the virtues of reading as habit, how reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body ; but hey has anyone ever spoken to you about how to read a book quickly and I mean not fast but SUPER FAST- reading without compromising on the comprehension quotient?
Most of our subjects are based on a simple concept of
READING ————>SYNTHESIZING—————>PROCESSING
Imagine how awesome it would be to get over with more than two last minute revisions of exam study material in just 2 hours or doing a comprehension passage in just 10 seconds!
Curious? Then, read on.
Let’s understand what Speed Reading is all about.
It is a technique used to improve one’s ability to read quickly. According to this technique you will be able to enhance the coordination of your vision with the left cerebral part of your brain. That means that with practice a person can read up to 250 words a minute i.e. 1 complete Chapter in about 15 minutes!!
To learn how to master this all you have to do is to follow 3 simple steps.
1. Turn Down the voices in your head!
We all have had trouble during exams when we’ve had to sit and study or during examination, trying to manage the time spent on reading and writing. We tend to concentrate more on reading it aloud in our minds than actually focusing on the words to understand them. This process is called sub-vocalization. This means that we are trying to imagine the sound of the word as it is read. Now while this process is good when you have to learn new languages, it can become a very big hindrance when you have to wrap up your exam preparation within a few hours. Even though this process is an essential part of our development process, we have to control it to be able to improve our comprehension skills.
2. Finger Guide:
Remember your play-way days, when your teacher asked you to keep your finger on the word and read, that actually works! . This technique also called ‘ Guiding the eye’ is an incredible technique to improve concentration and focus when your mind wanders, your moving finger brings you back to the words. You are forced by your right logical part of the brain (which also controls directions), to start following your finger.
To improve further you can alter direction to-Line by Line
- Two Lines at a timezone-Zag
- Vertical and
- Reverse Reading
3.Avoid Re- Reading:
Repetition is a waste of time and we all know it, but this tendency also called, ‘Regression’ is the habit of going back and re reading. It causes reduced concentration and hence is a total waste of reading effort and time, literally!!
Take a look at the chart containing five common reading speeds and the kinds of material on which to use each of them.
| Type Of Material | Type Of Reading | Purpose | Speed |
| Dictionaries, telephone directories, material where material is clearly presented. (lists, numbered items, outlines, etc.) | SCANNING | Location specific information | About 1500 words per minute or more |
| Chapter Synopsis, novels, blogs, info graphics | SKIMMING | Reading for general topicsand main ideas. | About 1000 words per minute or more. |
| Study Material, Study Activities, Sample Test Any material where only main ideas are to be learned. Generally lighter study. | EXPLORATORY READING | General understanding ofmain ideas and details or relate new information to what is already known; creating interest in reading material; reading where you will be tested on details. | About 400 to 600 words per minute |
| Study textbooks, Solution handbooks, Revision Notes, | READING FOR LEARNING | Reading with maximum understanding of main ideas and their relationships to each other; making questions from main ideas; taking notes; material where you are responsible for recall. | About 250 words per minute |
| Detailed textbooks in math,science, language grammar, material to be studied intensively or read aloud such as social studies, sociology, psychology , logical reasoning, General Knowledge ; any material that requires or stimulates deep thinking. | ANALYTICAL &CRITICAL READING | Evaluate and/or reflect on content, to follow directions as in performing a chemistry experiment, extract precise meanings, read aloud, reading intimate material, reading for emotional stimulation. | Less than 250 words per minute |
So you see, the purpose of efficient speed reading is not to make you whiz through the reading material but also to be able to make you understand it faster. Speed reading helps you finish your basic textual reading quickly and gears you to spend more time on identifying, analyzing and resolving your doubts in the text.
