Tricks To Enhance Reading Speed & Reading Comprehension

Whether you're hitting the textbooks in philosophy class, reading long-winded e-mail from colleagues, or just reading the morning newspaper, chances are at one time or another you've wished you can read a bit faster.

Not everyone has the leisure of reading the whole day. Sometimes, you only have a few hours to finish a couple of books.

There is already a wide spread of the wish to discover fast reading. In fact, that teaching the skill has become big business: a host of companies now offer books, training sessions and even computer software to increase reading speed, sometimes for around hundreds of dollars.

This article will share some fast reading tips that may help you read more and understand deeper in lesser time. Speed reading tips will not only help you read faster, they will also ensure your full understanding of what the text is all about.

Eye Fixation

A major component of speed reading is eye fixation, a point where your eyes come to rest as you read. The stopping frequency distinguishes between good and average readers Readers who make fewer eye fixations read faster because they take in more words with each fixation.

The eye can actually span about 1.5 inches at a time which, for an average page, encompasses four or five words. Train yourself to read the second words of each line, omitting the first. Later, make it the third word, then the fourth. In time you will find yourself missing out huge chunks of unnecessary information while still retaining what is important.

Focus

Reading requires concentration.Therefore, if you need to read more quickly, you need to focus. Reading has to be done in environment where external distractions are at a minimum.

Skim the Texts

Skimming is used to quickly identify the main ideas of a text.

Only pick up on important chapters and refer to the index for anything you are not certain about. This way you will only read the highlights. Efficient skimming depends on knowing, in advance, what you are looking for in the text: facts, quotes, dates, significant phrases, and so on.

Practice

Another important tip on how to improve your reading skill is practice, practice and practice. By reading regularly, you are conditioning yourself more and enhancing your ability to focus and to comprehend. Sooner or later, you will find yourself having a vastly improved skill that will help you be better able to handle the need for more information.

Speed reading tips are often overlooked by both students and professionals alike. However, once you realize just how much you can get done in a considerably shorter amount of time, you'll be applying these tips every chance you get.