Practicing Speed Reading For Better Productivity

By Mamie Conrad


Whether you are a student or a worker looking for a way to increase your productivity, you can definitely consider learning more about speed reading. People read for all sorts of reason. Some may be doing schoolwork, while some may be involved in clerical work in the office. Being able to read much faster will guarantee a lot of benefits.

Indeed, it is a usual thing for us human beings to read. Studies show that a regular reader can have a speed of 200 to 350 words a minute. You can improve this rate to as much as 1200 words a minute. Imagine how much you will be able to accomplish if you apply the techniques that experts advise.

Not only will you be able to read faster, you will also be able to improve your level of comprehension and concentration. Commercial training are now available for those who are interested in learning more than just the techniques they read about. Either way, you will be asked to determine factors that lead to your lower speed.

Therefore, the first thing you should do to improve your skills is to promote a proper environment. Choose a place that will be conducive for you to read properly. If you have poor eyesight, have the proper pair of eyeglasses prescribed. Be sure there is adequate oxygen supply to the brain too and that you are not too tired for the task.

Then, you can try various techniques. If you are the type of reader who likes stopping on many phrases, you have to minimize these eye stops. Although an eye stop will only account for a second or so, doing it repeatedly will result to many seconds and a significant chunk of time in the end.

You also have to minimize back skipping. This is why promoting better concentration and comprehension is necessary. If you can, do memory exercises once in a while to avoid reading what you have already read but missed in the previous pages. Pay attention to relevant information by learning how to sift through the words.

Guide your eyes by pointing words or phrases using a pen or a finger. This is a very good thing to do when you are skimming. Drawing certain shapes, such as zigzags or one slanting line from the top to the bottom of the page, will help in reading much faster. The movement of the pen will force your eyes to follow as well.

Chunking words is another technique you can use. Learn to read phrases instead of individual words or letters, and you will surely finish the task for less than the time allotted for it. If you love subvocalizing the words that you read either through your mind or through your lips, minimizing it will also make you a much faster reader.

Speed reading requires you to exercise yourself psychologically too. You need to condition yourself to be calm while concentrating since this will affect your rate. To get to know more about the techniques, read books or view videos and use software for guidance. Just be sure you choose the right material that will match your learning style.




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