Suggestions for
Improving Reading Speed Improvement of Reading Rate It is
safe to say that almost anyone can double his or her speed of reading while
maintaining equal or even better comprehension. In other words, you can improve
the speed with which you get what you want from your reading.
The average college student reads between 250 and 350 words per minute on
fiction and non-technical materials. A "good" reading speed is around 500 to 700
words per minute, but some people can read 1,000 words per minute or more on
these materials. What makes the difference There are three main
factors involved in improving reading speed: (1) the desire to improve, (2) the
willingness to try new techniques and (3) the motivation to practice.
Learning to read rapidly and well presupposes that you have the necessary
vocabulary and comprehension skills. When you have advanced on the reading
comprehension materials to a level at which you can understand college-level
materials, you will be ready to practice speed reading in earnest. The
Role of Speed in the Reading Process Understanding the role
of speed in the reading process is essential. Research shows a close relation
between speed and understanding--although it is the opposite of what you might
expect! Among thousands of individuals taking reading training, in most cases an
increase in rate was accompanied by an increase in comprehension and a decrease
in rate brought decreased comprehension with it. It appears that plodding or
word-by-word analysis inhibits rather than increases understanding.
Most adults are able to increase their reading rate considerably and
rather quickly without lowering their comprehension. These same individuals
usually show a decrease in comprehension when they reduce their rate. Such
results, of course are heavily dependent upon the method used to gain the
increased rate. Simply reading more rapidly without actual improvement in
basic reading habits usually results in lowered comprehension. Factors
that Reduce Reading Rate Some of the factors which reduce
reading rate: 1. Limited perceptual span
(word-by-word reading); 2. Slow perceptual
reaction time (slow recognition and response to the material)
3. Vocalization (reading aloud) 4.
Faulty eye movements (including inaccuracy in placement of the page, in return
sweep, in rhythm and regularity of movement, etc.);
5. Regression (needless or unconscious re-reading)
6. Faulty habits of attention and concentration (including simple
inattention during the reading act and faulty processes of retention)
7. Lack of practice in reading--use it or lose it!
8. Fear of losing comprehension, causing the person to
deliberately read more slowly; 9. Habitual slow
reading, in which the person cannot read faster because he or she has always
read slowly; 10. Poor evaluation of which
aspects are important and which are unimportant;
11. The effort to remember everything rather than to remember
selectively. Since these conditions also tend to reduce
comprehension, increasing the reading rate by eliminating them is likely to
produce increased comprehension, too. This is entirely different from simply
speeding up the rate of reading--which may actually make the real reading
problem more severe. In addition, forced acceleration may destroy confidence in
one’s ability to read. The obvious solution, then, is to increase rate as a part
of a total improvement of the whole reading process, as special training
programs in reading do. Basic Conditions for Increasing Reading
Rate A well-planned program prepares for maximum increase in
rate by establishing the necessary conditions. Four basic conditions
include: 1. Have your eyes checked. Often, very slow reading is
related to uncorrected eye defects. Before embarking on a speed
reading program, make sure that any correctable eye defects you may have are
taken care of. 2. Eliminate the habit of pronouncing words as
you read. If you sound out words in your throat or whisper them, your reading
rate is slowed considerably. You should be able to read most materials at least
two or three times faster silently than orally, because you can get meaning from
phrases without reading each word individually. If you are aware of
sounding or "hearing" words as you read, try to concentrate on key words and
meaningful ideas as you force yourself to read faster. 3. Avoid
regressing (rereading). The average student reading at 250 words per
minute regresses or rereads about 20 times per page. Rereading words and phrases
is a habit which will slow your reading speed down to a snail’s pace. Usually,
it is unnecessary to reread words, for the ideas you want are explained and
elaborated more fully later. Furthermore, the slowest reader
usually regresses most frequently. Because he reads slowly, his mind has
time to wander and his rereading reflects both his inability to concentrate and
his lack of confidence in his comprehension skills. 4. Develop a
wider eye-span. This will help you read more than one word at a glance. Since
written material is less meaningful if read word by word, this will help you
learn to read by phrases or thought units. Rate Adjustment
Poor results are inevitable if the reader attempts to use the same rate
for all types of material and for all reading purposes. He must learn to adjust
his rate to his purpose in reading and to the difficulty of the material. The
fastest rate works on easy, familiar, interesting material or in reading to
gather information on a particular point; A slower rate is better for material
which is unfamiliar in content and language structure or which must be
thoroughly digested. The effective reader adjusts his rater the ineffective
reader always uses the same. Rate may be adjusted overall for an
entire article, or internally for parts of an article. As an analogy, imagine
that you plan to take a 100-mile mountain trip. Since this trip will include
hills, curves, and a mountain pass, you estimate it will take three hours for
the total trip, averaging about 35 miles an hour. This is your overall rate
adjustment. In actual driving, however, you may slow down to no more than 15
miles per hour on some curves and hills, while speeding up to 50 miles per hour
or more on relatively straight and level sections. This is your internal
rate adjustment. Similarly, there is no set rate which the good reader follows
inflexibly in reading a particular selection, even though he has set himself an
overall rate for the total job. Reading rate should vary
according to your reading purpose. To understand information, for example, skim
or scan at a rapid rate. To determine the value of material or to read for
enjoyment, read rapidly or slowly according to your feeling. To read
analytically, read at a moderate pace to permit you to interrelated
ideas. The nature and difficulty of the material also calls for
adjustments in rate. Obviously, level of difficulty depends greatly on the
particular reader’s knowledge. While Einstein’s theories may be extremely
difficult for most laymen, they would be very simple and clear to a professor of
physics. Hence, the layman and the physics professor will read the same material
at different rates. Generally, difficult material will entail a slower rater
simpler material will permit a faster rate. In general, decrease speed
when you find the following: 1. Unfamiliar terminology. Try
to understand it in context at that point; otherwise, read on and return to it
later. 2. Difficult sentence and paragraph structure. Slow down
enough to enable you to untangle them and get accurate context for the
passage. 3. Unfamiliar or abstract concepts. Look for
applications or examples of your own as well as studying those of the writer.
Take enough time to get them clearly in mind. 4. Detailed,
technical material. This includes complicated directions, statements of
difficult principles, and materials on which you have scant
background. 5. Material on which you want detailed
retention. In general, Increase speed when you meet the
following: 1. Simple material with few ideas which are new
to you. Move rapidly over the familiar ones; spend most of your time on the
unfamiliar ideas. 2. Unnecessary examples and illustrations.
Since these are included to clarify ideas, move over them rapidly when they are
not needed. 3. Detailed explanation and idea elaboration which
you do not need. 4. Broad, generalized ideas and ideas which are
restatements of previous ones. These can be readily grasped, even with scan
techniques. To avoid destroying confidence in one’s ability to read, one should speed up the rate of reading as apart of ______.