TIPS FOR INCREASING READING SPEED

As our eyes move across the page they make a series of jerky movements.
Whenever they come to rest on a word that is called a fixation. Most people
fixate once on each word across a line of print.

In order to make our speed increase we must take in more words with each
fixation, rather than make our eyes move faster.

1. Try to avoid focusing on every word, but rather look at groups of 2 to

3 words. For instance, this sentence could be grouped in this manner:

for instance / this sentence / could be grouped / in this manner

2. Work on vocabulary improvement. Familiarize yourself with new words

so you don't get stuck on them when you read them again.
3. If you find yourself moving your lips when reading, force yourself to
read faster by following (1.) above so that you can no longer move
your lips.
4. Read more! 15 minutes a day of reading an average size novel equals
18 books a year at an average reading speed!
5. Determine your purpose before reading. If you only need main ideas,
then allow yourself to skim the material. Don't feel you must read very
word.
6. Spend a few minutes a day reading at a faster than comfortable rate
(about 2 to 3 times faster than your normal speed). Use your hand or
an index card to guide your eyes down the page. Then time yourself
reading a few pages at your normal speed. You'll find that often your
normal reading speed will increase after your skimming practice.
7. If you have poor concentration when reading, practice reading for only
5 - 10 minutes at a time and gradually increase this time.
8. There are several books on increasing reading speed available in most
bookstores. If you are serious about increasing your rate you may
want to work systematically through one of these books.
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING READING SPEED

Improvement of Reading Rate

It is safe to say that almost anyone can double his speed of reading while
maintaining equal or even higher comprehension. In other words, anyone can
improve the speed with which he gets what he wants from his reading.

The average college student reads between 250 and 350 words per minute
on fiction and non-technical materials. A "good" reading speed is around 500
to 700 words per minute, but some people can read a thousand words per
minute or even faster on these materials. What makes the difference? There
are three main factors involved in improving reading speed: (1) the desire to
improve, (2) the willingness to try new techniques and (3) the motivation to
practice.

Learning to read rapidly and well presupposes that you have the necessary
vocabulary and comprehension skills. When you have advanced on the
reading comprehension materials to a level at which you can understand
college-level materials, you will be ready to speed reading practice in
earnest.

The Role of Speed in the Reading Process

Understanding the role of speed in the reading process is essential. Research

has shown a close relation between speed and understanding. For example,
in checking progress charts of thousands of individuals taking reading
training, it has been found in most cases that an increase in rate has been
paralleled by an increase in comprehension, and that where rate has gone
down, comprehension has also decreased. Although there is at present little
statistical evidence, it seems that plodding word-by-word analysis (or word
reading) inhibits understanding. There is some reason to believe that the
factors producing slow reading are also involved in lowered comprehension.
Most adults are able to increase their rate of reading considerably and rather
quickly without lowering comprehension. These same individuals seldom
show an increase in comprehension when they reduce their rate. In other
cases, comprehension is actually better at higher rates of speed. Such
results, of course, are heavily dependent upon the method used to gain the
increased rate. Simply reading more rapidly without actual improvement in
basic reading habits usually results in lowered comprehension.

Factors that Reduce Reading Rate

Some of the facts which reduce reading rate: (a) limited perceptual span i.e.,
word-by-word reading; (b) slow perceptual reaction time, i.e., slowness of
recognition and response to the material; (c) vocalization, including the need
to vocalize in order to achieve comprehension; (d) faulty eye movements,
including inaccuracy in placement of the page, in return sweep, in rhythm
and regularity of movement, etc.; (e) regression, both habitual and as
associated with habits of concentration; (f) faulty habits of attention and
concentration, beginning with simple inattention during the reading act and
faulty processes of retention; (g) lack of practice in reading, due simply to
the fact that the person has read very little and has limited reading interests
so that very little reading is practiced in the daily or weekly schedule; (h)
fear of losing comprehension, causing the person to suppress his rate
deliberately in the firm belief that comprehension is improved if he spends
more time on the individual words; (i) habitual slow reading, in which the
person cannot read faster because he has always read slowly, (j) poor
evaluation of which aspects are important and which are unimportant; and
(k) the effort to remember everything rather than to remember selectively.

Since these conditions act also to reduce comprehension increasing the

reading rate through eliminating them is likely to result in increased
comprehension as well. This is an entirely different matter from simply
speeding up the rate of reading without reference to the conditions
responsible for the slow rate. In fact, simply speeding the rate especially
through forced acceleration, may actually result, and often does, in making
the real reading problem more severe. In addition, forced acceleration may
even destroy confidence in ability to read. The obvious solution, then is to
increase rate as a part of a total improvement of the whole reading process.
This is a function of special training programs in reading.

