Almost anyone can double his/her reading rate while maintaining at least an equal level of comprehension. To set this skill in motion, one must meet four (4) basic conditions:
- Check your eyes. Before embarking on your reading efficiency crusade, consult your optometrist. Uncorrected eye defects often negatively impact one’s reading rate and comprehension.
- Eliminate the habit of pronouncing words as you read. Sounding out or whispering words allows one to read only slightly faster than reading aloud. On average you can read most materials two to three times faster if you do so silently rather than orally.
- Avoid regressing (rereading). A typical college student reading at 250 words per minute regresses or rereads around 20 times per page. Rereading words and phrases will slow your reading speed down to a snail’s pace. Usually, it is unnecessary to reread words, for the ideas you want are explained and elaborated in later contexts. Furthermore, the slowest reader usually regresses most frequently. Because he reads slowly, his mind has time to wander and his rereading reflects both his inability to concentrate and his lack of confidence in his comprehension skills.
- Develop a wider eye-span. This will help you read more than one word per glance. Written material loses its meaning if read word by word. A wider eye-span will help you learn to gather information by phrases and, with practice and patience, paragraphs.