Improve Reading Speed and Comprehension in 5 Steps

Speed reading materials often concentrate on the brain by tweaking the ability to choose and process printed information in a matter of seconds. In order to increase the speed at which this takes place, the brain needs a bit of sharpening and training. With the assistance of decent speed reading software, books, and other programs, one can learn how to not only read faster, but also gain a better understanding of the text they scan.

With this higher level of information retaining – the more knowledgeable one will become. As a result, you also become more desirable and productive within the work world, as well as on the educational scene. In order to obtain the ability to speed read without compromising comprehension is a skill that takes practice. Below you will find five helpful ways on how to sharpen your skills in the speed reading department:

1) Scan Content Before Reading

Become a smarter reader by scanning the content of a book before starting to tackle the chapters. Each book alerts a reader to the kind of material within a book that is most useful (or a complete waste of time). By avoiding unnecessary or "fluff" chapters, you will be able to save a great amount of time and energy.

2) Vocabulary Increase

Understanding the words you are reading will help you with your speed reading goals. If you are unable to decipher words in your text, your rate of reading will decrease because you will pause more to figure out what you are reading. Also, pressing words require a quick look-up in the dictionary, which could be quite important in understanding a key point in reading material. This is especially significant for college students using speed reading to make their heavy load of study materials much lighter, as they often encounter information they have never seen before.

3) Prioritize

Some people succeed in improving their speed reading and comprehension by prioritizing their reading material. This means they will classify what part of the content requires a more urgent response. First, you will approach a chunk of text, chapter, or book by placing "very significant" and "less important" tags before you start to read. This technique not only helps you speed read through the material, but also enhances your comprehension.

4) Choose Suitable Reading Room

To improve how you read faster and comprehend the material in front of your face, it is important to select a comfortable and quiet reading arena that encourages better results. Your chosen place should be free of distractions, but not too much so that you will fall asleep. For instance, it is not suggested to read difficult or vital material while in the bed. The best approach is to select a location where you will not be disturbed while you speed read, which will only slow down your focus and overall flow.

5) Practice

How will you improve your speed reading skills if you never practice? It is vital to continue developing your capacity to read faster and comprehend more and the only way to give your brain sufficient training in reading and processing information at an elevated rate is to practice. This step is also important for training the eyes to move faster across a page.