7 Ways to Improve Your Speed Reading Skills ...

If you're looking for ways to improve your speed reading skills then I am here to help. Speed reading or skimming and scanning, are essential skills to master, especially if you're studying and you need to read a number of books or papers in a short space of time. Speed reading will enable you to boost productivity and save time, so it's a great skill to have for now and the future. When it comes to writing papers or preparing presentations for college, being able to find the information you need quickly is key and these ways to improve your speed reading skills are sure to help.

1 Look at the Layout

One of the first ways to improve your speed reading skills is to look at the layout of the text. Sometimes, it's easy to find the most important information that you need through the headings and sub-headings. It will also help you save time if you need to find certain bits of information quickly and will mean that you can go back to the other sections later when you're more awake, more alert or have a little more time.

2 Make Notes

Making notes will also make it easier for you to retain information and it may be that you need to remember vital sections from the text. It might also be an idea to write any questions or thoughts that you have about the text. These will help you remember the key information in the text too.

3 Key Words

Look for key words when you're skimming and scanning. This will help you to skip over the less important information and concentrate on the information that is vital for your needs. Expanding your vocabulary will also improve your reading speed. Invest in a good dictionary so that you can note down new words you come across.

4 Underlining and Highlighting

Obviously if it's a college text book and it isn't yours to underline then it's probably not wise to deface college property. However, if it's your copy or you have loose sheets to make notes on, then underlining and highlighting can be very useful when speed reading. I find that I can remember colors so they help when I'm scanning and skimming for information in a text. Underline sparingly though, otherwise you won't be able to see the important information that you really need.

5 Topic Sentences

Topic sentences are the ones at the beginning of the paragraph and give you a good indication of what that paragraph is going to be about. Look for the key words in the topic sentences to help you find the information you need quickly.

6 Practice Makes Perfect

When it comes to speed reading, practice really does make perfect. It may be that when you start out you're a little slower, but once you speed read a few times, you will become quicker and more efficient.

7 Courses and Apps

There are many speed reading courses available if you really want to speed up your reading skills and there are apps available too. Acceleread is just one of them and helps you improve your reading speed through different activities, which gradually get more difficult as you progress.
Find it here- Acceleread Speed Reading Trainer by BananaBox Inc.
itunes.apple.com

These are just a few ways to improve your speed reading skills. Does anyone else have any helpful tips?

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