In today’s world, with its hectic rhythms of everyday life, the desire to increase your reading speed is more than natural. These days, the volume of information you have to absorb is much larger than it used to be — even just twenty years ago. Improving your reading speed without any loss of comprehension is one of the crucial factors that contribute to a steady advancement and success at studies, career, and self-development.
There are lots of special programs, courses, and speed reading software to help you read faster, so you can choose the most suitable option. However, it is highly effective to start with some simple speed reading exercises in order to grasp the main concepts of speed reading techniques.
When your eyes move across a printed page, they fixate on groups of words, or perhaps on every word in a line. To improve the speed of reading, you shouldn't force your eyes to move faster, but merely try to increase the number of words per fixation.
Some people are capable of catching the whole line at once, but there is no need to aim for that: you will be able to read much faster if you manage to fixate your eyes on groups of four to six words at a time.
Another important point is to build up a good vocabulary: the more words that are recognizable at once, the faster you can move forward without rereading the same sentence. For this purpose, simply read more: if you dedicate at least twenty minutes a day to reading a good book, it should greatly aid you in enhancing your vocabulary.
Remember, moving your tongue or lips while reading is the worst thing that you could do. This phenomenon is called “subvocalization”, and as long as you stick to subvocalization, your reading speed will be equal to the speed of your normal speech, which is approximately two to three hundred words a minute. If you manage to break the habit of using this inner voice, you'll be able to read as fast as thought itself.
Also, there is no need to demonstrate the same amount of concentration while reading different texts: if it's enough to understand only the main ideas of an article, do not hesitate to skim. Time is a very precious resource, so don't feel bad for not concentrating on every word.
Many people find it helpful to use some sort of index cards to guide their eyes while reading, and this practice has proved to be effective. Try to read faster than you usually do, and it won't take you long to improve your reading speed even without an index card.
In case you have problems concentrating, do not force yourself to go on, just take a break. Alternatively, you can spend only ten minutes reading at a time, gradually increasing these sessions.
It is up to you to choose the reading speed you feel comfortable with, as reading is not only a way to absorb information, but also a source of pleasure. If you are extremely busy and your daily schedule does not allow you to enjoy a few pages of your favorite book, speed reading will come very much in handy.