Speed reading is not just having the ability to read fast. It is a technique for reading faster and being able to comprehend the information and retain it in your brain longer. In this article, you will find basic information about speed reading, why it is important, how it can improve your memory, and speed reading courses that can change your life forever.
What is Speed Reading?
According to a study, most people can read about 250 words per minute on average. On the other hand, college students read much faster, with an average of 300 words per minute since they are estimated to spend 4-5 hours a day reading. Then we have the other type of readers, the slow readers, who can read about 15-200 words daily.
On the contrary, we have the top readers that only represent 1% of readers. These readers can read at a speed of above 1,000 words per minute with almost 85% comprehension. These top readers probably practiced speed reading for them to read and understand thousands of words per minute.
Speed reading is a process of reading rapidly, recognizing the words, sentences, and phrases, absorbing those, and being able to comprehend what you have read. The good news is that this technique can be learned and developed.
Reasons Why You Should Learn Speed Reading
There is no doubt that speed reading offers enormous benefits for everyone in daily life, whether you are a student, an employee, a business owner, or someone who wants to develop their reading skills to take advantage of its full potential. Here the top 10 reasons why you should learn speed reading.
- Allow you to absorb information faster.
- Lets you read more and longer materials in less time.
- Improves your time management and organization.
- Helps you boost your career and provide you more job opportunities.
- Gain more knowledge in many fields of interest.
- Promotes concentration and discipline.
- Become more efficient in writing.
- Helps you recall information quickly.
- Enhance problem-solving skills.
- Improved memory.
How Can Speed Reading Improve Memory?
Strengthen Your Mind
Our brain is like a muscle. Thus, if we train our brain, it will become stronger and perform better. Research shows that you are using the network of circuits and signals in the brain as you read. As your reading abilities mature, your mind literally changes as the network of circuits also gets stronger and more sophisticated.
Speed reading is a fun and challenging activity that trains your brain to be able to take in information faster and improve memory. The advantage of any mental activity is that it keeps your memory sharp prevents cognitive decline and memory loss.
Develop Logical Thinking
Since you train your brain to read faster, your brain becomes more efficient at arranging information and associating those to other information stored in your brain. So, the more you improve your reading speed, you develop logical thinking, and the faster your brain can process and remember information.
Better Focus
You need to focus on becoming a speed reader. Learning to focus also helps improve memory, comprehension and helps you become more productive. Here are proven ways to help increase your reading speed with better focus.
- Use your hand or finger to guide on the page. Your eyes will naturally follow, attracted to the motion.
- Control or eliminate distractions to achieve a higher level of focus while reading.
- Listen to classical or instrumental music as you read. One study shows that students who listened to classical music playing in the background while studying retained more of the information.
- Pay attention to the structure of your reading material before reading. This structure is the heading, TOC, bullet points, list, or any information that is emphasized. The author wants to place special emphasis on main ideas or important details, and you want to pay attention to these to prepare and calibrate your brain to the new information.
- Take breaks in between. Speed reading requires your brain to work hard. Forcing your brain to work hard for prolonged periods can be exhausting to your focus.
How to Read Faster?
There are techniques that you can practice to increase your reading speed. Below are some of those techniques.
- Minimize subvocalization.
- Skim or scan the content quickly for important ideas.
- Read in phrases to speed up your reading without losing comprehension.
- Use your peripheral vision to see the parts around the content.
- Avoid rereading. As you go on, you will fully understand the statement.
- Familiarize yourself with words and improve your vocabulary. This is because unfamiliar words slow you down.
- Set a goal and track yourself.
- You need to work hard and read, read, read if you want to increase your reading speed.
Take Speed Reading Courses
Being a fast reader gives you the opportunity to read more within a shorter time frame, leaving you more time to do other important things. Taking speed reading courses can help you read faster. These are the best speed reading courses currently available in Skill Success:
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