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Online Speed Reading Tips

Whether for educational or business purposes, developing reading abilities is important. Vast amounts of information need to be read, understood and absorbed for future remembrance. Speed reading is not a skill a person is born with but a skill that must be learned. For a skill like speed reading to become finely honed and perfected, it requires constant practice. Software is available to assist with speed reading, but the simple way to become a speed reader to put a few tips into practice.
  1. Don't Read Words

    • Instead of reading the text one word at a time, try reading groupings of words. This skill will enhance the speed at which the eyes skim over text. As the speed increases, the eyes will not pause so often when moving across a page. This translates to faster reading while retaining comprehension of what is being read. Group the words as chunks of text, for example "the same holds good" can be one group but still a complete thought.

    Clock Current Reading Time

    • Before practicing the skill of speed reading, it is essential to know how fast your current reading time is. This is easily accomplished with a stop watch and reading material. Clock how many words or pages can be read within a 60-second time period. Once the current time is established, you can start increasing the speed. This can be done by intense reading practice, where the eyes become adjusted to moving quickly over the page while the brain assimilates the information. There are also online speed reading test sites that can be used.

    Avoid Subvocalizing

    • People have a tendency to mouth what is being read -- while they may not actually read aloud, they are vocalizing the words as they read. The problem with this is that the brain moves at a very fast clip, thinking roughly 6000 words in a single minute, and speaking speed is nowhere near this figure. At the best possible speaking speed, words spoken in one minute are approximately 140 to 150 words. Subvocalizing while reading limits the speed at which text can be read.

    Practice Reading in the Right Environment

    • To develop speed reading skills, it is necessary to practice reading in the right environment. Reading difficult material should not be done in bed; the tendency to relax is very strong, only slowing the reading speed and comprehension process. Serious reading material should be propped up on a book stand. Keeping reading material angled at 45 degrees reduces eyestrain and increases the reading speed. Practice speed reading while seated at a desk to set the right tone for reading. Avoid distractions like music or television noise in the background.

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