Speed Reading in Only 5 Simple Steps

Speed reading is an essential skill in today’s fast-paced world. In order to get ahead in a career, it’s important to know how to read and assimilate large amounts of reading material. Whether it’s professional journals, instruction manuals or simply college textbooks, knowing how to read quickly and well is becoming increasingly important.

Speed Reading Basic Steps

If you seriously want to learn to speed read, there are many professional courses and books on the subject. There are also a number of helpful websites that can teach you the basics of speed reading. Find a teaching method that you are comfortable with and that works best for you.

Just like learning any new skill, speed reading takes practice and determination to succeed. You have to approach speed reading with the right mindset and be prepared to work at it.




Start by setting yourself some doable goals and practicing on simple material. If you set your goals too high in the beginning, you mind end up getting discouraged and giving up.

Some people feel it is helpful to use a pointer to run along under the text to push themselves to read quicker. They feel that the action of moving something physically under a line of text, forces the eyes and brain to focus and work faster. The main thing is to find a technique that works best for you.

Assessment Tests Can Help

It is also a good idea to get an assessment test before starting to learn to speed read. That way, you get an idea of your present speed and what goals you want to work towards. There are a number of assessment tests online that you can take for free. Once you have taken an assessment test, you can start making a plan for how you can increase your reading speed.

Assessment tests also measure your comprehension level. When you finish the test, you’ll be given an “efficiency reading rate” which is your reading speed multiplied by the percentage of comprehension you achieved. Most people read at a rate of 200-250 words per minute with a comprehension rate of 50%. However, with professional training, it is possible to read at 1,000 wpm with 100% comprehension.

Bad Habits Can Hold You Back

In order for your speed reading to really take off, check to see if you have any bad habits that might be holding you back. Some people move their lips and sound out each word as they read. This is called vocalization and it is a bad habit that can really keep you from picking up reading speed. You can find many more helpful tips on how to learn to speed read with 7 Speed reading Software.

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