According to Tony Buzan, the concept of speed reading originated with Air Force training data that indicated learners could distinguish shapes more quickly with practice. Devices to present text at controlled and increasing paces formed the basis for early training, which had limited effectiveness for most people. Later research led to programs that incorporated not only controlled presentation pace but also increasing lengths of phrases, and varying fonts and background color schemes.
Today's speed-reading training techniques focus on a combination of techniques, including chunking (the number of words taken in on one fixation of the eyes), minimizing vocalization and sub-vocalization (whispering, or saying words "in your head"), and actually skipping words and sections not directly related to the text's meaning. Training may also involve controlled presentation of text that increases in speed over time. Proponents, like Magda Santos from http://www.speed-reading-techniques.com, feel that the methods can benefit nearly everyone. Conversely, psychologist Daniel David feels that a large number of people mistakenly believe that "speed reading courses allow individuals to dramatically increase both reading speed and reading comprehension."
The obvious benefit of speed reading is that readers can plow through more material in less time. This is beneficial to students, who are required to read many pages of text quickly. It's also helpful to workers who must read on the job. Speed reading has the potential to improve productivity, as well as increase leisure time. There is little benefit, on the other hand, in reading more quickly for recreational purposes. Speed reading will be most beneficial to those who need to read within time constraints or who need to read large amounts of material quickly.
Reading speed can be improved by a combination of reading faster, reading more efficiently and reading a smaller percentage of the text. To read faster, a reader must take in a greater number of words per eye fixation. Try to notice longer phrases, lines or even paragraphs at one time. To read more efficiently, do not verbalize, whisper or even form the words in your head. Read words instead of sounding out; read phrases instead of single words. To read a smaller percentage of the text, look for key words and phrases as you skip connective words. Read topic sentences instead of entire paragraphs. Re-read whenever you lose comprehension, though.
Often, the trade-off for increased reading speed is decreased comprehension and memory of the content. Speed readers must discern when to apply their skill. Reading quickly loses its benefit if the situation requires that lots of detail be learned or the text contains important but subtle information. Speed reading is useful when text needs to be skimmed for main ideas or when scanning large amounts of reading material for a single idea. Know when to apply speed reading and when to read more carefully.
Speed reading has a place in the arsenal of reading techniques, particularly for students and those who need to manage a lot of text on the job. People must first be proficient readers (reading 200 words per minute or so at the required level of difficulty) before considering speed-reading techniques. Do not sacrifice the goal of reading (comprehension) for the sake of speed. Readers need to analyze the task at hand, as well as the difficulty of the text and the purpose of reading to decide if speed reading is appropriate. When used properly, the technique can be an efficient time saver.