I want to learn the speed reading skill. So, I look for the resources, and keep practising. The following is the summary on what I learn about speed reading, especially based on the following video.
Average reading speed is 150-250 wpm (words per minute).
Most of the problem of reading is regression, that is go back to read again. To avoid this problem, if one sentence we don’t understand, we just continue. Only go back if the whole paragraph is not understandable. To make the reading continuously, one of the way is using a finger or any pointer to go through the words. There are several reasons. One of the reason is that our eyes always distracted by the thing it is moving. Another reason is help us to focus. Also, using finger, we will not go back to read again. This is best way used in speed drill (refer below).
Next, to reduce fixation problem, we need to learn the peripheral vision to read the words. (Comparing to foveal vision, foveal vision is the image fall to the fovea centralis). To learn the peripheral vision, when we read the text for each line, we no need to “look at” the first word. Our peripheral vision will help us to see the first word. This can be learn until read at the first 3rd word until the last 3rd word. This is to reduce the saccades (eye movement).
The auditory reassurance (aka subvocalisation) is the situation when we read the words, we read it in our mind auditorily. That is, hearing the voices in our mind when we do reading. To suppress the auditory reassurance, we can repeat such as ABCD or 1234 in our mind as subvocal. But the best way is learn the speed drill to reduce the subvocal including the 1234 or ABCD. This is because like me, I will affected by my new subvocal, “1234”, then my eyes movement will base on the rhythm of the subvocal.
Reading has three important areas: 1) speed, 2) comprehension, and 3) retention. Retention is how much we remember, different from comprehension. Therefore, it is impossible to train three of these at the same time, focus training one thing only. Firstly speed, then comprehension, then only retention. So, when we learn the speed, we our comprehension and retention will drop down extremely. Never mind, just keep practising. Good results will come forth when practise more and more.
In order to learn speed reading, firstly we can practice speed drill by finger. Go through faster and faster, without focusing on the comprehension. As we can see (not read) faster for the words, when we go a little slower, it is able to let us understand the words better, which will increase our comprehension.
To increase comprehension, scanning the headlines or titles will let us grasp some meaning of the text.
(Update: 2012-09-23)
I missed one of the point. Besides practising speed drill, another practice is eyes movement. That is to exercise our eye muscles. Keep moving our eyes left and right, or up and down, to exercise the muscle so that our eyes can move fast. It is useful to improve the saccades and fixation when reading.
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