What Are Speed Reading Techniques And When Are They Useful?

If you want to know what speed reading techniques are and what forms of exercise may be useful, be sure to read our today’s article.

Today, we often process a large amount of written information, be it in emails, on websites, in work reports, on social networks or in training books. Therefore, we would like to be able to read faster.

This allows us to make better use of our time and keep up to date with everything. Speed ​​reading techniques can be extremely useful here .

The good news is that you can speed up our reading. The average reading speed is 150-250 words per minute. You can increase the speed and read up to 700 words per minute if you follow a range of techniques.

What are speed reading techniques really?

Speed ​​reading is the process by which a person identifies and assimilates entire sentences at a glance, rather than recognizing each word individually. Some people do not need to develop this skill because it develops naturally.

However, those of us who do not have it can develop it through practice. This is where the speed reading technique comes in handy.

Speed ​​reading is not meant to bypass understanding. On the contrary, its effectiveness lies in striking a balance between rhythm and overall analysis of the content. Therefore, it is ideal to understand the meaning of the text without wasting too much time.

There are studies that suggest that speed reading (when done correctly) is a more productive way of reading. Especially for people who need to process and handle a lot of written information throughout the day.

The benefits of this technique include the following:

• It allows you to read, understand and analyze text in less time.
• Develops the ability to associate known and new concepts.
• It sharpens the recognition of the main ideas and points of the text being read.
• It reduces eye strain.
• It increases our language skills.

Speed ​​Reading Techniques – When Can They Help You?

Perhaps you are asking yourself why we can even use speed reading techniques. Well, this process is helpful in the following circumstances:

• If you have difficulty reading: you go backwards in the text to understand the main idea or you read more slowly than usual. Speed ​​reading techniques can help you improve your reading skills.
• When you need to read something on a topic that is easy to read or that you already know.
• When you only need to understand the basic arguments or conclusions of a given written material.
• If you intend to re-examine the text in detail at a different time. The study found that looking at material can improve comprehension when reading a text a second time.
• After reading the material carefully. A quick glance at the material will help you consolidate your information.

Speed ​​Reading Techniques – When Are They Not Recommended?

It sounds great to be able to read and understand any written material in the shortest possible time. However, it turns out that speed reading is neither recommended nor effective all the time. It is discouraged, inter alia, in the following situations:

• When you need to read a legal document or one that contains complex information. These materials require careful thought. It has been proven that the faster you read, the less you understand. While the goal of speed reading is to strike a balance between speed and comprehension, it is best in such cases to be as comprehensible as possible.
• If you want to remember something. Here it is best to read slowly, less than 100 words per minute.

Speed ​​reading techniques – overview

Increasing your reading speed involves developing physical and mental skills which require appropriate methods as well as regular practice. Consequently, if you want to speed up your reading it is important that you perform a number of techniques continuously and systematically.

Likewise, it is advisable to simultaneously develop a strategy for understanding, concentrating, and retaining information.

Avoid subvocalization

Subvocalization (also known as the inner voice) is the mental pronouncement of words as you read. This habit is one of the main reasons why reading slows down.

Therefore, in order to read faster, it is necessary to eliminate subvocalization. At first you will find it difficult to avoid this habit and you will think that you do not understand anything you are reading. But remember, it’s a matter of persistence and practice.

Indicator method

Another tool that can help you speed up your reading pace is to point at the line you are reading with your index finger, pencil, or other pointer. This will increase your focus and concentration on words.

Scanning

It is one of the most widely used speed reading techniques. It is about recognizing the main ideas of the content by sketching your eyes across the text.

It’s not about reading every word, but identifying key elements of the text. This is useful when you want to locate specific dates, names, and places.

To do this, you usually read the first sentence of each paragraph and then try to identify the important phrases in each one. It is also useful to search for items such as lists, captions, charts, and indexes. Finally, integration is done to capture the main idea.

Avoid rereading

Going backwards in a text is usually common practice when we don’t understand something. Thus, we read again to identify what we have missed. However, this technique does not allow us to assimilate the general outline of the material studied.

This causes longer delays and has a negative impact on the understanding of the material.

Develop reading comprehension

There is no point in reading quickly if you don’t understand what you are reading. Therefore, it is also important to develop the ability to understand the meaning of the text.

For this purpose, we recommend:

• Expand your vocabulary: this includes learning new words and the different meanings they may take depending on the context.
• Take notes and summarize: when writing and summarizing, we are forced to interpret the information read.
• Get acquainted with the main topic in advance: Knowing the content of the text will help you understand the true meaning of words and phrases.
• Review the text before reading: this will help you understand the main idea.
  Ask questions: After reviewing the text, write down the questions that you want to answer by reading. This will help you organize the thoughts in the text and verbalize the answers.

How do you practice these techniques?

It is advisable to learn one speed reading technique at a time and use simple texts. Basically, determine which method is most suitable for you and practice it slowly until you understand how to do it right. Then pick up the pace.

It’s normal that you don’t understand the meaning of the text at first. But with practice, you will train your brain to a faster reading pace. The technique will become a habit.

On the other hand, there are also many books and online courses designed to offer you the tools you need to gain speed reading. Ideally, you can access one of them and follow the directions given there.

Speed ​​reading techniques help save time

Speed ​​reading is a skill that you learn in practice. It can be difficult at first, but it’s important not to give up and keep trying.

To facilitate the process, create a suitable environment. This means you will find a place free of distractions. Proper lighting is also important. Also avoid reading when you feel tired or overwhelmed.

Finally, so that you can measure your progress, evaluate your reading rate before trying the techniques we mentioned. Then monitor how long it takes to read during your workout. This way you will see that your efforts really pay off.