Have you ever watched someone speed read? It is amazing isn’t it? You have probably thought to yourself how much fun that would be but pushed the thought aside thinking that speed reading is only for the super gifted people. While the super gifted people may indeed be able to speed read, this does not mean that everyone cannot do it as well. Speed reading is an ability that everyone already has. The problem is that we were all taught to read a certain way, which is a way that is counter productive to speed reading.
The goal is to break the formed habits and create new ones. When you do this, you will finally be able to call yourself a speed reader. First, before you get started changing your study skills, make sure that you are taking a speed test. This is one that you can do at home with the help of a friend or a kitchen timer or you can use a free online test. The goal of the speed test is to determine how fast your read. To do this you will time yourself reading a certain text and then see how many words you were able to read in one minute. After you do that, try a five minute test and compare the two. You want to see what your average speed is.
Once you are done with the speed test, you are ready for the new study skills that will turn you into the speed reader that you have always wanted to be. The biggest habit that you will have to break is sub-vocalization. This is where you are first seeing the words, then you are saying the words in your head, then you are hearing the words in your head, and then you are finally going to understand the words. This is a mighty long four step process that does not need to be in place. It is truly slowly you and everyone else who can read down.
Theoretically, the entire act of reading should only consist of two steps. These two steps would be seeing them and understanding them. So how does someone correct their study skills so that they can show on a speed test that they are truly a speed reader? There are actually seven tips that will help take you from a four step reading process to a two step reading process in no time at all. Before you know it you will be taking the speed test only to find that you have double or maybe even tripled your reading speed.
The goal is to break the formed habits and create new ones. When you do this, you will finally be able to call yourself a speed reader. First, before you get started changing your study skills, make sure that you are taking a speed test. This is one that you can do at home with the help of a friend or a kitchen timer or you can use a free online test. The goal of the speed test is to determine how fast your read. To do this you will time yourself reading a certain text and then see how many words you were able to read in one minute. After you do that, try a five minute test and compare the two. You want to see what your average speed is.
Once you are done with the speed test, you are ready for the new study skills that will turn you into the speed reader that you have always wanted to be. The biggest habit that you will have to break is sub-vocalization. This is where you are first seeing the words, then you are saying the words in your head, then you are hearing the words in your head, and then you are finally going to understand the words. This is a mighty long four step process that does not need to be in place. It is truly slowly you and everyone else who can read down.
Theoretically, the entire act of reading should only consist of two steps. These two steps would be seeing them and understanding them. So how does someone correct their study skills so that they can show on a speed test that they are truly a speed reader? There are actually seven tips that will help take you from a four step reading process to a two step reading process in no time at all. Before you know it you will be taking the speed test only to find that you have double or maybe even tripled your reading speed.
The first step is to get your eyes used to move swiftly and quickly over the text, never pausing on a word. You need to be able to see all of the words much faster. At first, this may seem out of sorts and feel plain weird, but you have to keep practicing it. Over time, you will see just how much better your speed test will be when you are able to keep your eyes moving over the words.
The second step is to focus on increasing your study skills and speed of reading. Sub-vocalization naturally occurs when you are at a reading level below 600 words per minute. This means you really have to make sure that you are putting a lot of focus into your study skills. The more you study and practice, the quicker you will become. In addition, the quicker you become, the less you will sub-vocalize, which in turn makes you even that much faster.
The third step is to think about what it is that you are seeing. As you are reading the words, make sure that you are thinking about what it is that you are reading, without pausing to do this of course. This may seem too easy to be a step in itself, but once you give it a try you will see that it is going to take a little practice.
Step four involves using rapid exposure to materials a multiple amount of times. This part of the study skills will help you for retaining and comprehending what it is you are reading. This will also ensure that you will receive higher scores on your next speed test.
The fifth step is to ask yourself some questions as you are going over the material. You would be surprised just how much power there is behind questions within the mind. As you ask yourself questions as part of your study skills, you will find that your mind will start to piece together the material much easier. This too will help you out with your speed test, especially on the comprehension portion of the speed test.
The sixth step is to make sure that you are monitoring your thinking process. Make sure that you are not allowing your mind to wander. If you find yourself drifting, make sure that you snap out of it as quickly as possible and then bring yourself right back to the material that you were reading.
The seventh step is the step that wraps everything up. It involves practicing. You have to practice, practice and then practice some more. In order to retrain your brain to read in a manner that is consistent with the new study skills that you picked up, it is important to make sure that you are practicing.
Of course, overcoming the issue with sub-vocalization is only a part of the entire process, but it is a big one. Once you feel as those you have mastered this step, you will want to retake the speed test just to see how far along you have come. You will most likely be pleasantly surprised.
The second step is to focus on increasing your study skills and speed of reading. Sub-vocalization naturally occurs when you are at a reading level below 600 words per minute. This means you really have to make sure that you are putting a lot of focus into your study skills. The more you study and practice, the quicker you will become. In addition, the quicker you become, the less you will sub-vocalize, which in turn makes you even that much faster.
The third step is to think about what it is that you are seeing. As you are reading the words, make sure that you are thinking about what it is that you are reading, without pausing to do this of course. This may seem too easy to be a step in itself, but once you give it a try you will see that it is going to take a little practice.
Step four involves using rapid exposure to materials a multiple amount of times. This part of the study skills will help you for retaining and comprehending what it is you are reading. This will also ensure that you will receive higher scores on your next speed test.
The fifth step is to ask yourself some questions as you are going over the material. You would be surprised just how much power there is behind questions within the mind. As you ask yourself questions as part of your study skills, you will find that your mind will start to piece together the material much easier. This too will help you out with your speed test, especially on the comprehension portion of the speed test.
The sixth step is to make sure that you are monitoring your thinking process. Make sure that you are not allowing your mind to wander. If you find yourself drifting, make sure that you snap out of it as quickly as possible and then bring yourself right back to the material that you were reading.
The seventh step is the step that wraps everything up. It involves practicing. You have to practice, practice and then practice some more. In order to retrain your brain to read in a manner that is consistent with the new study skills that you picked up, it is important to make sure that you are practicing.
Of course, overcoming the issue with sub-vocalization is only a part of the entire process, but it is a big one. Once you feel as those you have mastered this step, you will want to retake the speed test just to see how far along you have come. You will most likely be pleasantly surprised.