It is generally estimated that most people read at between 200 and 400 words per minute. The majority read at the lower end of the scale but some claim to achieve much greater speeds, exceeding over 1,000 words a minute. The ability to read quickly has obvious benefits. Speed reading, therefore, is a valuable skill.
There are a number of factors that combine to reduce the speed at which you are able to read. These problems need to be addressed if reading speeds are to be raised. They include the reading environment, a need to understand the working of the eye, re-reading material, losing your place and the vocalization of words as you read.
Environment is a matter that is relatively easy to handle. Reading should be conducted in a place that is free from distractions so that you can focus on the material at hand. It should be comfortable and light; somewhere that it is a pleasure to be. And, perhaps most important, it should be a place where you will not be disturbed.
Having settled the problem of environment, an understanding of how the eye moves across a page is next on the list. It is a little known fact, but when you read, your eye does not follow the line of text smoothly. Instead, it travels in a jerking motion, pausing regularly. It is during these short pauses that the information is absorbed, the longer the pause the slower the reader.
Longer pauses are caused by the reader going back and re-reading the material in the belief that it has been missed or misunderstood. It may only be a matter of a word or two or it may be a whole sentence but the result is a reduction in speed. If you can avoid this re-reading, then it is possible to increase your speed and researchers claim that, in most cases, the eye has actually absorbed the information thought to have been missed.
Re-reading is the result of a conscious act to go over material again or an accidental loss of place on the page. It is reasonably easy to remedy by returning to the reading practices of young children. They keep their place by pointing with a finger or placing a ruler under the line. Speed readers often adopt a similar method. They use a pencil or other thin pointer. This helps them focus on the place they are looking at, prevents loss of position on the page and, being a thin pointing device, does not block sight of the surrounding words.
Another children's habit is vocalization. This is the sounding out of words either out loud or to oneself. Unlike pointing, however, it is an inhibitor of speed and should be avoided.
By adopting these relatively simple practices, it is possible to improve the speed at which you read. For further improvement, other more advanced techniques are necessary. These take advantage of peripheral vision and include reading two lines in one pass and sweeping across the page in wave or zigzag movements.
Human abilities that seem to fall outside the norm, attract a good deal of debate. Speed reading is no exception. In some circles it is suggested that the claims of super reading speeds with high comprehension rates are exaggerated. They say that speed readers merely skim text and have low rates of retention and comprehension. Others claim reading speeds in excess of 1,000 words a minute with comprehension at around 60% and over, which is on a par with that achieved by slow readers. While these results might be out of reach for some, higher speeds than average are attainable with a little effort.
There are a number of factors that combine to reduce the speed at which you are able to read. These problems need to be addressed if reading speeds are to be raised. They include the reading environment, a need to understand the working of the eye, re-reading material, losing your place and the vocalization of words as you read.
Environment is a matter that is relatively easy to handle. Reading should be conducted in a place that is free from distractions so that you can focus on the material at hand. It should be comfortable and light; somewhere that it is a pleasure to be. And, perhaps most important, it should be a place where you will not be disturbed.
Having settled the problem of environment, an understanding of how the eye moves across a page is next on the list. It is a little known fact, but when you read, your eye does not follow the line of text smoothly. Instead, it travels in a jerking motion, pausing regularly. It is during these short pauses that the information is absorbed, the longer the pause the slower the reader.
Longer pauses are caused by the reader going back and re-reading the material in the belief that it has been missed or misunderstood. It may only be a matter of a word or two or it may be a whole sentence but the result is a reduction in speed. If you can avoid this re-reading, then it is possible to increase your speed and researchers claim that, in most cases, the eye has actually absorbed the information thought to have been missed.
Re-reading is the result of a conscious act to go over material again or an accidental loss of place on the page. It is reasonably easy to remedy by returning to the reading practices of young children. They keep their place by pointing with a finger or placing a ruler under the line. Speed readers often adopt a similar method. They use a pencil or other thin pointer. This helps them focus on the place they are looking at, prevents loss of position on the page and, being a thin pointing device, does not block sight of the surrounding words.
Another children's habit is vocalization. This is the sounding out of words either out loud or to oneself. Unlike pointing, however, it is an inhibitor of speed and should be avoided.
By adopting these relatively simple practices, it is possible to improve the speed at which you read. For further improvement, other more advanced techniques are necessary. These take advantage of peripheral vision and include reading two lines in one pass and sweeping across the page in wave or zigzag movements.
Human abilities that seem to fall outside the norm, attract a good deal of debate. Speed reading is no exception. In some circles it is suggested that the claims of super reading speeds with high comprehension rates are exaggerated. They say that speed readers merely skim text and have low rates of retention and comprehension. Others claim reading speeds in excess of 1,000 words a minute with comprehension at around 60% and over, which is on a par with that achieved by slow readers. While these results might be out of reach for some, higher speeds than average are attainable with a little effort.
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