Basic Conditions for Increased Reading Rate

A well planned program prepares for maximum increase in rate by

establishing the necessary conditions. Four basic conditions include:

1. Have your eyes checked. Before embarking on a speed reading

program, make sure that any correctable eye defects you may
have are taken care of by checking with your eye doctor. Often,
very slow reading is related to uncorrected eye defects.
2. Eliminate the habit of pronouncing words as you read. If you
sound out words in your throat or whisper them, you can read
slightly only as fast as you can read aloud. You should be able
to read most materials at least two or three times faster silently
than orally. If you are aware of sounding or "hearing" words as
you read, try to concentrate on key words and meaningful ideas
as you force yourself to read faster.
3. Avoid regressing (rereading). The average student reading at
250 words per minute regresses or rereads about 20 times per
page. Rereading words and phrases is a habit which will slow
your reading speed down to a snail's pace. Usually, it is
unnecessary to reread words, for the ideas you want are
explained and elaborated more fully in later contexts.
Furthermore, the slowest reader usually regresses most
 frequently. Because he reads slowly, his mind has time to
wander and his rereading reflects both his inability to
concentrate and his lack of confidence in his comprehension
skills.
4. Develop a wider eye-span. This will help you read more than
one word at a glance. Since written material is less meaningful if
read word by word, this will help you learn to read by phrases or
thought units.

Rate Adjustment

Poor results are inevitable if the reader attempts to use the same rate
indiscriminately for a-1 types of material and for all reading purposes. He
must learn to adjust his rate to his purpose in reading and to the difficulty of
the material he is reading. This ranges from a maximum rate on easy,
familiar, interesting material or in reading to gather information on a
particular point, to minimal rate on material which is unfamiliar in content
and language structure or which must be thoroughly digested. The effective
reader adjusts his rate; the ineffective reader uses the same rate for all
types of material.

Rate adjustment may be overall adjustment to the article as a whole, or

internal adjustment within the article. Overall adjustment establishes the
basic rate at which the total article is read; internal adjustment involves the
necessary variations in rate for each varied part of the material. As an
analogy, you plan to take a 100-mile mountain trip. Since this will be a
relatively hard drive with hills, curves, and a mountain pass, you decide to
take three hours for the total trip, averaging about 35 miles an hour. This is
your overall rate adjustment. However, in actual driving you may slow down
to no more than 15 miles per hour on some curves and hills, while speeding
up to 50 miles per hour or more on relatively straight and level sections. This
is your internal rate adjustment. There is no set rate, therefore, which the
good reader follows inflexibly in reading a particular selection, even though
he has set himself an overall rate for the total job.

Overall rate adjustment should be based on your reading plan, your reading
purpose, and the nature and difficulty of the material. The reading plan itself
should specify the general rate to be used. This is based on the total "size
up". It may be helpful to consider examples of how purpose can act to help
determine the rate to be used. To understand information, skim or scan at a
rapid rate. To determine value of material or to read for enjoyment, read
rapidly or slowly according to you feeling. To read analytically, read at a
moderate pace to permit interrelating ideas. The nature and difficulty of the
material requires an adjustment in rate in conformity with your ability to
handle that type of material. Obviously, level of difficulty is highly relative to
the particular reader. While Einstein's theories may be extremely difficult to
most laymen, they may be very simple and clear to a professor of physics.
Hence, the layman and the physics professor must make a different rate
adjustment in reading the same material. Generally, difficult material will
entail a slower rate; simpler material will permit a faster rate.

Internal rate adjustment involves selecting differing rates for parts of a given
article. In general, decrease speed when you find the following (1) unfamiliar
terminology not clear in context. Try to understand it in context at that point;
otherwise, read on and return to it later; (2) difficult sentence and paragraph
structure; slow down enough to enable you to untangle them and get
accurate context for the passage; (3) unfamiliar or abstract concepts. Look
for applications or examples of you own as well as studying those of the
writer. Take enough time to get them clearly in mind; (4) detailed, technical
material. This includes complicated directions, statements of difficult
principles, materials on which you have scant background; (5) material on
which you want detailed retention. In general, increase speed when you
meet the following: (a) simple material with few ideas which are new to you;
move rapidly over the familiar ones; spend most of your time on the
unfamiliar ideas; (b) unnecessary examples and illustrations. Since these are
included to clarify ideas, move over them rapidly when they are not needed;
(c) detailed explanation and idea elaboration which you do not need, (d)
broad, generalized ideas and ideas which are restatements of previous ones.
These can be readily grasped, even with scan techniques.

In keeping your reading attack flexible, adjust your rate sensitivity from
article to article. It is equally important to adjust you rate within a given
article. Practice these techniques until a flexible reading rate becomes second
nature to you.

Summary

In summary, evidence has been cited which seems to indicate a need for and
value of a rapid rate of reading, while at the same time indicating the
dangers of speed in reading, as such. We have attempted to point out the
relationship between rate of reading and extent of comprehension, as well as
the necessity for adjustment of reading rate, along with whole reading
attack, to the type of material and the purposes of the reader. Finally, the
factors which reduce rate were surveyed as a basis for pointing out that
increase in rate should come in conjunction with the elimination of these
retarding aspects of the reading process and as a part of an overall reading
training program where increase in rate is carefully prepared for in the
training sequence.

Adapted by permission of RSSL, University of Maryland.