Speed Reading: Basic Tips

Speed reading is a skill that has to do with text reading (books, newspapers, and any other written works) using a method, either learned through formal training or informally by experience, that's aimed at decreasing the time needed to finish the object of reading while at the same time increasing comprehension and info retention.

Some of the simple, but often overlooked, rudiments of speed reading are:

1. Be sure to choose a suitable and comfortable place where you will do your reading. The place should be well- lighted and well-ventilated. Make sure that the light is coming from behind or is focused directly on what you are reading and not on your eyes.

2. Unless your immediate aim for reading is to induce sleeping, as in bedtime story reading, it is always advisable to stay away from bed when reading, and ideal to sit on a chair or even under a tree with your book.

3. Always sit properly, assuming a good comfortable posture, while reading, and avoid the extremes of body positions that could lull to sleep, or, on the other hand, could bring uneasiness that distract concentration.

4. While this is not strictly the rule, it is ideal under normal situation to choose a quiet place for your reading pleasure. But, as already hinted, this is not the protocol for all booklovers, for there are surely some valiant souls that are able to defy noises of any kind (in a subway, bus, street, workplace, etc.) and go on with their reading enjoyment undistracted! Wow!

5. Finally, be sure to take care of your eyes by always keeping an appropriate distance between your eyesight and your book (or kindle or other reading gadget). Not too far or too close for either of these will surely overexert and damage the eyes. A distance of 12 to 16 inches is a commendable suggestion for most normal eyesight, but a good rule of thumb is to always maintain the distance where no feeling of strain on your eyes is experienced while reading.

The above are the ABCs of good reading habits in general, and promote speed reading skills in particular. We could then, from these basics, go on to proceed to the intricacies and details of the various methods and improve our skill further.

Below is an instructional video that offers a rather new alternative method to speed reading. View, learn and enjoy!

You Can Learn Speed Reading in Under 60 Seconds! by Daniel Herzner