Determine a baseline for your natural reading pace. Time yourself as you read a passage and don't go beyond the speed you require to fully understand what's before you. This is the time upon which you will improve as you develop your new speed-reading habit.
Focus on your desire to read faster and understand more. Whenever you start to read something important, seal out distractions and direct your brain to focus on the topic and the words you see. Attempting to multitask will only keep you from reaching your goal of absorbing the content you're trying to read, so don't be tempted to drift off course. Engrossing yourself in the text often will increase your tempo right from the beginning.
Read the first sentence of every paragraph to absorb the general overview. Each first sentence should provide a summary of what follows, so understanding that line is crucial to grasping and retaining the rest of the paragraph. As you take in the concept of what you're reading, stay aware of your level of comprehension and if the words make sense, keep going.
Group words by using your peripheral vision to take in whole lines of text, rather than reading them one by one. This will require the most concentration, as most students are not taught to read this way. Retrain yourself to pick out the key words in blocks. Be patient with your progress because you are attempting to undo a behavior that is traceable back to your early reading days of Dick, Jane and Spot.
Attempt to read without saying each word in your head and use your finger to keep your eyes moving. It takes practice to adjust from sounding out what your eyes take in but if you work consistently toward the goal, your time and concentration will improve as you develop this new habit.