Double Your Reading Rate
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Reading is an incredibly important skill to have. Just about any form of education will involve reading, sometimes almost exclusively. You can often make yourself an expert on an intellectual subject just by reading enough in that area. But despite the incredible importance of reading, most people are wildly inefficient at it. Like a child that never goes beyond a crawl, most people have enough reading skills to move around, but they are far from running.
Over a year ago I picked up the book, Breakthrough Rapid Reading
When I did the initial test at the start of the book, I could read at 450 words per minute. A little above the average of around 300, but nothing spectacular. By using the techniques I’ll describe in this article I was able to increase that rate to around 900 words per minute in average situations, at least doubling of my reading rate.
I believe there are six major keys to improving your reading skill. Like all skills, success only comes through practice, so just reading this article won’t be enough. But if you are interested in how you might be able to make dramatic improvements in both speed and comprehension, I’ve found these six points to be the best start.
1) Remember, Reading is Not Linear
How do you read a book? Likely from start to finish, never going back and never skipping any sections. This is probably one of the most inefficient ways to read. The beauty of text is that it is non-linear. You can skip down to read only my main bullet points, or read them in practically any order. Although the pattern of start to finish might be a simple one, it isn’t always the most effective.
For most books I do read in a roughly start to finish fashion. But I frequently re-read passages that I want to get a greater understanding of and completely skim over passages that I feel are redundant or unnecessary. Good writers generally add anecdotes or metaphors to improve understanding of a concept which you can skim over top of if you already get their point. Similarly, bad writers often go short on explanation of complex details so re-reading can allow your brain the time to form the concepts.
Not only is reading non-linear but it doesn’t have a set pace. Although I read some books at about 900 words per minute, I slow down to 200 if the passage I am reading is particularly information dense or complicated. Similarly I can skim at over 1500 words per minute if I’m reading mostly fluff. Saying I can read at 900 wpm is like saying I can drive at 100 km/h. Speed reading isn’t just about faster but pacing yourself for the specific reading task you face.
Most people read a book as if it were given to them as a speech. They listen to the author and follow along with what he is saying in a purely sequential manner. In order to reach faster rates of comprehension you have to learn to abandon this tactic. You can start this by not subvocalizing.
2) Stop Subvocalizing
When you started to read you probably read out loud. Your elementary school teacher wanted you to read the book and say the words aloud. After you mastered this skill, you were told to simply say the words inside your head and read quietly. This is where most reading education and skill levels end.
To move to a new level you need to stop sounding the words inside your head or subvocalizing. Subvocalizing takes time, more time than is necessary to comprehend the words you are reading. It is almost impossible to go much beyond 400 or 500 words while subvocalizing. Instead you need to train yourself to read without hearing the words in your head.
But for most people this has become such an ingrained reading habit that they don’t realize that subvocalization is a distinct process to comprehension. If I read at around a thousand words per minute, there is no way I could hear the words in my head while trying to process them. Instead I simply see the word and my brain automatically constructs what has been written. I’ll understand a line of text that I looked over in a second, even though it may have taken at least five just to say the words in my head.
Since most people currently can’t separate the subvocalization from comprehension, they are locked in at a rate of about 400-500 words. Moving beyond that rate requires that you practice reading faster than you can actually read.
Edit: I’ve done a follow-up to explain subvocalization more as I think this post may have confused people a little. Check it out here: Speed Reading Follow-Up
3) Practice Reading
Practice reading doesn’t mean reading. Practice reading involves reading faster than you can actually read. Chances are you won’t comprehend much of what you are reading because your brain is so used to going at a slower rate and subvocalizing. The point is simply to see the text faster than you can read so you can untie the habit of sounding the words as you comprehend them.
You can start doing this by taking out a timer or a stop watch and simply viewing as much text in a book as possible in one minute. Use a book you haven’t read before to ensure your brain is actually practicing instead of relying on memory. Mark out where you started and stopped. Count the number of words per line (use a quick average) and then the number of lines you actually read in the book to compute your practice reading rate.
Once you get used to practice reading at a high rate that you can’t comprehend, you should slowly be able to actually comprehend at a slightly slower rate but still faster than if you subvocalized. I would often practice read at between 1500 and 1800 words per minute, and although I lacked comprehension skill, I could maintain it at about 900-1000, over double what I had done when I subvocalized.
