If you can learn how to read faster, you can experience numerous benefits that are sent on your way. Learning how to read faster like that is not something difficult to do. There are some useful and effective tips, which you can follow and learn how to read faster. Below mentioned are a list of such useful tips available for you to follow.
Scan or skim the text before you read
Before you start reading, you should scan or skim the text. This is somewhat similar to previewing the text. Then you will be able to get a clear picture on what to expect after you read. This understanding can deliver a great overall assistance to you with reading through the text.
You should begin to scan through the text from beginning to the end. While you do that, you need to pay a lot of attention towards headings and subheadings. In case if you can see something in large font or bold font, you should pay special attention towards it. This includes the bullet points as well.
If you can skim through the introduction and conclusion, you will be able to get a better picture. This is something that you can do before you start reading a lengthy text. While you are previewing the text, you should never ignore the graphs and images. They can help you to visualize what you are about to go through while you are reading the text.
Remain mindful
When you are reading a text, it is important to be mindful. This is a proven method available for you to read faster. When you are mindful, you will be able to keep concentration and focus. While you do that, you should minimize the external distractions, noises and interruptions. This will help you to create a perfect environment to read the text.
It is completely natural for distracting thoughts to come into your mind while you are reading a text. For example, you will think about the next meal that you are going to have while you are going through a piece of text. In such a situation, you need to make an effort to hold those thoughts back. It will provide you with the chance to go through the text quickly.
If you just read few sentences without focus, the idea behind those sentences will not go into your head. As a result, you will be forced to re-read those sentences. This is a time consuming job. Therefore, you should practice mindfulness and then get into the process of reading, so that you can end up with securing best returns.
Don’t go through every single word
One of the most common mistakes that we do with reading is that we tend to go through every single word that we can see. When you are reading a piece of text, you should be mindful not to do that mistake. This is where you need to pay close attention to the eyes. Then you will be able to scan through chunks of text that are about 1.5-inch in distance. This depends on the nature of text and the font size that you can see as well.
Instead of reading the individual words, you need to move the eyes, so that you follow a scanning motion. This is where you can jump from one chunk of words to the next. A chunk of words can contain somewhere around 3 to 5 words. This is where you need to think about getting the most out of peripheral vision that you have. When you are focusing on the blocks, you go through the first and last word. Based on that, you can get a clear picture of what is illustrated through the piece of text as well.
If this is the very first time that you are going to try this technique, you can think about seeking the assistance of a pen or your finger. You can point it to the chunk of words and keep it moving. Then you will be able to subvocalize what you are reading. In other words, you will be pronouncing what you read silently within your head.
Never go through every section
A person who is looking forward to read faster must know that it is never a good idea to go through every single section as well. If you were a college student, you will need to go through every single section. If not, there is no need to go through each and every section. It will just make you consume more time.
However, you need to make sure that you are not reading something that is extremely important. If you notice that a section is not relevant to the purpose, you have all the freedom to skip that. Then you will be able to go ahead and digest the main points associated with the other sections. The meaning of the text will get into your mind from that.
Write a summary
It is a good idea to think about writing a summary of what you read. Once you are done with reading, you will have a clear picture of the idea within your head. This is where you must go ahead and write down few sentences related to what you read. This will be your summary. You must have had few questions in your mind before you started reading the content as well. You will need to note down the answers to those questions in the summary as well. This will help you to synthesize the information that you went through. Along with that, you will get all the support needed to solidify content that you have within the mind. This can also provide a great assistance to you with recalling them at a later stage.
Final words
Keep these tips in your mind when you are reading something in the next time. Then you will get all the support needed to read faster.