Speed Read Anything

1. Subvocalization hinders speed reading; learn to suppress it

Subvocalizing takes time—more time than is necessary to comprehend the words you are reading.

Break the habit. Subvocalization, or mentally pronouncing words as you read, significantly slows down your reading speed. To overcome this, try techniques like:

• Humming or chewing gum while reading to distract your inner voice
• Playing soft instrumental music in the background
• Using a visual pacer (like your finger) to guide your eyes
• Counting in your head while reading to occupy your inner voice

As you practice, focus on grasping the meaning of words without mentally pronouncing them. This skill takes time to develop but is crucial for increasing your reading speed without sacrificing comprehension.

2. Train your eyes to enhance peripheral vision and reduce fixations

Eye-tracking studies have shown that your eyes actually quiver and move around considerably. These are called saccades.

Minimize eye movements. Excessive eye movements slow down reading speed and comprehension. To improve, try these techniques:

• Use a pointer (finger or pen) to guide your eyes smoothly across the text
• Practice widening your vision span to take in more words at once
• Reduce the number of eye fixations per line by training your peripheral vision

Eye exercises can help strengthen your ocular muscles and improve flexibility. Try the clock gazing exercise: imagine a giant clock face and move your eyes from the center to different points on the clock, holding each position for a few seconds.

3. Strategic skimming: Focus on key words and ignore filler content

As you read any given sentence, you will probably get 90 percent of the meaning from 50 percent of the words, and for the purposes of learning at a quick pace, the rest of the words are unnecessary filler.

Identify crucial information. Not all words in a sentence carry equal importance. To read more efficiently:

• Start reading three words from the left margin and stop three words from the right
• Skip small, meaningless words like "if," "is," "to," "the," "and," "was"
• Focus on nouns, verbs, and other content-rich words
• Use the zig-zag method to scan for important words diagonally across the text

By concentrating on the most meaningful parts of the text, you can quickly grasp the main ideas without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.

4. Master word-chunking to process multiple words simultaneously

Individual words cannot carry concepts or ideas; these are only expressed in groups of words.

Group words together. Word-chunking is the practice of taking in multiple words at once, rather than reading each word individually. To develop this skill:

• Start by practicing with two-word chunks, then gradually increase to three, four, or five words
• Use tools like Ron Cole's Alchemy Educational Training website to create custom word-chunk exercises
• Focus on grasping the meaning of entire phrases or clauses rather than individual words

As you become more proficient at word-chunking, you'll naturally increase your reading speed while maintaining comprehension, as you'll be processing ideas and concepts more efficiently.

5. Pre-reading techniques prepare your mind for efficient reading

Pre-reading acquaints you with what topics exactly the book in question covers, the gist of the author's arguments, and how much time and attention you'll need to read the relevant parts of the book.

Set the stage for success. Pre-reading strategies help you approach a text with purpose and structure. Try these methods:

• The KBG Method: Assess your prior Knowledge, identify potential Biases, and set Goals for reading
• The 4 Ps Method: Define your Purpose, Preview the text, evaluate Prior knowledge, and Predict content
• The THIEVES Framework: Examine Title, Headings, Introduction, Every first sentence, Visuals, End-of-chapter questions, and Summary

By employing these techniques, you'll create a mental framework for the material, making it easier to absorb and retain information as you read.

6. Visualization improves comprehension and retention of material

When we read words, we need to be able to translate them into pictures for maximum comprehension.

Create mental images. Visualization is a powerful tool for enhancing comprehension and retention while reading. To develop this skill:

• Start with fiction to practice creating vivid mental images of scenes and characters
• Gradually move to more complex texts, visualizing concepts and relationships
• Be as detailed as possible in your mental imagery
• Practice visualization exercises outside of reading, such as recreating images from memory

By translating words into mental pictures, you engage more of your brain in the reading process, leading to better understanding and recall of the material.

7. Optimize your reading environment and habits for better focus

Making these small changes to the physical location where you read can make a world of difference to how much you end up retaining from your text.

Create an ideal reading space. Your environment significantly impacts your reading efficiency. Consider these factors:

• Minimize distractions: Choose a quiet area and turn off electronic notifications
• Ensure proper lighting: Natural light is best, but use appropriate artificial lighting if necessary
• Maintain a comfortable temperature: Not too hot or cold
• Keep your space tidy and organized
• Add plants for a calming effect
• Avoid reading in bed to prevent lethargy and maintain focus

Additionally, broaden your reading horizons to improve vocabulary and general knowledge, which will enhance your overall reading speed and comprehension across various subjects.

8. Enhance ocular fitness to expand your visual field while reading

Through this process, you are trying to strengthen your peripheral vision.

Exercise your eyes. Improving your ocular fitness can significantly enhance your reading speed and comprehension. Try these exercises:

• The 20-20-20 Rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds
• Eye Writing: Move your eyes to "write" letters or words on an imaginary surface
• Clock Gazing: Move your eyes between different positions on an imaginary clock face

Additionally, maintain overall eye health by:

• Eating a balanced diet rich in eye-healthy nutrients
• Avoiding smoking and excessive screen time
• Blinking regularly to keep your eyes moisturized

Regular practice of these exercises and habits will strengthen your eye muscles, improve flexibility, and expand your visual field, all of which contribute to more efficient reading.

9. Read for ideas, not just words, to boost speed and understanding

Speed reading, or reading super fast, is useless unless you comprehend the information you're reading as well.

Focus on concepts. The key to effective speed reading is to grasp ideas rather than individual words. To achieve this:

• Use your right brain's visualization capabilities to process information
• Look for overarching themes and main ideas in each paragraph or section
• Practice identifying key concepts and relationships between ideas
• Don't get bogged down in individual words or sentences; instead, focus on the bigger picture

By training yourself to read for ideas, you'll naturally increase your reading speed while maintaining or even improving comprehension. This approach allows you to process information more holistically and efficiently.

10. Active engagement with text significantly improves retention

Always ensure that you take notes while reading a text and pen down any thoughts you might have on the subject.

Interact with the material. Active engagement is crucial for improving retention of what you read. Try these strategies:

• Take detailed notes in the margins or a separate notebook
• Underline or highlight key passages
• Summarize main points in your own words
• Ask questions about the material and seek answers as you read
• Make connections between new information and your existing knowledge
• Create mind maps or diagrams to visualize relationships between concepts

By actively engaging with the text, you're not just passively consuming information but processing and internalizing it. This deeper level of interaction significantly enhances your ability to remember and apply what you've read long after you've finished the book.

Last updated: October 15, 2024