But how can you practice read faster than you can read? How do you follow the text but still go faster than you can read? The answer is another of speed reading tricks, using a pointer.
4) Use a Pointer
Your eyes don’t stay fixed in one spot when reading. Eye tracking movements have shown that your eyes actually quiver and move around considerably. And every movement away from your position in text requires a few milliseconds to readjust. These little readjustments in locating your place in a book add up to be very costly if you want to go faster.
Use your index finger to mark where you are on the page at all times. It should follow along with the word you are currently reading, slowly scrolling across each line and then back down one. It may feel awkward at first and it may even temporarily slow your reading rate as you adjust, but using a pointer is critical if you want to improve your reading skill.
Using a pointer is also crucial if you want to practice read. By moving your finger faster than you can actually read, your eyes get used to viewing text faster than your brain can process what is written down. This will break your subvocalization attachment and can easily let you double your reading rate with sufficient practice.
You should use your finger as a pointer all the time. When I first started with the habit I found it annoying to hold the book in a funny position so I could use my right hand to scroll the page. I thought it was silly and maybe even a waste of time. But now I find it hard to read without a pointer. Noticing how much it has helped me focus my reading efforts it is a priceless tool in reading.
5) Eliminate Distractions
As a university student living on campus I’ve noticed a few of my friends who “study” while watching television. Not surprisingly, these tend to be the same people who complain about how much studying they have to do. Reading can’t happen in an environment where external distractions are overwhelming.
If you need a break, take a break. Taking a few minutes to watch a television show, listen to some music or just close your eyes can often improve your focus. But don’t multitask with your reading or you’ll lose any benefits speed reading can offer. Worse, because you have stopped subvocalizing, you might even skim through several pages before you realize you haven’t comprehended anything that was written.
Distractions will hamper regular reading but they will make speed reading impossible. Subvocalization creates enough mental noise that it can hold your attention, but without that it can often be difficult to stick with what you are reading.
External distractions may be a problem, but internal distractions are just as bad. They occur when in the midst of reading you start pondering that conversation you just had with a friend, the movie you want to see or whether you should do your laundry. The way to remove internal distractions comes from clearly identifying a purpose and a motivation.
6) Find Your Motivation
If there was one piece of advice I would offer to improve your reading rate it would be simply to engross yourself in the material you are studying. If you can connect what you are reading to a deeply held motivation, and determine your specific purpose for reading you can maintain a very alert and focused state.
Most people don’t do this. Instead they force themselves to study the book they know they should and end up having to refocus themselves every thirty seconds when their mind decides that this book is boring and would like to be somewhere else.
First, find a general motivation. This is how what you are reading relates to your truly motivating goals and passions in life. When I read my psychology textbook I focus on the fact that many personal development principles come from an understanding of human psychology and that I may discover new ideas if I look carefully. When studying ancient Asian history I focused on the fact that studying a completely different culture could offer insights into how Western and Eastern value systems differed, giving me new thoughts on whether my values are as absolute as I once thought. I also focused on the fact that many great philosophers such as Buddha and Confucius lived during these times with a profound influence on the ideas of these nations.
The general motivation should make you want to read the book. If you don’t genuinely want to read the book, come up with more reasons it is attached to your deepest interests or it is going to be a struggle to move through. You can find a general motivation for reading any book if you are creative enough, so don’t tell me you can’t figure out one.
The second portion is to determine your specific motivation for reading. What are you specifically looking for when reading the book. New ideas? A practical solution to a problem? An understanding of a concept? A chance to flex your mental muscles? Figure out what you want to get out of each reading session so your mind is primed to intake that knowledge.
If you are interested in improving your speed reading, I strongly suggest Breakthrough Rapid Reading
I support this website partially through affiliate arrangements. Any links that are bold are used to show that arrangement (usually for links to Amazon).
M!SSIONAL » Blog Archive » Speed Reading 101 said,
March 11, 2007 at 2:47 pm
[…] Get the whole story at Scott Young’s blog. […]
Aaron M. Potts said,
March 12, 2007 at 8:21 am
Scott,
Great post. I especially like the part about finding motivation. Whether you are talking about reading something or engaging in an activity, the truth of the matter is that you need to be motivated to do it, or else (#5) distractions will creep in.
