When teaching yourself to read at a faster rate of speed, choose easy material rather than challenging material such as a textbook. The material you choose must contain text that is easy to comprehend in one quick skim, rather than material you have to study to comprehend.
As with almost any other skill, reading faster requires a lot of practice. The more you practice reading at a faster speed, the better results you will achieve. Take time to practice honing this skill. Read as much as you can, whenever you can. Practice using all of your speed-reading skills when you read.
While you are practicing reading at an increased rate, use a pointer or other device, such as a card or your finger, to force your brain and eyes to keep the same pace. Use a pointer by drawing the object across and down the page to keep your place while you read.
One habit that inhibits reading at an increased speed is reading a book with the same amount of concentration you would use as you listen to a speech. Reading is much different than listening to an individual speak. With reading, you do not have to read the text in the order the text is presented by the author. Speed up your reading rate by quickly scanning the page for key material and skimming over the fluff in the text. Generally, key material appears in bolded, underlined, bulleted or italicized text.
Reading aloud is useful for helping the reader connect the flow of the text with the flow of the spoken language. To increase your reading speed, read aloud for approximately 10 to 15 minutes per day. This helps you practice intonation and phrasing and reminds you to keep your eye on the words. Use a text that is interesting to you and read a portion aloud daily, increasing your reading pace a little more each day.