How many reading assignments do you have due this week? How many pages of text do you need to read, and how long is it going to take?
What if you could pick up the reading pace, without sacrificing reading comprehension?
Using speed reading techniques can help you absorb material at a faster rate. In effect, if you can increase reading speed, you also save time, which is undoubtedly one of the most valuable assets.
The good news is that speed reading – being able to process written text faster than the average reader – is a learnable skill. The average minimum of 350-400 WPM is reasonable, but studies suggest that with some training, we can increase our average reading speed to 600 WPM or more, without sacrificing reading comprehension.
3 Tips to Improve Reading Comprehension
To read faster and comprehend better, you have to understand what you’re reading, no matter the pace. These three tips can help improve reading comprehension, which is the first step to increasing reading speed.
1.
Improve Vocabulary
Understand the meaning of the words you’re reading to comprehend a full text. It can become complicated when there are words that have many different meanings depending on the context in which they’re used.
When you come across words you don’t understand, look them up in the dictionary and the thesaurus to find definitions of the words, and to understand their synonyms. Then, you need to memorize new words and their meanings in different contexts.
Using the words as often as you can in your speech and writing will help to solidify your understanding.
2.
Take Notes
Taking notes forces your brain to interpret what you’re reading, and to translate the meaning into your own words.
Taking complex writings and being able to rewrite them in summarized form proves you’ve understood what you’ve read.
When you have a hard time summarizing a piece of text, that’s an indicator that you haven’t fully comprehended the content. Slow your pace until you can make sure that you’ve fully understood the main ideas.
3.
The Scanning and Previewing Technique
The method of scanning and previewing text will help you identify the main concept or central idea of what you’re reading.
Scanning for numbers, keywords, names, and titles, you can identify critical sentences and key concepts in each paragraph. The scanning and previewing technique help you to grasp the bigger picture and main ideas of a text.
How to Speed Read for College
There are different methods of speed reading, each of which may be equally effective. Try each method before deciding which technique will work best with your abilities.
1.
The Hand Pacing Technique
Hand pacing – following words and lines of text with a finger or pointer – can increase reading speed and improve comprehension. This method is easy to learn and can help improve focus. Hand pacing is an excellent method to use while scanning or previewing text.
2.
The Word Chunking Technique
Word chunking takes some time to master, but can vastly increase reading speed. By reading groups of words instead of individual words, you can cut the number of “stops” your eyes make as you read. This technique can also help improve comprehension, since you’re reading concepts, instead of letters and words.
3.
Ask Questions
Similar to note-taking, asking questions helps you interpret what you’re reading. As you read through a text, it’s helpful to jot down questions you might have about the meanings of words or phrases. Then, you can answer those questions in note form as you read. If you still can’t answer the questions after reading the full text, you can use context clues, your vocabulary bank, and your notes.
Tips for Increasing Reading Speed
With some practice, by using the above reading techniques, you can increase your reading speed and comprehension.
Combining the above methods with these tips will help you develop your own speed reading technique, customized for your pace, skills, and abilities:
- Reduce noise and distractions before reading.
- Set a reading goal and use a timer to track improvement.
- Keep a list of new words and phrases, and use them in speech and writing.
- When using the hand pacing technique, use the opposite hand to turn the page.
- When using the word chunking technique, start with chunking only 2-3 words at a time.
- When using the scanning and previewing technique, ask questions about the text before reading, and write down the answers to as many questions as possible during the scanning process.
To Sum Up …
Remember that practice is key. Try different combinations of speed reading methods and techniques to develop your own reading routine.
This approach will skyrocket your reading speed and comprehension, saving valuable time, and improving memory and focus.
