Mastering the Skill of Speed and Understanding
Do you ever feel like you’ll never get through everything you need to read for school? Reading faster can save time, reduce stress, and improve your ability to manage workloads. But speed alone isn’t enough—you also need to understand and remember what you’re reading. By combining proven strategies, you can boost your reading speed without sacrificing comprehension.
1. Preview the Material Before Diving In
One of the easiest ways to improve your reading efficiency is to preview the text. Skimming headings, subheadings, bullet points, and summaries gives you an overview of the material. This helps your brain create a ‘mental roadmap’, making it easier to understand and retain information as you read.
Steps to Preview Effectively:
- Scan the table of contents or chapter headings.
- Look for bolded terms, key definitions, or diagrams.
- Read the introduction and conclusion to grasp the main ideas.
Tip: Use this strategy for textbooks, research articles, or long reading assignments to focus on what’s important.
2. Minimise Subvocalisation
Subvocalisation—reading the words silently in your head as if speaking them—can significantly slow you down. Instead, train your brain to process words visually.
How to Reduce Subvocalisation:
- Use your finger or a pen to guide your eyes across the text, helping you focus on chunks of words rather than individual ones.
- Practice reading larger groups of words at once instead of one word at a time.
- Avoid ‘re-reading’ a sentence unless absolutely necessary—trust your brain to grasp the meaning.
Tip: It takes practice to overcome subvocalisation, so start with simpler texts before tackling denser material.
3. Use the ‘Chunking’ Method
Chunking involves grouping words together as you read, which allows you to absorb more information at once. For example, instead of reading, ‘The cat sat on the mat’, word by word, your eyes take in ‘The cat sat’ and ‘on the mat’ as two chunks.
Steps to Chunk:
- Train your eyes to move in a zigzag pattern, capturing groups of 3-5 words.
- Practice on shorter paragraphs before applying it to longer texts.
Tip: Pair chunking with your finger or pen guide to keep your eyes moving smoothly.
4. Take Notes While Reading
Speed reading doesn’t mean skipping comprehension. Taking quick notes as you read reinforces what you’re learning and ensures you stay engaged. Jot down key terms, questions, or summaries to review later.
- Highlight or underline key ideas as you go to mark important points without slowing down.
- Write short summaries or questions in the margins to capture the main ideas of each section.
Tip: Use mind maps or margin notes to visually organise your understanding as you go.
5. Practice with Timed Reading
Improvement comes with consistent practice. Use a timer to challenge yourself to read slightly faster each session while maintaining comprehension. Gradually increase your speed without compromising understanding.
- Start with texts you’re familiar with and gradually move to more complex material.
- Keep track of your progress by measuring how many words you can read and understand in a set time.
Tip: Tools like Spreeder or AccelaReader offer online exercises to train your speed-reading skills.
Read Smarter, Not Harder
Reading faster while maintaining comprehension is a valuable skill that takes time to develop, but the payoff is worth it. By previewing material, reducing subvocalisation, and practicing techniques like chunking and timed reading, you’ll soon find yourself breezing through assignments without missing the important details. Start with small changes, and you are well on your way to becoming a speed reader!