There have been a lot of claims about how speed reading can change your life by improving your understanding, knowledge and income earning potential. This is because speed reading can help you absorb information significantly faster than normal, improving your value to an employer.
For some people reading fast is the primary goal, whereas for others, it is far more important to improve their understanding and retention of information. A good speed reading course should deliver both outcomes and as a result improve both your personal and work life.
The average reading speed is about two words per second with normal comprehension. For normal reading needs this may well be enough, however a basic course can help increase the average rate of reading to four (possibly six) words per second with the same comprehension level.
However, some people have very specific reading needs and may desire to increase their reading speed to ten or more words per second with higher than average comprehension. An in-depth speed reading course with plenty of exercises and tests can help them achieve their goal.
Most such courses teach readers to quickly sort through material to avoid unimportant information and focus on relevant aspects of the material. You will learn to read phrases or even sentences rather than words individually as well as skimming over unimportant words and getting to the heart of the meaning of the text.
Improving Speed Without Losing Understanding
Many people who first begin to learn to speed read often face the challenge of sub-vocalization. This refers to the habit of sounding out every word they read in their minds as they are reading. Reading for speed teaches the skill of not sub-vocalizing while you read, instead teaching you to only focus on the words that have meaning to the overall context. You will learn to read for a purpose and in so doing will maximize your comprehension as well as your speed.
There are different ways of teaching and learning speed reading. Some techniques will get better results for some readers than others. Fundamentally, you want to train your brain to recognize only relevant words without sounding them in one’s head. If you are not happy with your progress, look for a different program that teaches these skills in ways that work best for you.
As with learning any new skill, regular practice will improve your ability to read faster over time.