Seven Tips: On How To Increase Reading Speed

STOP THE INNER MONOLOGUE

One’s inner monologue, also known as subvocalisation, is an extremely common trait among readers. It is the process of speaking the words in your head as you read, and it is the biggest obstacle that gets in the way of you being able to increase your reading speed.

WORD – CHUNKING

Word-chunking closely parallels with the idea of eliminating the inner monologue. This is the act of reading multiple words at once, and is the key to reading faster.

DO NOT REREAD THE WORD ON THE PAGE

You’re going to want to make sure you break the habit of rereading the words on the page. If you watch the average person’s eyes as they read, you will notice they jump and flit about. They do not just flow evenly back and forth, as they should.

USE PERIPHERAL VISION

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the key step that really ties everything together. Use the techniques from everything above to view and comprehend several words at one time. Instead of chunking in smaller groups of words, try reading one line at a time.

USE A TIMER

Speaking of ‘record time’, now is your chance to test yourself and work on how to increase your reading speed each time you read. Set a timer for one minute, reading normally as the time dwindles down.

SET A GOAL

Holding yourself accountable will better ensure you stick with your reading and your timer tests. Give yourself a goal of a certain number of pages to read each day/week/etc., and stick to it.

READ MORE

The old adage, “Practice makes perfect,” is actually pretty darn accurate. A reader should be doing the same thing. The more you read, the more you will be better at it. The better you are at reading, the more you will increase your reading speed