There are online options to increase your reading speed. These include MRKent's Free Speed Reading Course. It focuses on reading groups of words, instead of reading just one word at a time. The online systems allow you to practice speed-reading techniques, followed by questions to test your comprehension of what you have read. The MrKent program provides text one line at a time and gives you the option to set the speed at which it is presented.
These training courses all present similar techniques for improving reading speed. The skimming technique teaches you to scan the page for meaning and context, as opposed to reading every word on the page. This can increase your reading from an average of 230 words per minute to 700. This technique may cause a decrease in comprehension, especially when reading material with a lot of relevant information.
Some people prefer the Meta-Guiding method, in which they use a finger or some other object to scan a page as they read it. This method, discovered and taught by legendary speed reading advocate Evelyn Wood, increases reading speed by guiding the eye to the correct spot on the page. Theoretically, this method also expands the visual cortex, which increases focus and stores information in the subconscious. However, this method can still cause the reader to miss important details on the page.
Speed reading can place stress on the eyes if the muscles around the eyes are not sufficiently strengthened. There are exercises available to strengthen the eyes, including massaging and pressing your eyes with your fingers. These exercises should be done for about three minutes at a time.