Although some things are admittedly more fun to read or more fun to do than others, there is something to be gained from each experience. Recognizing what that thing is jacks up the motivation to do that task.
Tim said,
March 21, 2007 at 4:37 pm
This offered a lot of insight. Unfortunately I tried to stop subvocalizing while reading this, so I barely understood anything of the latter part of the post.
Pascal said,
March 21, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Great stuff.
I really have to try not to subvocalize.
It is hard, as I am mostly reading English-written text, which is a second language to me.
But I will try
George Costanza said,
March 21, 2007 at 5:30 pm
I read this article in 12 seconds.
links for 2007-03-22 « Commonplace Book said,
March 21, 2007 at 5:31 pm
[…] Scott H Young » Double Your Reading Rate (tags: howto lifehacker read productivity reading) […]
Erika said,
March 21, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Thanks for the tips! One problem I have always had when I try to learn to read faster is evaluating the progress I am making. Do you have any tips on how to check that you are reading faster and still comprehending the text?
biografide» Blog Archive » Speed Reading? said,
March 21, 2007 at 5:51 pm
[…] A lifehacker entry pointed me to an article about doubling my reading rate. Very interesting tips for reading. One of the main ideas was that you could improve your rate if you stop verbalizing the words in your head. I’ll have to practice, since I tend to mentally verbalize every word I read. Do you have any reading tips to add? […]
Pinny Cohen said,
March 21, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Scott,
I enjoyed reading your tips. I took a more “short term” solution for reading quicker, which I go over here:
http://www.pinnycohen.com/2007/01/24/macgyver-tips/read-faster-instantly/
I’d welcome your comments on it :-).
will said,
March 21, 2007 at 7:27 pm
“Good writers generally add anecdotes or metaphors to improve understanding of a concept which you can skim over top of if you already get their point. Similarly, bad writers often go short on explanation of complex details so re-reading can allow your brain the time to form the concepts.”
hmm. I have to admit this sounds rather like something one of my high school english teachers might say. First off assigning definite attributes to “good” or “bad” writers strikes me as a bit silly. Secondly it seems to me there are quite a number of generally accepted “good” writers for whom this statement would not apply at all (Joyce? Hemingway?). Perhaps this statement applies more truly to journalistic writing.
Also, while I can certainly appreciate the value of having the ability to read with great efficiency, it worries me that that seems to have become such a great concern as of late. There are many texts which I would rather read slowly for a variety of reasons; perhaps it matches better the pace of the content, or allows me to reflect more deeply on the writing’s implications. Though this may not relate directly to speed reading I’ve noticed I tend to remember books much better that I read over a long period of time rather than quickly (a book that I read in small segments over a month or two I will retain more of than one I read in a day or two.)
Just some thoughts: not intended to be an insult or degradation of this very useful article.
Scott Young said,
March 21, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Thanks for the comments everyone. I’ll try to address as many questions as I can:
Erika - You can evaluate your progress by timing yourself. You shouldn’t think about speed reading when you are reading (that’s distracting) only when you are practicing.
will - I’ll give you that. I’m using the definition of “good” and “bad” by describing writers that are easy to understand versus those who are not. Obviously this varies with the subject matter and often you want to read something to think rather than to just immediately understand.
Speed reading is a skill like dancing. Just because you can doesn’t mean you need to start dancing every time there is music playing. There are definitely works I slowed down considerably on. I focused on showcasing the skill, it is up to you how to apply it.
SCapitalist said,
March 21, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Fantastic post! Increasing your reading speed is great skill to work on.
The Transcendental Cowboy » Spppeeed Reeaddder said,
March 21, 2007 at 9:34 pm
[…] IF NOT… Read this article http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/03/10/double-your-reading-rate/ […]
Kolz Blog » Blog Archive » How to double your reading rate said,
March 21, 2007 at 9:55 pm
[…] Double Your Reading Rate [Scott H. Young] […]
ndtwc said,
March 21, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Reading without subvocalizing is sure a very efficient way but it’s really difficult! I tried many times but my head is just keep reading the words! LOL how can I just read the word without subvocalizing? It looks like I can’t understand everything if I reading without subvocalizing.
And use the index finger as the pointer? Oh god people will think I am an idiot if I use the finger to point at the monitor LOL.
