How and why to read fast?

Do you think you are a slow reader? At the end of a book, do you feel incapable of remembering the beginning? Is that discouraging you to continue reading? If your answer is yes, the speed reading techniques can help you.

The speed reading techniques

   

This video is about only one technique "Eliminate Subvocalisation". There are many other techniques, such us:

• Eliminate distractions
• Define your purpose
• Read the table of contents
• Use scanning and skimming
• Resist regression

1. Eliminate distractions

If you are serious about reading faster, you have to sit in a quit place and be far from anything that could make your concentration down.

2. Define your purpose

Reading a book for fun is different from reading a book for a course or in order to write a review. In the first case, you are not obliged to hurry because you are enjoying reading. In the second, you look for notions and definitions, and in the last case, you focus on the author ideas. Defining your purpose helps you know how and how much faster you should read.

3. Read the table of contents

Before reading a book, have a look on its table of contents, it will give you an idea about the author purposes and the book structure, this will help you decide what parts to focus on.

4. Use scanning or skimming

Scanning is used when you are looking for specific information in a text, that is to try to find an answer for a question you have in mind and ignore the unrelated information.

Skimming means to read a text in order to extract the main ideas and have a general overview of the content.

5. Resist regression

Do you feel sometimes that you forgot an idea and that you have to go back and re-read it? This habit is called regression and it’s capable of disturbing your concentration and reducing your comprehension. So, try to resist this habit, trust your brain and read in a one direction, don’t regress.

  

Why to learn speed reading? 

The speed reading techniques are very interesting because they help us:

-         Make our reading fast and efficient at the same time.

-         Take a maximum advantage of our time.

-         Strong our memory and concentration.

-         Increase our motivation by reading more books.

-         Have a vast knowledge.

One more advantage

Sometimes, we may be led to read some uninteresting books, even if it seems a bit weird to read a book we don't like!

Actually, it happens to me to hear about a best seller book and decide to read it. After starting reading, I discover that it’s so boring or without any added value, however, I continue reading because I have to discuss it with someone else or just to be fair with the author by trying to understand his objective. In such a case, the speed reading can save us!

A counter-example

I won’t deny that sometimes I don’t use these techniques, especially while reading a well written novel.
In fact, when I start reading a novel, I feel that I belong to its world, that I live with its characters and feel the same way as them, I smile for their happiness and I shed tears for their sadness, so the reading becomes a true delight for me.

And you? What's your opinion on this?

Amal.