You’ve probably been able to read ever since you were a child, and you don’t even think about how to read now, because you’ve been doing it so long. You’ve learned the rules of reading so well that it’s an automatic process, something that seems easy because you’re so practiced at it. Speed reading works the same way. If you’re worried that you won’t learn how to speed read, or that you’ll be so focused on remembering the tips and recommendations for better reading speed that you won’t pay attention to the text, don’t worry. Just as when you first learned to read, it just takes a little time and practice, and you’ll soon forget that there ever was a time when you didn’t know how to speed read.

Stay focused. When you concentrate, you focus your mind on what you’re doing, and that means that you’ll improve more quickly in whatever it is you’re doing. Help your focus by getting rid of distracting sounds and outside interruptions when you read.

Move forward. Re-reading text when you don’t have to will simply slow you down. If you find that you’re automatically going back to read the previous paragraph, use a piece of paper to cover text as you read it, so that you’re forced to move on to the next section.

Think big. Your eyes and brain can take in more than you might think. Try reading groups of words, rather than taking each word in the sentence separately. Learn to let your eyes move freely and quickly over each line to help you absorb phrases instead of individual words.

Let go. Get rid of any anxiety you have about what you’re reading and whether you’re doing it right. Even if you’re under some time pressure, when you relax you’ll be able to keep the flow of information running smoothly from your eyes into your brain. You might be surprised at just how quickly you can read, when you’re not worried about how quickly you’re reading!