And I must agree reading is absolutely not linear. Always use index of a book, or Ctrl+F to find only what you are interested in, and just read that part, nobody needs the rest of the irrelevant contents.
Speedy Gonzales said,
March 21, 2007 at 10:25 pm
I read this article in .85 seconds!
Almost, Not Yet - links for 2007-03-22 said,
March 21, 2007 at 10:29 pm
[…] Scott H Young » Double Your Reading Rate (tags: reading speedreading lifehacks) Like this Article? Subscribe […]
Nick said,
March 22, 2007 at 12:13 am
Thanks.
eshop600 said,
March 22, 2007 at 1:37 am
Man I just can’t stop reading aloud in my head, how do you do it?
Ryo said,
March 22, 2007 at 3:49 am
Thanks for the article.
I always wanted to read faster. It’s boring to read a week on a good book.
I will try out your technique. It sounds great and logical.
l3utterfish said,
March 22, 2007 at 3:54 am
I have always been interested in speedredaing.. I have read a few books about it.
My conclusions:
Its very hard to do speedreading without loosing some comprehension. (At least i am not capable of it). So depends of what you are reading you may want to go faster or slower.. A novel, you might read evry detail, while the newspaper you might just get quick glances.
Online speed reading.. for reading extensive web articles i use “spreed” or “Zap Reader” both are the same… and i find them usefull
stigsen said,
March 22, 2007 at 4:05 am
Damn …how do I use the pointer technique on my computer screen?!
I got it all greased up reading the last part of the article.
Great post!
Nick said,
March 22, 2007 at 4:42 am
Good advice, I read some similar stuff in Tony Buzan’s books about mindmapping and speed reading. Using a finger or cursor as a pointer increased my reading speed off the scale.
Also, most authors pad stuff out, so skimming can often extract the main points in a fraction of the time. Good writers also state the purpose of the paragraph at the beginning or end, so you can just read those bits.
When reading psychology journal articles, I just read the abstract unless I really need some details, as all the important info is in there
Hal said,
March 22, 2007 at 5:40 am
Even though I was just a child in grade school, my first exposure to speed reading was an article about John Kennedy. He supposedly was an excellent speed reader, and espoused the idea, thus generating a sudden flurry of books on the subject. Later, in high school, I tried some of these methods (and there are different methods) most of which simply didn’t work for me, or made reading a boring chore.
Over the years I’ve tried to become a speed reader. In fact, I use many of the techniques in this article, skimming fluff, rereading relevant parts etc.
What I have discovered is, speed reading 1000 wpm is alright for some, not for others. And most of all, it depends on what you want from the book. If you seriously want to remember something 15 years from now, read it more than once, take notes, and focus. This is not about speed.
If you are young and have never tried any of these techniques, I suggest you give them a try. But don’t be alarmed if you find yourself enjoying a novel and verbalizing the words. Its not the quantity of what you read that matters, it’s the quality.
Scott Young said,
March 22, 2007 at 5:43 am
Thanks for all the comments. I’m going to do a follow-up post on Subvocalization, because I feel it’s an area with a lot of confusion.
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LightningCrash said,
March 22, 2007 at 6:18 am
I realized long ago that I subvocalize when I read books. I took to skimming on my own without instruction: College life necessitated it. I did notice, however, that even at my fastest rate of reading, I still subvocalized to some degree. The difference being instead of subvocalizing every word, I would do maybe every 10 words or so. Ultimately whatever the most important word in the sentence was, I would subvocalize it.
When I read David Allen-Carr’s “Easy Way to Stop Smoking,” I was so eager to finish the book (and stop smoking) that I was reading multiple lines at a time in an attempt to finish more promptly. Most writing is full of obligatory fluff mandated by the English language and can be skimmed in the long run. At most, twenty percent of writing is actually necessary, and even that is a very high figure. I personally feel it is closer to a single digit of percentage.
I try to sum up any longwinded tirades of mine with pseudo Cliff’s notes, and this is no exception.
Cliffs:
1. I speed-read in college.
2. I once read multiple lines at time.
3. Most writing is fluff.
Sweet read, chief!
Joe said,
March 22, 2007 at 7:06 am
I found that repeating a sound by subvocalizing is the only way I can stop subvocalizing what I am reading. For example, if I read slowly I automatically subvocalize, but, it I repeat “La, la, la, la” instead of the sounds of the words I’m reading it allows me to break out of subvocalizing the text.
