Speed Reading

(Another argument for why school is bad for you lol; anyways)

Tips from a speed reading medalist:

  1. Reading speed depends on what you’re reading for. If you’re reading a technical/scientific book, you might read faster because you’re scanning for specific information and keywords. But a novel you might read slower since you’re trying to understand the sequence of events. Know what you’re reading for.
  2. Regression (going back) increases comprehension by 2-3% but slows reading speed by 15-25%. You understand more than you think. If you do try to regress, you need to accelerate to catch back up.
  3. Unlearn slow reading. If your mind wanders, read quicker to keep it active.
  4. Use pointer/pen – eyes are better at following.

More tips:

  • Morning is better for reading since your brain works at full capacity.
  • Read silently and avoid regressions.
  • Read wherever possible, don’t waste time (transport, while you’re waiting, etc.)
  • Train working memory: Reader needs to keep the words and phrases already read, in mind, to combine them into more complex construction for a whole understanding of the text.
  • Block subvocalization. Good exercise – read any text visually and count in voice from 9 to 1, this trains 2 hemispheres of the brain and train blocking subvocalization while reading. Don’t worry about speed and comprehension, it’s just a 5 min training, daily.
  • Improve your vocab. The more you read – especially diffferent literature genres – the more words you’ll be exposed to. As you read and uncover new words, look up their definition in a dictionary.

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