How to Read Faster without Sacrificing Comprehension
I once took a speed-reading course. The baseline test entailed reading a few paragraphs at my usual pace and answering questions designed to test comprehension. The final test at the end of the course entailed reading an entire book in about twenty minutes. Even answering almost none of the test questions correctly, my speed was so much faster that the stats showed I had quadrupled my reading speed. But my comprehension at that speed was nonexistent. I concluded the course was bogus.
Some studies since have suggested that speed reading and comprehension don’t mix. In one comprehension test, speed readers zipped through a text almost three times faster on average than normal readers, but their comprehension was invariably worse—a lot worse. So I’m leery when I see articles like this one, which describes a three-hour experiment that led to a nearly 400 percent average improvement in reading speed.
Still, many of us have habits that hobble our reading speed. Some people subvocalize; that is, they hear the words in their mind or say them under their breath as they read. When you say words as you read them, you can read only as fast as you can talk—maybe one hundred fifty to two hundred words per minute. Breaking this habit alone can double your reading speed. One simple way to do that is to chew gum or hum while reading so your mouth is occupied and you can’t subvocalize.
Another bad habit is reading word by word. Obviously, the more time you spend on each word and the longer you pause between words, the slower you’ll read. Instead, aim to read phrases of multiple words. A particularly bad habit is regression, which refers to repeatedly rereading the last few words or sentences. Running your finger or a pointer along the text as you read can help you stop skipping back.
Previewing and skimming are other useful techniques to read faster. Previewing can help you get a general idea of long articles, business reports, and nonfiction books. To preview, read the first two paragraphs, then the first sentence of each successive paragraph, then all of the last two paragraphs. You won’t get all the details, but you’ll get a good idea of whether you want to go back and read the material more closely.
Skimming can be useful for short, light reading such as a section of the newspaper. Skimming entails forcing your eyes to sweep across each line of type, picking out only a few key words on each line.
For all reading, though, comprehension is what counts. For work-related reading, you can’t afford to improve your reading speed at the cost of not knowing what you’re reading. So try the above techniques or any others you come across, but adapt them to the type of reading you’re doing.
Who knows—maybe you’ll be able to read my next TechWell story in half the time!