Excellent post, thank you!
Mark Mathson said,
March 22, 2007 at 7:09 am
“To move to a new level you need to stop sounding the words inside your head or subvocalizing. Subvocalizing takes time, more time than is necessary to comprehend the words you are reading.”
Scott-
Great post! I was amazed at how, when I told my brain to quit subvocalizing, I could instantly read faster.
I am looking forward to a follow up post.
As well, you talk about using a pointer. How do you suggest handling this when reading on a computer monitor (which most of us do 8+hours a day)?
Abhisek said,
March 22, 2007 at 7:14 am
I’m in College. My teacher in English asks us not to mark a pointer while reading and speaking aloud a book to increase speed of reading and saying it aloud to the whole class.
When I was self-reading a book, when I was in 6th Class, I use to mark my finger over the text to speed up. And it did work. Then in 8th Class, my teacher told not to mark finger and read texts, so I left the habit of doing that and it greatly opposed my speed. But I was unable to realize that. Why? I don’t know.
But after reading your writing, I’m really boosted, and ‘ll begin that practice once again.
Thanks Mr. Young,
I wish I could donate, but, I only need donation for the book you’ve mentioned above. Sorry
John Wesley said,
March 22, 2007 at 7:14 am
Scott, I found this article on the Del.icio.us popular page. Way to go, one of my posts is actually right below yours. Big day for the PBN. Keep the great content coming.
how to improve your reading rate « simplyblog said,
March 22, 2007 at 8:12 am
[…] how to improve your reading rate Published March 22nd, 2007 Uncategorized Can’t remember since when I started to luv reading, Everyday I spend a few hours to read lot of crap, blogs, news… bla bla. Time is not enough! Thank God I came across a great post from Scott H Yong about how to double up your reading rate. Hey Scott, thanks to you now I can read even more blogs. lol […]
nanook said,
March 22, 2007 at 9:15 am
I can read without subvocalizing but can’t stop my self from holding my breath when i am doing so. then thoughts about having to breathe will distract me, if not death
guess that’s a traumatic conditioning of my psyche to not let go. it also prevents me from daydreaming or similar trance stuff. while beeing unable to let go is a rather common thing, i have not read anything about my particular problem with reading.
???
it’s hard to stay in touch with my reading process. i may speed-read and think of something else at the same time. a matter of exercise, i guess. but i can’t exercise because of my breathing contraction
Rebecca said,
March 22, 2007 at 10:17 am
All of these techniques are directly from the Evelyn Wood guide to speed reading–something that submerged in the 60’s and makes occasional comebacks… in fact you can get the book for under 6$ when it goes on sale at the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble. I read this book as a high school sophomore and was blown away.
I’ve used these techniques over the last 8 years with much success, particularily in the business world where you sometimes have a limited amount of time to rapidly become familiar with a visitor, or friend of a supervisors, who may be a superb networking opportunity. Same goes for when I’m to attend a conference. I do my best to absorb interesting pieces about key atteendees.
Thanks for the refresher.All of these techniques are directly from the Evelyn Wood guide to speed reading–something that submerged in the 60’s and makes occasional comebacks… in fact you can get the book for under 6$ when it goes on sale at the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble. I read this book as a high school sophomore and was blown away.
I’ve used these techniques over the last 8 years with much success, particularly in the business world where you sometimes have a limited amount of time to rapidly become familiar with a visitor, or friend of a supervisor, who may be a superb networking opportunity. Same goes for when I’m to attend a conference. I do my best to absorb interesting pieces about key attendees.
Thanks for the refresher.
Josh said,
March 22, 2007 at 11:40 am
Great read here
I have always been a slow reader. I will be implementing these tips into my reading repitua.
