Got a ton of reading? What student doesn't! The difference between those who sweat it and those who don't are those who understand some simple ideas based around speed reading strategies.
So what is it you need to know? First, you need to understand you have a reading stick shift consisting of about five gears: gear one and two are on the slower side, while gears three, four and five are on the faster side.
Most college students are stuck in first or second gear because they just don't know how to get into gears three, four or five. Once you know how to get into higher gears, then you always have a choice as to what gear you want to read in.
Where to Read
Before I go any further in giving you actual speed reading tips, I must first talk about where you read. No matter your reading speed, if you are in a distracting environment, it won't work. Many students think a bedroom or living room is a good place to read. Wrong! The bed, the couch and the recliner are way too comfortable.
What about the library? This is sometimes a good place, but many times too warm, too comfortable and/or too social.
Where are the best places to read and study? Anywhere you are sitting upright at a desk or table, like a cleared off kitchen table or desk, and somewhere you can't be interrupted (yes, you need to turn off your cell phone!). If you are on a college campus, try an empty classroom. It's always a great place to learn.
Peripheral Vision
One the major principles of speed reading is understanding how to expand your peripheral vision so you can see more words at a time. It's like learning to open your mouth wider to take bigger bites of food.
In every sentence you read, there are key words and phrases. Key words are the bigger, more important words in a sentence. They are usually three letters or longer and carry the most meaning of a sentence.
Try re-reading only the bold words in the last two sentences. By training your eyes to focus only on the bigger more important words (while incorporating the smaller ones at the same time), you get more meaning in less time.
Another way to expand your peripheral vision is to read phrases. Phrases are groups of words that form a thought. In this sentence,/ the phrases are separated/ by slash marks/ making it easier/ to pick up more words/at a glance.
By actively looking for these thoughts groups, you can read faster with as good or better understanding. It's especially great for technical material.
Using a Card
Probably the most useful speed reading strategy is one you probably never learned to do: read effectively with your hands or a card. When I was doing research for The Complete Idiot's Guide to Speed Reading, I reviewed over 30 books on speed reading. Every single book talked about the use of one's hands or a card to read faster. My favorite starter method is called The White Card Method.
The White Card Method
Place a blank 3 x 5 white card (or piece of blank white paper) on top of the words covering the text you already read, leaving exposed the words yet to read. Use the narrow side of the card for narrow columns and the wider side of the card for wider columns. If the column width is very wide, then tape two cards together.
This will force you to push your eyes down the page and help you resist the urge to reread unnecessarily. Focusing only on the words you are reading enhances your concentration, helps you keep your place and facilitates forward eye movements.
(Important note: Placing the card under the line of text you are reading is great for beginning readers and those who are learning how to decode words but not useful for you, an experienced reader! Added tip: Use the White Card as a bookmark.)
If you're interested in other hand or card methods, consider looking at Chapter Two of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Speed Reading, as it is dedicated to these methods, with pictures.
Don't Waste Time
Speed reading also means being able to get what you need quickly without wasting time. I suggest readers ask themselves two questions: "Why am I reading this?" and "What do I need it for?"
For students, some possible answers include, "because I need it for a class discussion tomorrow" or "because I am interested in this and I want to be better informed." Here's the most popular one: "because my professor assigned it for an upcoming test."
Using this last example, if the test is multiple choice, you don't need to know the content as deeply as if it were an essay or even short answer. So you would read for gaining familiarity and not be overly concerned if you can't recreate every detail.
A Smart Textbook Reading Strategy
Introduce yourself to textbook content by reading just the first sentences of paragraphs (on non-fiction, factual material only) to quickly find the writer's outline and main ideas. Then decide which paragraphs you want/need to spend your time on. Skip the rest. Your job is to quickly find what is most valuable to your needs.
Here's to getting started with speeding through your reading!
Abby Marks Beale is a speed reading expert and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Speed Reading and 10 Days to Faster Reading. She is the creator of a new online course called "Rev It Up Reading: Getting Up To Speed With What You Read" that helps college students read smarter, faster and better. For more information: www.revitupreading.com.
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Speed Reading 101:
Speed Reading 101
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