Fast Reading Techniques For All Ages

By Deborah Miller


The ability to read faster is a skill like any other and thus can be improved. It allows you to cover more work within a short time which boosts your knowledge, career prospects and study experience. There are fast reading techniques that have been approved by specialists. They ensure that regardless of the speed at which you take on a passage, you will grasp the content and other people will understand when you verbalize the words.

Return to childhood pointer method. This method is common with children as they learn to read at a tender age. Most people abandon the method with age but it has been proven to offer excellent results. Pointing increases your ability to concentrate since your focus remains on the single sentence or line in your passage. It is also referred to as hand pacing and is approved by experts.

Preview and scan method. This is a method used to extract the main idea or central point from a paragraph or passage. The reader is interested in trigger words, numbers and names, among other conspicuous ideas. It is also used in identifying key phrases, words and sentences in a passage. Through practice, skimming enables you to understand an entire paragraph in seconds. It works perfectly when the general context is clear.

Use the word grouping method. It takes sometime to master this technique but it is a rewarding one. Your focus is on a group of words instead of a single word, phrase or line. Your eyes will thus make very few stops. The chunk of words is taken each at a time allowing you to complete a paragraph or passage within a relatively short time.

There are apps used to train on reading speed. They also help you monitor and thus improve performance on different platforms. Training is offered in a variety of ways including speed tests, exercises and techniques on how to drop the unproductive behaviors. This variety enables you to learn more and thus perform better in different circumstances. By monitoring your performance, areas of weakness can be identified and corrections made.

Practice reading more often and take as many tests as possible. Identify the materials that suit your style and area of operation. Read in different circumstances e. G. Outdoors, under artificial light, in the morning, evening, etc. Monitor your performance on these occasions. Seek to improve on the speed as often as possible. Quantify your performance in order to improve. Do not be in a rush since this will affect your comprehension. Try to be as natural as possible.

Work on wrong reading habits. There are habits that are likely to affect the speed at which you cover a passage. The most common habits are regression or stepping back into the text and sub-vocalization which involves saying the words in your head. The bad habits slow you down and affect the ability to process words. Your comprehension will also be affected.

There are other factors that influence comprehension and speed whether you are a pro or an amateur. They include quality of lighting, fatigue, font type and size as well as surround environment. Your concentration will also be affected by the presence of distraction, lighting and noise. Brain and eye muscle strength require training, just like athletes do. Adopting the right habits and monitoring your performance will improve your ability.




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