How to Speed Read

Increase the Rate at Which You Read

Speed reading is a technique that can be utilized by anyone in society and can be quickly learned if you follow a few simple guidelines. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a method of photographic memory. The difference is that you will remember main ideas and thoughts from speed reading but you will not be able to recall a picture of the page in your mind.

This article is intended to give you the first steps in how to read quickly. There are speed reading courses you can take to improve your reading speed and comprehension. This article is based on the author's experience.

Benefits of Speed Reading
Speed reading is more beneficial than photographic memory for a one main reason. You will retain actual content from the book or documents, not just have a mental picture. If you have a photographic memory, you will probably agree that if asked about content, you have to mentally go back through the document and "re-read."

Speed reading is very beneficial for those who need to read something quickly and only need to retain basic concepts. It is good way to begin if you are planning on reading documents many times, such as for law briefs, so you can get the overall analysis.

This is also a great method of reading for enjoyment. If you have limited free time and love to read, you will find you can get through books quickly and still enjoy them by speed reading.

The more you work at speed reading, the more your vocabulary and knowledge will grow. This is an incredibly valuable benefit of increasing your reading.

Drawbacks of Speed Reading
If you have to read for details and depth, this is not the method of reading you should use. You will most likely skip important details you need.

It is also a poor study method unless you are cramming for an exam. Speed reading will give you basic concepts but generally, it is a method that utilizes short term memory and you will not retain the information long enough.

History of Speed Reading
The average reader usually reads about 200-300 words a minute. This is based on the presumption that readers actually read and process every word on the page including parts of speech, conjunctions, et cetera.