In spite of gaining popularity amongst people from different walks of life, speed reading is being looked at with a doubtful eye. The advantages of speed reading are doubted mainly because of the common belief that it is dependent on superficial skimming. This is however only a myth. Speed reading does involve skimming but it is also a combination of various other techniques that allow you to read faster. There is no compromise on reading comprehension. On the contrary, reading comprehension improves over a period of time; so does memory retention.
There are some strategies for beginners to speed reading which will help them enjoy the benefits immediately. As we discussed, skimming of information is one of the speed reading techniques. The basic idea is that you do not need to read all texts to understand the entire meaning. Certain keywords will provide the general overview that is required to understand the information contained in the reading material.
Learning to skim requires some amount of skill. The skill is acquired through dedication and practice. As you start the process, you can continue reading in your old style but be watchful for words that convey more than the rest. As you start spotting these words, you will also start to look for them in the next material that you read. Over a period of time this becomes a habit and your reading speed improves considerably without having to compromise on reading comprehension.
Before you begin reading any material, read the table of contents or abstract. This will help you getting an overview of what the material has to offer. Often reading takes time because you do not know what information you are looking for. One of the techniques to improve reading speed is to acquire the prior knowledge of what information you want from the reading matter. Once you know that your mind automatically searches for the particular information discarding others.
In order to focus on what you are reading you can annotate or underline the text that you feel has conveyed the message. This method not only helps you in focusing but also at the end of the reading session shows you how much of the reading material was really important. A key component of speed reading techniques is focus while reading and this method helps you achieve it.
If you are in the habit of reading by hearing, break it. Reading speed is considerably slowed down because you need to hear what you read to comprehend. Reading speed gets limited by the speed of speech delivery. This habit has to be completely eliminated and you have to acquire the habit of reading by seeing. When your speed starts comparing to the speed at which you see, you can experience the joy of speed reading. If you are conscious of the way you read, you will find it easier to eliminate this habit. There are also many other helps available like software and manuals to help you get rid of this habit.
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By Kathy Glee 
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