Slogging through dense passages of text can be
time-consuming, mentally exhausting, and hard on your eyes. If you want
to read faster while maintaining reading comprehension, check out these
seven tips.
1. Preview the Text
Viewing a film’s trailer before watching the
movie gives you context and lets you know what to expect. Likewise,
previewing a text before reading it prepares you to quickly gain an
understanding of what you’re about to read. To preview a text, scan it
from the beginning to the end, paying special attention to headings,
subheadings, anything in bold or large font, and bullet points. To get a
big picture understanding, skim the introductory and concluding
paragraphs. Try to identify transition sentences, examine any images or
graphs, and figure out how the author structured the text.
2. Plan Your Reading
Strategically approaching a text will make a
big difference in how efficiently you can digest the material. First,
think about your goals. What do you want to learn by reading the
material? Jot down some questions you want to be able to answer by the
end. Then, determine the author’s goal in writing the material, based on
your preview.. If your goal is more
limited in scope than the author’s, plan to only find and read the
pertinent sections.
Similarly, vary your plan of attack based on
the type of material you’re about to read. If you’re going to read a
dense legal or scientific text, you should probably plan to read certain
passages more slowly and carefully than you’d read a novel or magazine.
3. Minimize Distractions and Interruptions
Reading quickly with good comprehension
requires focus and concentration. Minimize external noise, distractions,
and interruptions, and be mindful when your thoughts wander as you
read. If you notice that you’re fantasizing about your next meal rather
than focusing on the text, gently bring your mind back to the material.
Many readers read a few sentences passively, without focus, then spend
time going back and re-reading to make sure they understand them. This habit, called regression, will significantly slow you down and make it harder to get a big picture view of the text. If you carefully and attentively approach a text, you'll quickly realize if you’re not understanding a section, saving you time in the long run.
4. Don’t Read Every Word
To increase your reading speed, pay attention to your eyes. Most people can scan in 1.5 inch chunks, which, depending on the font size and type of text, usually
comprise three to five words each. Rather than reading each word
individually, move your eyes in a scanning motion, jumping from a chunk
(of three to five words) to the next chunk of words. Take advantage of
your peripheral vision to speed up around the beginning and end of each line, focusing on blocks of words rather than the first and last words.
Pointing your finger or a pen at each chunk
of words will help you learn to move your eyes quickly over the text.
And it will encourage you not to subvocalize as
you read. Subvocalization, or silently pronouncing each word in your
head as you read, will slow you down and distract you from the author’s
main point.
5. Don’t Read Every Section
It’s an old-fashioned myth that
students must read every section of a textbook or article. Unless
you’re reading something extremely important, skip the sections that
aren’t relevant to your purpose. Reading selectively will make it
possible for you to digest the main points of many texts, rather than
only having time to fully read a couple.
6. Write a Summary
Your job shouldn’t end when you read the
last word on the page. After you finish reading, write a few sentences
to summarize what you read, and answer any questions you had before you
started reading. Did you learn what you were hoping to learn? By
spending a few minutes after reading to think, synthesize the
information, and write what you learned, you’ll solidify the material in
your mind and have better recall later. If you’re a more visual or
verbal learner, draw a mind map summary or tell someone what you learned.
7. Practice Timed Runs
Approaching a text strategically, reading actively, and summarizing effectively takes practice.
If you want to improve your reading speed, use a timer to test how many
words (or pages) per minute you can read. As you’re able to read faster
and faster, check in with yourself to make sure you’re happy with your
level of comprehension.