Too many books to read, paperwork to grow, lecture notes to repeat or countless information to be discovered… There may be many reasons that encourage you to read faster and more efficiently. Regardless of the reason your starting point is, increasing your reading speed and efficiency gives you an important advantage in time management. As long as you increase your reading speed while maintaining your focus, you can save time in different areas of your life, make more efficient readings, and strengthen your reading habit. How to Increase Reading Speed? What are the Factors Affecting Reading Speed? Reading Speed How Many Words per Minute? What are the Factors Affecting Reading Speed?
So, what are the methods to increase reading speed? What does the concept of fast and efficient reading actually mean? Let's take a look at some tips you can apply to increase your reading speed.
How to Tell if Reading Speed and Efficiency is Low?
There are some hints that the reading speed and efficiency is poor. While you are reading different texts;
- Instead of mastering sentence integrity, you are obsessed with words,
- You missed the details by focusing only on the main idea,
- You are often distracted
- You are reading by skipping some words or sentences,
- Avoid reading long texts,
- If you find that you have difficulty in gathering your concentration, you can read faster and more efficiently by applying the methods of increasing the reading speed.
Reading Speed How Many Words per Minute?
The style, subject and way of expression of each text may be different from each other. Therefore, your reading speed may also differ from text to text. Consequently, it is not possible to talk about a clear value range regarding the ideal reading speed. However, when looking at the average values, it is possible to see that those who read 80-160 words per minute are classified as slow readers, those who read 160-220 words as average, those who read 220-320 words as above average, and those who read more than 320 words as fast readers.
If you want to determine your own reading speed approximately, you can test yourself reading speed in the presence of reading speed measuring texts and a stopwatch. Instead of measuring texts, you can keep a stopwatch while reading a page from several different books in your library and determine approximately how many words you have read per minute.
What are the Factors Affecting Reading Speed?
Some of your reading habits may slow down your reading speed, even if you are not aware of it. The first of these is to read with a sigh or by wiggling lips. You are reading sözcüRepeating things out loud in your mind, in other words, continuing your inner monologue, causes your reading speed to go beyond the speed of your speaking. Moving your lips while reading slows down your reading speed for the same reason.
Following the text you are reading with your finger or a pen prevents your eyes from splashing between phrases. Although this action may make you think that you can follow the sentences you are reading more easily, you will miss the chance to actually do block readings.
While reading a text, the conditions of the environment you are in are among the factors that directly affect your reading speed and efficiency. All visual or audible elements that can distract you in your environment can indirectly slow your reading speed. Since the ideal reading environment may be different for each reader, you should take care to read in isolation from all elements that might distract your concentration.
How to Increase Reading Speed?
Stop Internal Monologues
The first method you can use to increase your reading speed is to completely stop your inner monologue while reading. You have to make sure that you are only following the text you are reading with your eyes and that you do not repeat the words inside of you. Constant attention to these items can be challenging in the first place. However, your reading habits will adapt to the new rules you have set in a short time.
Try to make block readings
Your eyes can focus on multiple words, or groups of words, at the same time. One of the basics of making quick readings is reading and understanding multiple words at a glance. Taking care of block readings allows your reading speed to improve in a short time.
Do Not Go Back To The Chapters You Have Read
To push yourself a little bit and increase your reading speed, you can forbid yourself to go back to the text you are reading. Knowing that you will not read the words you are reading requires a stronger focus on your mind.
Seek Answers to Essential Questions
You can use the 5N1K technique in order to have full command of a text and not to miss the clues offered by the text during your reading. Acronym for what, why, when, how, where and who questions, 5N1K makes it easy for you to classify the information in the texts you read. As you start to read the text, you can keep these questions in a corner of your mind and maintain your concentration more easily.
Strengthen Your Book Reading Habits
You can use many techniques and applications to increase your reading speed. But remember, the basic way to become a fast reader is through reading more and improving your vocabulary. As you strengthen your reading habit, you will learn more words and improve your focus day by day. Spending more time on books that capture your interest and curiosity is among the simplest and most basic ways to increase your reading speed.
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