How to Increase Reading Speed? Yes, you very well can increase your reading speed by up to a whopping 300%.! That is quite a lot, considering how much you can complete in a specific time. What’s more? We often come across recommendations to complete one book in a month, which seems quite a challenge, especially if you are new to reading.
Nevertheless, this can be accomplished, and people are accomplishing this feat. Likewise, it is always a good idea to be able to complete a book and have an appetite for more. But to be able to do this, you need to be able to complete reading a specific book in record time. So, How do you improve your reading speed? Well, we at ATB bring you some top methods to do so:
It is all in your Mind. Did you know that ‘you’ are in control of your consciousness rather than the other way round? A person can very well ‘train’ their minds to perform a specific task. They were not exaggerating when they claimed about the miracles of ‘Mind over matter. While this might be too far-fetched, nevertheless, it holds some major truth. Simply put, if you wish to accomplish a certain feat, you can do so if you set your mind to it.
On average, a person can read 200-300 words per minute. This might sound ‘good’ to some; nevertheless, it is slow to be truthful. At this pace, it will take you an average of 8 hours to complete a certain book or a full-length novel. So, now you know that you need to ‘up’ your word game to be able to complete a certain book.
2. The Art of Speed Reading
Next, on how to increase my reading speed; well, you simply have to ‘speed up. This is not mouthing gibberish when trying to complete a book, but rather, a technique in its full potential. The trick involves your muscle memory, involves a lot of your eye movements, and improves your speed.
For the habit to kick in, you need to remember that it needs to start small at first. Remember, all habits take time to form. Soon, you will be comprehending quicker and reading faster. Be sure to not spend time hoovering over into deep comprehension while you are at it. Just try and skim through, real slow at first. Eventually, speed up, and you will be reading more than ever at a time in no time.
3. Reading Quickly
Much like the literal sound of it, if you need to read quickly, you simply have to do just that; read quickly. Start slow and steady, and eventually increase your word count or page count. For this, you need to keep track of your progress. As always, start slow and small. Eventually, build this up. Be sure to practice, and practice more. If it is one page in 5 minutes, try doubling this up and so on. But be sure not to stop until you have reached a comfortable speed. And trust us, when we say, you will be able to understand what you are reading, in speed as well.
4. Train Your Eyes
Still, wondering how I can improve my reading speed? Well, you need to train your eyes to help you out as well. As it is the eyes that are going to be doing all the hard work, after all, it better be well-trained. This essentially means to reduce something called ‘fixation.’ What is fixation? Well, it is when your eyes ‘stay’ or fix on a certain part of the page when comprehending a text. This essentially implies the fact that your eyes are taking too many ‘clicks’ on a certain page at a time. So, all you need to do is reduce your fixation time.
Much like the rest of the techniques, this will take time. The trick is to be patient with yourself. When we say reduce fixation, it essentially means taking a single click of the page, word, or text at a time. This will automatically improve and increase your speed. When you know that you can read 3 to 4 words at a time, you will know that you have successfully reduced your fixation and increased your reading speed.
5. The Eye Movement Practice
Now this one is an extension of the previous point. Essentially, you need to, once again, reduce fixation time. But for the practice to reach the next level, try reading a sentence by focusing on the second word instead of the first one. This way, you will be able to reduce focusing on words for no precise reason, and you will be surprised to know that you can grasp the entire sentence just fine.
Likewise, you will find yourself fixating your eyes on the second to last word eventually. The point is to be able to spend less time on each sentence, each page, and hence each book. This way, you will be surprised to find yourself completing a book in record time. Be sure to practice this enough to be able to comprehend, understand and read the book in completion.
6. Stop Re-Reading
If you wish to know how to improve your reading rate, you also need to stop rereading. Most of us suffer from this precise problem. This is essentially what it means. Going back into reading again what you just did back a few minutes. The point is to be able to improve the focus. Pay attention as and when you are reading. Do so in a manner that you need not have to re-read all over again. There are two main reasons why we re-read:
Regression: This is more like a ‘conscious’ decision on your part to stop and get back to re-reading. This could be a simple habit you never thought about but are aware of. So, take a closer look and try not to regress for no reason.
Unconscious fixation: This occurs when you end up spending time reading a wrong spot on the text altogether. This causes you to lose your spot and end up re-reading once again, hence spending more time.
How to Increase Reading Speed - The Conclusion
So, there you have it, people. These were a few sure-shot ways on how to improve your reading speed by 300%. The idea is to practice and stay focused for a substantial amount of time. Eventually, you will find yourself forming the right pattern or technique. Thus, you will be on your way to completing ‘one book in a month.’