Speed Reading « The Mind of Mierow said,
March 22, 2007 at 1:46 pm
[…] 03/22/2007 - side note, I just came across this article. […]
Scott Young said,
March 22, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Thanks for all the comments guys,
I’ve tried to address as many of your questions as I could in my follow up post.
links for 2007-03-22 « Hip Hop News said,
March 22, 2007 at 3:12 pm
[…] Scott H Young » Double Your Reading Rate (tags: writethis) Posted in Uncategorized | […]
Speed reading tips « MogBlog said,
March 22, 2007 at 4:42 pm
[…] Speed reading tips Filed under: Management — dancmorgan @ 11:42 pm <a href=”http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/03/10/double-your-reading-rate/”>link</a> […]
Quik77 said,
March 22, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Hmm this explains a lot of my problems, I never learned to sub vocalize… so i read really fast, but cannot pronounce a ton of the words I know in context on paper… intresting read, I do the skipping thing too alot, and even more so when I reread, going to try the others thansk for the info
links for 2007-03-22 « GroundupHipHop said,
March 22, 2007 at 9:37 pm
[…] Scott H Young » Double Your Reading Rate (tags: writethis) Posted in Uncategorized | […]
PBriscoe.com » Blog Archive » Double Your Reading Speed said,
March 22, 2007 at 10:27 pm
[…] On that same blog, Young provides 6 easy tips to jump-start your move towards becoming a faster reader. He claims that by following these rules, you’ll be able to double your reading speed. So head on over and give it a try I often think about how nice it would be to be able to speed read, or even just increase my words per minute a little bit. Unfortunately, I find myself too lazy to practice such skills. This is such a flawed way to think though. I mean, just imagine how much time you could save just by putting some effort into learning how to read faster. If I just put about one or two hundred hours into learning how to read faster, I’m sure I would save thousands of hours in the long run. This would mean less time studying and more time for leisure. Even if you don’t study, learning how to read faster would make you so much smarter because you’d be able to cram more in your head in less time. Jeesh, if I haven’t convinced you to start building this skill, I sure have convinced myself. Go read those tips! […]
Speed Reading « Innovation Talks said,
March 23, 2007 at 1:36 am
[…] Just came across this great post from Scott H Young. Pretty interesting article. Scott describes the main points which can help in increasing your reading speed and comprehension. […]
alastair.adversaria » Links said,
March 23, 2007 at 5:41 am
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Brian said,
March 23, 2007 at 6:44 am
An article on MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17705002/)
cites the March issue of the Journal of Vision and claims that speed reading is bunk. According to the studies published in the journal, physical limitations of human vision prevent reading at rates greater than 300 wpm.
In the article:
“Speed reading is misleading,” said Legge, whose research is published in the March issue of the Journal of Vision. “There’s no magic there. You’re just planting the little island of vision quickly through the page.”
Your thoughts?
MetalDudu@Blog - 让你的阅读速度翻倍 said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:04 am
[…] 摘译自Scott H Young的文章Double Your Reading Rate。文章先指出虽然大家都明白阅读的重要，但是但多数人的阅读效率很低，而后作者以自身的体会总结了六点以提高阅读速度。 […]
more random thoughts » links for 2007-03-22 said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:26 am
[…] Double Your Reading Rate Good introduction into speed reading techniques. I read slowly, like the text is being spoken, so could do with practicing some of these ideas. (tags: howto) […]
Kishore said,
March 23, 2007 at 9:16 am
Reading and recording in mind are two different things. I agree, you can read faster without sub-vocalizing but to retain in mind you have to read with sub-vocalizing. Many time when your mind gets distracted to some external thoughts, you need to vocalize till mind starts concentrating again and then again you can go to normal pace of reading. Reading a novel is totally different from reading a scientific text. There is no general rule applicable uniformly.
links for 2007-03-23 at Florian Altherr, Mainz said,
March 23, 2007 at 10:08 am
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Scott Young said,
March 23, 2007 at 10:30 am
Brian,
I love it when people tell me that something I’m currently doing is impossible — maybe it’s just an ego thing, but it always gives me a chuckle.
My response is it depends on how you define reading. If it means reading every single word as you do with subvocalization then I may be inclined to agree that it is difficult to break that barrier. I define reading as getting the information you want out of a book. This may be too loose a definition for some researcher, but it is a functional one. If I get the information I wanted from something, I read it — debating that further saying I didn’t “really” read it, is just semantical masturbation.
You want my real advice. Find out for yourself. If you are curious to see whether speed reading will work, test it. Don’t look at either me or some psychology article for conclusive answers.
Scott said,
March 23, 2007 at 10:03 pm
The Evelyn Wood book is really good too. Read it ages ago a still pick it up occasionally.
