Learn some simple free techniques to improve reading speed. Put your right hand (if right-handed) on the page of text and move it down the page at a slow, steady speed. Do not stop or move back up the text. Another technique is to use a card or paper and move this down the page. This will stop attempts at re-reading the text. Another idea is to sweep your hand from left to right over the page. This forces the eye to move quickly across the page and pick up groups of words, rather than individual words.
Practice "turning off" the voice in your head that makes you either mouth each word in turn or pronounce each word internally. This is called sub-vocalizing and slows down reading speed. Read in clusters of words because this method prevents you from saying each word individually.
Expand the number of words that you take in at a time. Hold the book or other reading material a bit further away from your eyes than you normally would. With practice this will become second nature.
Try the zig-zag method of speed reading to scan the text for the most important information. Move your eye across the page from the top left hand side of the text diagonally down to the end of the third line. Your eye then sweeps across from the right hand side down diagonally to the left, again taking in three lines.
Read a specialist book on speed reading, such as "Breakthrough Rapid Reading," by Peter Kump. Reading this alone will not improve speed but following the exercises and drills regularly should boost speed. Alternatively, use an audio or computer program to practice exercises. Some software programs, such as Best Reader, claim to improve reading speed by a factor of 10.