If your reading speed is too slow, perhaps it isn't a problem so long as you enjoy the process of reading and have plenty of time to contemplate books.
The situation is different when you have to absorb and keep in mind plenty of information while you are limited in time. In this case, it would be very useful to improve your reading speed and increase your comprehension of the text.
Even if you do not have to read that much, perhaps your work involves looking through lots of documents and different files. Under such circumstances, it would be very convenient to be able to read five times faster in order to go faster through all that irritating paperwork.
First of all, it is essential to decide which method of speed reading would be the most convenient to you. While some people prefer specialized courses, where they have a chance to learn in a group and compare their achievements with the progress of their classmates, others find it more convenient to read a book about speed reading, or to work with good speed reading software.
But no matter what route you choose, the principle of learning to read faster is the same as for learning any subject: lots of practice.
If a person wants to learn riding a bicycle, it requires a set of skills that are impossible to obtain by reading manuals. Riding a bicycle means that these skills should be put into actual practice if you want to learn them effectively. The same can be said about speed reading: theoretical knowledge is not enough, it has to be put into practice in order to gain the habit of reading faster.
One of the most widespread methods of speed reading is to focus on a larger number of words at a time. The more words you can grasp per single fixation the better. Even focusing on three or four words would be much more efficient than reading a text word by word.
Besides, there is always place for improvement as it's quite possible with sufficient practice to take in a whole line or even a passage at a glance. It improves comprehension: when people read this way, their mind creates a set of images that could be easily put into one picture, which simplifies understanding ideas and concepts.
As for the way your eyes move across the page, there are different techniques. One one of them is to move diagonally, leaving a lot of freedom for your mind to pick up the most important parts throughout the page.
Another technique is to use a ruler, pencil, or some sort of index card to cover the text above the line you are reading in order to avoid rereading.
Skimming is a very useful skill as well. Skimming will make it possible for you to identify the important parts and to reject less useful ones. If you have a document, do you really need to read all the dates, repetitive phrases, and minor details?
Using these simple techniques, you will not only make your work schedule easier, but will also spare yourself the trouble of memorizing unnecessary information.