There is no skill to speed-reading. It is simply something you get used to, like trying to stand on a moving bus. The only obstacle to speed-reading is that you need a little practice, however there are plenty of tools and techniques you can try in order to speed your process.
Pro – You can research more quickly
Speed-reading is not really suited to reading in general. It is more suited for researching. It allows you to skim through a lot of text to try and find the bits that you need. You then read those bits more thoroughly in order to use them. It is also good if you know a book is mostly fluff and you just want to skim to the good bits.
Con – Comprehension of what is read falls dramatically
It is not something you can use to make yourself a faster reader in general. Speed-reading is about scanning pages with your eyes and picking out the parts that may be of interest to you. It is also about getting a very general idea of what a piece of text is about and is not suited for picking up subtleties or hidden gems within a piece of text.
Pro – It is good for using when on busy transport
Trying to concentrate on every word and absorb every sentence is not easy when you are on a busy bus or train. It is far easier to speed read in such situations because you are not aiming for 100% comprehension. Plus, if you are distracted, you can jump back a few paragraphs and keep speed-reading without too much wasted time or effort.
Con – It is very easy to misinterpret
If you are reading fiction, then speed-reading is not suitable because you cannot catch the smaller and more subtle details. It is also very easy to interpret what is written in a way that skews the meaning of the work. For example, some writers highlight the idiocy of an argument by making it in an exaggerated way, but as a skim reader, you may assume the exaggerated claim is the point of the work.
Pro – You can use technology
There are speed-readings tools on the Internet and on mobile devices. Place your text into them and they flash up the words in quick succession. Your mind and eyes see the words as they flash up, and in your mind you put them into sentences, ergo it forces you to speed read.
Con – It is easy to lose track when using technology
The downside of the technology technique is that if you look away and look back, you completely lose track of what the speed-reader is saying, and it is very difficult to regain an understanding of what is being flashed at you without going back.
Pro – You can use your finger
Another common speed reading technique is the rather low-tech finger technique. You run your finger under the words very quickly and read at the pace your finger moves. This is one of the few speed-reading methods that will actually increase your reading speed too.
Con – You look like a dork in public. You look like a small child learning to read because you are running your finger across your page. Plus, if you run it across a touch-screen device, then it flips the page.
Conclusion
All it takes is practice. Try speed-reading a few times firstly, and then try the technique where you run your finger across the lines. After that, when you are an amateur speed-reader, try an online tool to see if it helps you become a proficient speed-reader. If not, you will have to keep practicing your speed-reading by skimming pages and seeing how much you retain.
Author’s Bio
Tim White is an eager traveler and blogger on education trends for essay writing service Essayhipster.
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