Speed Reading
Hello there! I’m Rachel, and I have a new video to share with you today on Live Study Hacks.
How often do you look at your homework and reading assignments and wish you could get through it all in less than 20 minutes? What if you could do this and still remember all the important information you read so you are ready for questions or test? Today, I’m going to share speed reading techniques with you that will help you do exactly that.
The five speed reading topics I’m going to cover today include:
- Figuring out how many words per minute you read.
- Identifying the main ideas so you remember the important stuff – limit regression.
- Decreasing subvocalization, which means forming sounds in your mind while reading.
- Using tools to keep faster visual pace.
- Writing a summary after you read to improve comprehension.
That is already a lot of information to think about, but I am going to explain everything to unlock your speed-reading power. First, take a moment to clear your mind and relax so you can focus on everything I’m about to teach you. Getting rid of distractions is important when you learn and when you speed read your homework in the future. Give me your undivided attention for the length of this video and you will see amazing results.
Before I get into the learning part of this video, I want to offer some motivation. Don’t be afraid to stretch outside your comfort zone aim for something you think is impossible. Everything you can do and achieve is driven by your belief. If you think right now that you will never be able to speed read your assignments or books, you’re probably right. If you do believe it’s possible and tell yourself that you can read superfast, I guarantee you will achieve those goals.
Believing in yourself is a way to rewire your mind. Reading faster helps you download more information into your brain so you can understand, think, and accomplish more. Leaders are readers. If you learn speed reading, to a consistent schedule, and practice, you will get so much more out of every minute you spend learning.
Now, onto the learning part of this speed-reading lesson. Get ready to change the way you receive and remember written information.
#1 – Find your WPM. The first step is to figure out how many words per minute or WPM you read. This is the measurement you used to track your reading speed improvement. Pick up a book you haven’t read before with a lot of text and it. You also need a timer set to two minutes. Take a note of where you start reading on the page before you start the timer and begin to read. The goal is not to read as fast as possible right now. Just read at your normal pace that lets you understand everything and retain information. Stop the timer when the two minutes ends and mark the line in your book where you stopped.
To figure out WPM, first count the number of full lines of text you read. If a line has less than five words, consider it a half line instead. Write down the total number of lines and divided by two. For example, if you read 50 lines total, divide it by the two minutes you spent reading to get your words per minute measurement of 25 lines in one minute. Record this so you can track your improvement in reading speed once you learn more.
Ready for more math? Count how many words are in each line of the text you read. Of course, every line has the same number of words, but try to come up with a good general average that makes sense. Divide that number by three. For example, if there were 12 words in a line, divided by three and get four. Multiply this answer by your lines per minute number you figured out before to get the words per minute number.
General categories of different types of readers use these numbers:
100 to 200 WPM – vocalize reader
200 to 300 WPM — average reader
300 to 500 WPM — above average reader
500 and up WPM — ultimate speed reader
#2 – Limit Regression. Now that you have data to track your progress, the next step in learning how to speed read is to quickly identify the main idea of the content to limit regression. Regression simply means to go back. You may find yourself doing this a lot if you skim content and do not catch what the author is telling you. You have to go back and read things over again to get the main idea. In speed reading, you will get it the first time so you do not waste time rereading the book or assignment. The last thing you want to do was break forward momentum.
You can train your brain to get the main idea quickly by looking at headings, subheadings, and the first and last line of each paragraph. Part of speed reading is really skimming for the most important information because not every word is necessary to get the main idea across. This is especially true in nonfiction books and articles. While you zoom ahead looking for the most important ideas and details, stop yourself from regressing by covering up words with a note card as you go. If you are reading online, minimize the screen so you can only see the content going forward.
#3 – Decrease Subvocalization. Subvocalization is a big word that simply means how you read written letters inside your own mind or out loud. If you look at a letter, figure out its sound, and then read the sounds together to make a word, you are subvocalizing. Some people even mumble words out loud as they go along, which uses up even more time. Your brain also must listen while reading. Always read silently and push yourself to glean meaning from the words instead of sounding them out as you go along.
#4 – Use a Visual Pacer. Besides covering lines you already read with a note card or the screen size, using a visual pacer like a pencil, highlighter strip, or your mouse speeds up the reading process. In fact, you can go 20% faster just with this simple change. Visual pacers reduce regression and keep your eyes moving forward because they have something else to focus on besides a block of text. You will not lose your place on a page and end up rereading sentences or getting lost and wasting time.
#5 – Write a Summary. Reading superfast does not help if you do not understand the book or assignment and cannot remember anything when you finish. Right after you end your speed-reading session, write down three or four sentences that cover everything you just learned. Not only will this improve your reading speed over time, but it can also boost learning and help you get smarter and get better grades.
Find your WPM reading speed at the start and then put all these other tips into practice. Test your words per minute frequently to track improvements. I hope you find this video helpful and that you can improve not only your reading speed but how much you remember every time.
Please like this video and subscribe to my channel for more helpful content in the future. See you next time. Bye!