Look at the table of contents of the book. Skipping this step is certain to add several minutes or even hours to your reading time. Identify the information that you need to know, and go directly to that chapter.
Once you have found the information you must read, glance at the chapter headings and subheadings. You may find the information you need in a subheading, and can stop right there. Otherwise, continue reading the information only under the heading that is applicable to your project.
Read chapter summaries if you are reading to study for a test. You'll be able to pinpoint the information that you know and information that you need to study more. Flip back through the chapter and read only the parts with which you are unfamiliar.
Read the headlines and first paragraph of newspaper articles. Often, you can get the main idea merely by reading the headline. Critical information is often found in the first paragraph, while details are found further down in the article.
Use your finger to scroll down as you read. Doing this can make you conscious that you are intending to read quickly, and keep you from backtracking and rereading the same information over and over. That's what people often do when they are distracted or bored.
Place an index card over the text you have read and keep moving it down. (See Reference 1) This is a good technique if you are tempted to backtrack even when using your finger to scroll down.
Resist the temptation to read every word. Instead, scan for keywords, and skip over the smaller, frequently used words. Your brain will be able to process the basic meaning of a sentence by reading only a few words. If you believe you have read something containing critical information, you can go back and read it more thoroughly later.
Develop a bookmarking system. When you are reading at a glance, you don't want to stop to make notes or try to memorize something. Instead, use sticky notes to mark the page, or dog-ear the pages if you are reading a magazine.