Increase Reading Speed

By Zoe Smith


What do you think about when you hear the word speed reading? Many people seem to think that this skill is best learned and left in college when cramming is elevated into a form of art. Well, while this still holds true for many, this is only a minor aspect of speed reading. Obtaining and maximizing this particular skill will allow a person to keep a greater volume of information in a shorter time period-a quality many companies are looking for in individuals. Increase your professional value by learning how to increase reading speed with these few simple tips.

Before beginning, collect all the materials required and establish what you need out of it. You can afford to skim over the material if you only need a broad outline of the subject at hand. However, if analysis and study is needed, you need to pace yourself and not be in a rush without fully understanding what you're reading. Legal papers, technical documents and poetry are examples of material you need to read more carefully, while newspapers, magazines and novels can be hurriedly read.

You can accomplish more when you start earlier in the morning. Alright, I know some of you are disagreeing right now and of course, some people only really wake up later in the day.For the most part though, an individual has better comprehension during the day. Studying when your concentration is at its best will help you retain more-thus eliminating the need to go back to areas you didn't fully understand and wasting your more time because of it.

Another excellent tip on how to increase reading speed is by reading in a conducive environment. This means that you go and find a quiet place away from incessant noise and distractions. If you are planning to study and read, mark a time and place to do it and don't let other tasks interrupt you from your plan. Reading at a 45 degree angle sitting down will reduce eyestrain as well as keep your mind more alert.

Preview the material that you need to read. If you're reading a more educational book, read the table of contents and chapter summaries to get an idea of the gist of what you're studying. Zero in on the important parts of the text and skim over superfluous details. The essential technique in speed reading is learning how to take in the meat of the content and scan through the elements you don't really need for your specific purpose.

If you are serious about improving your skills in this aspect, there are also speed reading software you can use to aid you. You will notice that you usually read in blocks of word and not by individual words. An effective speed reading software will increase the words you read per block as well as decrease the time spent reading these blocks. These tools have helped many professionals advance in their line of work.

As you learn how to speed read more efficiently, you will be more discriminating in the information that is presented to you, thereby improving your work performance. Get ahead in your professional life by maximizing this underestimated and essential tool today!




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment