7 TIPS ON HOW TO READ AND COMPREHEND FASTER
Viewing a film’s trailer before watching the
movie gives you context and lets you know
what to expect. Likewise, previewing a text
before reading it prepares you to quickly
gain an understanding of what you’re about
to read. To preview a text, scan it from the
beginning to the end, paying special
attention to headings, subheadings, anything
in bold or large font, and bullet points. To
get a big picture understanding, skim the
introductory and concluding paragraphs.
Try to identify transition sentences, examine
any images or graphs, and figure out how
the author structured the text.
2. PLAN YOUR ATTACK.
Strategically approaching a text will make a
big difference in how efficiently you can
digest the material. First, think about your
goals. What do you want to learn by reading
the material? Jot down some questions you
want to be able to answer by the end. Then,
determine the author’s goal in writing the
material, based on your preview. The
author’s goal, for example, might be to
describe the entire history of Ancient Rome,
while your goal is simply to answer a
question about Roman women’s role in
politics. If your goal is more limited in scope
than the author’s, plan to only find and read
the pertinent sections.
Similarly, vary your plan of attack based on
the type of material you’re about to read. If
you’re going to read a dense legal or
scientific text, you should probably plan to
read certain passages more slowly and
carefully than you’d read a novel or
magazine.
3. BE MINDFUL.
Reading quickly with good comprehension
requires focus and concentration. Minimize
external noise, distractions, and
interruptions, and be mindful when your
thoughts wander as you read. If you notice
that you’re fantasizing about your next meal
rather than focusing on the text, gently bring
your mind back to the material. Many
readers read a few sentences passively,
without focus, then spend time going back
and re-reading to make sure they understand
them. According to author Tim Ferriss, this
habit, called regression, will significantly
slow you down and make it harder to get a
big picture view of the text. If you carefully
and attentively approach a text, you'll
quickly realize if you’re not understanding a
section, saving you time in the long run.
4. DON’T READ EVERY WORD.
To increase your reading speed, pay
attention to your eyes. Most people can scan
in 1.5 inch chunks, which, depending on the
font size and type of text, usually comprise
three to five words each. Rather than
reading each word individually, move your
eyes in a scanning motion, jumping from a
chunk (of three to five words) to the next
chunk of words. Take advantage of your
peripheral vision to speed up around the
beginning and end of each line, focusing on
blocks of words rather than the first and last
words.
Pointing your finger or a pen at each chunk
of words will help you learn to move your
eyes quickly over the text. And it will
encourage you not to subvocalize as you
read. Subvocalization, or silently
pronouncing each word in your head as you
read, will slow you down and distract you
from the author’s main point.
5. DON’T READ EVERY SECTION.
According to Dartmouth College’s
Academic Skills Center, it’s an old-
fashioned myth that students must read
every section of a textbook or article. Unless
you’re reading something extremely
important, skip the sections that aren’t
relevant to your purpose. Reading
selectively will make it possible for you to
digest the main points of many texts, rather
than only having time to fully read a couple.
6. WRITE A SUMMARY.
Your job shouldn’t end when you read the
last word on the page. After you finish
reading, write a few sentences to summarize
what you read, and answer any questions
you had before you started reading. Did you
learn what you were hoping to learn? By
spending a few minutes after reading to
think, synthesize the information, and write
what you learned, you’ll solidify the
material in your mind and have better recall
later. If you’re a more visual or verbal
learner, draw a mind map summary or tell
someone what you learned.
7. PRACTICE TIMED RUNS.
Approaching a text strategically, reading
actively, and summarizing effectively takes
practice. If you want to improve your
reading speed, use a timer to test how many
words (or pages) per minute you can read.
As you’re able to read faster and faster,
check in with yourself to make sure you’re
happy with your level of comprehension.
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