How to Read Faster

Reading Faster Requires Steady Practice

Follow the example of good readers! Researchers have discovered that good readers do
these three things when they read:
1) ood readers move their eyes steadily across the page
!sing video cameras" researchers have recorded the eye movements of people as they
read# ood readers move their eyes steadily across the page# $hey do not hesitate and
they do not frequently move %ac& to chec& what they read# $hey have the confidence to
move steadily forward# 'ou can do the same with practice!
() ood readers loo& at groups of words" not individual words
)onsider the sentence *$oday is one of the most important days of the year*# +ideo tapes
show that slow readers pause at every word to get the meaning# $hey will see *$oday* ###
*is* ### *one* ### *of* ### *the* ### *most* ### *important* ### *days* ### *of* ### *the* ### *year*"
for a total of eleven pauses# ood readers" on the other hand" will only pause three or four
times in the same sentence" saving a lot of time# For example" they might read *$oday
is* ### *one of the most* ### *important days* ### *of the year*# $rain yourself to read word
groupings instead of single words# ,t ta&es practice" %ut that practice will save you a lot of
time in the future#
-) ood readers turn off their *inner voice*
.hen many people read" they have an *inner voice* that pronounces each word" as
though they are spea&ing# , do this" too" when ,/m not concentrating# For spea&ing
0nglish" this is an advantage" %ecause you can learn to say all of the words and sentences
that you read# 1owever" it slows down your reading speed# .hen you see a groups words
such as *, am hungry*" 2ust loo& at the letters and get the meaning instantly" rather than
pretending to say the words# $his is not easy to do" %ut if you can turn off this *inner
voice*" you will %e a%le to read more in less time#
Reading s&ills
1ere are three tips to help you improve your reading:
1# Styles of reading
(# 3ctive reading
-# .ords and voca%ulary

1. Styles of reading
$here are three styles of reading which we use in different situations:
Scanning: for a specific focus
$he technique you use when you/re loo&ing up a name in the phone %oo&: you move your
eye quic&ly over the page to find particular words or phrases that are relevant to the tas&
you/re doing#
,t/s useful to scan parts of texts to see if they/re going to %e useful to you:
4 the introduction or preface of a %oo&
4 the first or last paragraphs of chapters
4 the concluding chapter of a %oo&#
S&imming: for getting the gist of something
$he technique you use when you/re going through a newspaper or maga5ine: you read
quic&ly to get the main points" and s&ip over the detail# ,t/s useful to s&im:
4 to preview a passage %efore you read it in detail
4 to refresh your understand of a passage after you/ve read it in detail#
!se s&imming when you/re trying to decide if a %oo& in the li%rary or %oo&shop is right
for you#
6etailed reading: for extracting information accurately
.here you read every word" and wor& to learn from the text#
,n this careful reading" you may find it helpful to s&im first" to get a general idea" %ut then
go %ac& to read in detail# !se a dictionary to ma&e sure you understand all the words
used#

2. Active reading
.hen you/re reading for your course" you need to ma&e sure you/re actively involved
with the text# ,t/s a waste of your time to 2ust passively read" the way you/d read a thriller
on holiday#
3lways ma&e notes to &eep up your concentration and understanding#
1ere are four tips for active reading#
Underlining and highlighting
Pic& out what you thin& are the most important parts of what you are reading# 6o this
with your own copy of texts or on photocopies" not with %orrowed %oo&s#
,f you are a visual learner" you/ll find it helpful to use different colours to highlight
different aspects of what you/re reading#
Note key words
Record the main headings as you read# !se one or two &eywords for each point# .hen
you don/t want to mar& the text" &eep a folder of notes you ma&e while reading#
Questions
7efore you start reading something li&e an article" a chapter or a whole %oo&" prepare for
your reading %y noting down questions you want the material to answer# .hile you/re
reading" note down questions which the author raises#
Suaries
Pause after you/ve read a section of text# $hen:
put what you/ve read into your own words8
s&im through the text and chec& how accurate your summary is and
fill in any gaps#

!. "ords and voca#ulary
$o expand your voca%ulary:
)hoose a large dictionary rather than one which is 9compact/ or 9concise/# 'ou want one
which is %ig enough to define words clearly and helpfully :around 1";<< pages is a good
si5e)#
=eep your dictionary at hand when you/re studying# >oo& up unfamiliar words and wor&
to understand what they mean#
,mprove your voca%ulary %y reading widely#
,f you haven/t got your dictionary with you" note down words which you don/t understand
and loo& them up later#