Most people say that they do not particularly enjoy reading. This is predominately for one reason -- they are not very good at it. This is a real shame because research has shown that the higher the level of reading ability, the higher the level of income and the higher the level of success. Here are some techniques that will help you improve.
Step 1
Use a pointer. This will focus your attention and reduce the need to re-read pages.
Step 2
View more than one word at a time. Part of the problem is eye fatigue. If you have to move your eye to focus on each word you are going to get tired very quickly. If you are currently looking at one word at a time and you can increase that to three, that’s a 300% reduction in eye movement. It’s going to make a big difference. It should present no problem to view at least five or six words simultaneously with a little practice.
Step 3
Sit upright when reading. Posture makes a big difference, if you are laying down or slumped, you are in the sleeping position, you are going to become drowsy. Adopt a good posture, you will stay alert and your comprehension will improve.
Step 4
Avoid sub-vocalization. This is the biggest stumbling block to speed. If you have to pronounce the word to understand it, then you are going to be limited to about 250 words per minute, the speed of speech. If you can avoid this you can easily increase to 1000+ words per minute.
Step 5 Print it out
Computer screens are about 30% slower to read. If you have an eBook or a lot of web pages to read, print them out and read them, this will prove much faster.
Tips
- Practice is the key to success. Speed and comprehension may decrease initially but persevere, you will improve.
