Sometimes, all the activities and obligations that we have during the day deprive us of doing other things that we enjoy, like walking in the park, playing with our pets, having a coffee with some friends, etc.
In fact, there are those who live out of date with world news because they don’t have enough time to stop to read the press, let alone read a good book. There are too many pages to complete in a short time. But is this statement entirely true?
The truth is that there are different types of techniques that make it possible to speed up the pace of reading considerably. In such a way that, what you used to read in two hours, now you can read it in just 30 minutes or even less.
Developing this ability is of special interest in the case of those who study university degrees where reading is very demanding. Also, it can help those who have to read and sign company documents every day. Now, the idea is not just to read quickly because that could be done by anyone. Rather, what it is about is shortening reading time without sacrificing comprehension of it. Because, what is the use of reading in a couple of minutes if you understand absolutely nothing? This would just make you work double, because it would force you to re-read to get the point.
If you want to increase the speed at which you read, you’ve come to the right place. This article has been written with people with this particular need in mind. If, after reading it, you immediately put what you have learned into practice, you will see how you improve the time you spend reading.
In this way you will not have to sacrifice a hobby as instructive and enriching as this one. Well, from time to time it is necessary to read a good book.
Instructions to read faster
Sometimes it can be believed that the problem lies in the lack of comprehension when reading. However, if you are reading very slowly, it may be because you are using the wrong method. In this case, something that will help you will be the following:
- Read groups of words and not single words. This is one of the exercises, to speed up reading, that has better results. The idea is not to read an entire sentence word for word, but to mentally group a few, maybe 2 or 4, in order to do it faster. To achieve this, you must make a mental image of the complete sentence, which must be divided into groups of words so that you can read them peripherally and thus save more time. Naturally, every beginning is difficult. It probably won’t come out the first time. However, as you practice you will achieve it and you will notice that there is a big difference. In order to practice try this: In a sentence, place periods to establish the groups of words that you want to read. Over time, you won’t have to make these marks to achieve this.
- Suppress subvocalization. Subvocalization is nothing more than the habit of repeating everything we read in our minds. While it is true that this is a natural reflex, it only slows down reading. In order to suppress this habit, it is necessary that you keep your inner voice busy, how to achieve it? An idea may be to count from 1 to 3 while you are reading, so that that inner voice is not focused on repeating the text. Actually, it sounds easier than it really is. But, with a lot of practice you will realize that it helps to read faster.
- Another technique that will also give you good results is to scan the text, visually, before starting to read. How can you do it? Very easy! You just have to mark an imaginary “S” with your finger on the text. In this way, you will be forcing your eyes to follow the line and, although with this method you will not obtain all the necessary information, you will capture the most relevant words to put yourself in context and not have to subvocalize everything when you start reading.
- Use a guide. This is a very common technique that is applied when children are starting out in the world of reading. The recommendation is that you can return to that habit. Use your finger, a pen, a ruler, or some other object to locate the lines you are reading. This will eliminate the sudden blocks that occur when we start reading a paragraph. Also, if you combine this technique with the elimination of vocalizations, you will be able to make your reading much faster.
- Do not reread Sometimes, we are forced to do it because we have been distracted, because we have not been able to understand the text the first time we read it or for some other reason. However, this only slows down the reading. In case you do not have enough time to finish a text, the best thing you can do is try to concentrate to assimilate the most important concepts with the first pass. These are just a few techniques that will help you reach your goal of reading faster. But what else do you need to achieve it ? Let’s see it.
What do you need to read faster?
- An appropriate environment. This means that you should pay special attention to details such as tranquility. It must be a place that is free from noise and other distractions, which allows you to concentrate on reading so that you do not miss any detail.
- This also encompasses lighting. If you read in dim light, this will slow down your reading , cause you to have poor concentration and end up with a terrible headache.
- When you don’t have good lighting, reading becomes much heavier, which will make it difficult for you to maintain a good pace. Therefore, the ideal would be to make use of good natural lighting.
- But, if this is not possible, then you can choose to implement desk or floor lamps and even a mini flashlight designed especially for reading.
- Be relaxed. To achieve this, it will be essential to maintain a good posture and locate a support where you can rest the book while you read. Since it is very uncomfortable to do it while supporting the weight of a thick book.
- In order to speed read, you need to do it at the right time, be relaxed, and find the method that works best for you. It may be a good option to download the book in electronic format to read from your tablet or phone.
- Employ technology. Some apps are very helpful in suppressing subvocalization. The text will appear on the screen of your tablet word by word at a faster speed, which will mean that you do not have time to repeat in your mind what you have already read. In this way, your reading will be faster.
- Distract your body. Some of the organs that intervene in the reading process are the ears, the pharynx, the tongue and the lips, since there are those who tend to whisper what they read.
- The idea is to be able to distract these organs to minimize subvocalization. You will achieve this by resorting to classical music or other relaxing melodies, thus you will distract your ears. For best results, repeat the melody by buzzing the larynx or by mumbling it. Also, it will be useful for you to chew gum to fill your mouth.
- Eliminate internal distractions. Sometimes we can be reading and, at the same time, thinking about personal problems, issues to solve, pending tasks, etc.
Although it is not easy to calm our inner voice, if you do, you will see that the process will become much faster and you will be able to free yourself in time to attend to your pending tasks, because you will not have to subvocalize or reread the text to understand it.
These elements will be very helpful to speed up the reading process. By applying them, you will notice that you can finish a text in record time, which will give you the opportunity to carry out other types of activities. But what else should you know about how to become a speed-reader?
Tips to read faster
The best exercise that you can apply, to achieve a fast reading, is to constantly read. Make reading a habit and not a sporadic activity or one more obligation.
By reading every day you will accustom your brain and little by little you will gain speed. Likewise, you will have the opportunity to improve all the techniques that we have shared with you during this article, in order to improve your reading comprehension by investing little time.
Keep in mind that reading speed is not an innate ability in humans. Just as children need time to master reading, so you won’t be able to speed up reading overnight because it’s a new way of reading. Therefore, be patient and take things easy.
Since it is a process, to obtain good results, it must be done gradually. In this way, in less than a rooster crows you will already have mastered it and you will begin to see the results.
One thing that can help you gauge your progress is using a timer while you read, how can you do it? It uses as a base the maximum number of words read at an average speed, these are 200 to 300 words in a minute.
Although each person is different from one another, if you manage to exceed this amount of words in just one minute, you will be achieving your goal and it will be a great incentive to continue. Of course, as we have already mentioned, it is all a matter of practice.