How to Read Faster? (The Definitive Guide for Students)

Wouldn't it be great to read faster? Speeding through all of the words on a page and finishing books in record time. Besides reading for pleasure, it could help out with things like reading assignments or exams to leave time for more important things like sleep. Even if we don't like it, we all have to read at some point, whether it is for pleasure or an obligation. If you're looking for the trick of the trade and would like to read faster, we have a few tips to follow that will help you cut your reading time without losing the gist of the text. 

Learn to Skim

Ever heard of skimming? If not, then your elementary teachers failed you. Not really, but skimming is a super useful skill that you can take with you from a tiny tot to university. Skimming is essentially glancing over the text, looking for keywords that pop out to you to get the main idea. If you've got a long reading assignment that you're not looking forward to or don't have time for, skimming is a lifesaver. 

To practice skimming, you can pick up any book and time yourself, giving yourself 30 seconds to one minute to quickly look at a text. Then, try and see what you understood during that time, checking for your overall understanding. This is a skill that gets better with time, so practice makes perfect yet again. 

Read Chunks, Not Words

Learning to read faster is not something that helps out in the classroom only, but also with books you enjoy. Maybe you're taking a gander at well-known black authors that have written excellent books, but which one should you read? If you're pushed for time but would like to get the gist of what writers have to say, you could practice reading chunks of text instead of every word.

To practice, pick up a book and turn to any page. Try and look at paragraphs or large sections only for a few seconds, turning through the pages quickly. In doing this, you should get the main idea and even be able to quote a few concrete details. Our eye span goes about 1.5 inches across a page, which is more than enough to take in a whole section of words in less time than you might have thought.   

Don't Re-Read

Too many of us get stuck on reading between the lines that we often get lost in reading and digesting the text's true meaning. Try and train yourself not to re-read, making the first go count. This is not a difficult task; it just takes some time to get used to. Be strict with yourself and do not allow yourself to read over a section more than one time. In this way, you'll put pressure on yourself to focus and understand the text from the first time you lay eyes on it. 

Read More Often

Reading is a "love or hate" thing. Some people can dive into a book and read for hours, while others struggle to get to the second page. No matter the case, reading is essential. It's not like writing, where you can turn to a 'write my essay' service and get professional assistance to receive a good grade; it's often much more complicated. When we get reading assignments, we are often tested over the material and sometimes asked very detailed questions. 

So, how can you start to train yourself to read faster? Well, by reading more. We know it sounds counterintuitive, but it really works. The more you read, the more you can practice the other skills mentioned above, sharpening them and taking your reading pace to warp speeds. Of course, you can practice reading more with things that you like, reaching for fun things like comics, lyrics, or even poems. 

Benefits of Faster Reading 

If you're not a fan of reading in general, you may be left thinking, "why would I want to read anyway?" Reading is an essential part of the educational process and involved in all subjects under the sun. Whether you want to be an engineer, a doctor, or a superstar influencer, you'll need to know how to read. That being said, taking up your reading speed comes with a large number of benefits, including: 

• Finishing assignments faster
• Getting work done on time
• Whipping through a new trilogy you've become addicted to
• Catching up on the latest story that is trending in your group

No matter if you love it or hate it, reading is something we all should do. Either way, learning to speed through reading can benefit you in both school life and real life.