Double your reading rate « Entrepreneur Geek said,
March 24, 2007 at 6:55 am
[…] Scott Young wrote about doubling your reading rate. I have tried many practices myself, and they actually make a big difference. I especially liked his 5th point - find your motivation! Over the next five months, I have more than 15 books scheduled to be read, and it’s really important for me to read faster! For anybody who spends a good amount of time reading - emails, sites or books - try these principles out. They work! via LifeHacker. […]
Organize IT Recap 24th Mar 2007 » Advice on organized and productive living through lifehacks and GTD » Organize IT said,
March 24, 2007 at 11:52 am
[…] Scott Young has written a neat post giving suggestions on how to read more quickly and includes such ideas as using a pointer and removing distractions. Having recently joined a library and doubled the amount of books I’m reading this is quite an interesting area. It’s something I’ve covered in a previous recap and I will look at going over it some more in the future. […]
Adriana said,
March 24, 2007 at 1:19 pm
i can read pretty fast both in spanish (my mother tongue) and english, no vocalization or subvocalizing. I recognize words.
But this skill falls behind in reading onscreen:
It helps by selecting a chunk or text… between 3 lines of texts or about half the screen… works like a pointer!
Kata Iwannhn » Slow Reading said,
March 24, 2007 at 4:37 pm
[…] Recently, on a couple of my friends’ blogs, I’ve seen mention of this article about doubling the speed with which you read. [HT: Alastair and Pete.] There’s some stuff in that article which would probably be helpful for a lot of readers (e.g., finding your motivation and eliminating distractions). […]
Voilà tout! » Brèves du 25 mars 2007 said,
March 24, 2007 at 9:50 pm
[…] Double your reading rate. […]
Geoff Taylor said,
March 24, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Heaps good stuff. Much better than my grammar.
But seriously I was taught speed reading years ago, and it has been a boon to my life. I only wish I had been taught touch typing at the same time.
But to stay on topic, it is a bit of a revelation to suddenly be informed of the theory behind it all. This knowledge can only improve my reading and comprehension skills further.
Increase Your Reading Rate « Art of Speaking said,
March 25, 2007 at 2:54 am
[…] More on doubling your reading rate by Scott Young How to Learn Speed Reading - Wikihow How to triple your reading speed […]
Business Communication Headline News » Double Your Reading Rate said,
March 26, 2007 at 10:15 am
[…] But despite the incredible importance of reading, most people are wildly inefficient at it. Like a child that never goes beyond a crawl, most people have enough reading skills to move around, but they are far from running."Read more. […]
Double Your Reading Rate - lifehack.org said,
March 26, 2007 at 10:57 am
[…] Double Your Reading Rate - [Scott H. Young] digg_url = ‘http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/double-your-reading-rate.html’; ( function() { var ds=typeof digg_skin==’string’?digg_skin:”; var h=80; var w=52; if(ds==’compact’) { h=18; w=120; } var u=typeof digg_url==’string’?digg_url:(typeof DIGG_URL==’string’?DIGG_URL:window.location.href); document.write(”"); } )() Author: Leon Ho Posted: Friday, March 23rd, 2007 at 8:15 am Tags: reading, speed reading Share This One Response to “Double Your Reading Rate” […]
Read much more in half the time! « Pursuing Excellence said,
March 26, 2007 at 11:37 am
[…] I read a LOT. Probably at least 150 articles a week. Plus my 2007 goal is to complete at least one full book per month as well. So speed reading is something that could be very valuable to me to increase my productivity and my rate of learning. If it interests you too, please see more details on Scott’s post “Double Your Reading Rate“. He also recommends you get your start with Peter Kump’s book Breakthrough Rapid Reading. Filed under: productivity | […]
lxrichter.com » Blog Archive » Increase your reading rate said,
March 26, 2007 at 1:44 pm
[…] “Double Your Reading Rate” (Scott H Young) Ever felt like you are not getting the reading done you need to do? Well, there is so much out there that I still want to read and feel not having enough time. So this article is a good help if you simply want to increase your reading rate. Quite useful and practical, as it covers - in my opinion - the main points about it. Excellent. (found via lifehacker) […]
Geekularity » links for 2007-03-26 said,
March 26, 2007 at 4:33 pm
[…] Double Your Reading Rate (tags: todo productivity lifehacks) […]
rayshoe said,
March 26, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Speed reading doesn’t necessarily improve your understanding of the material, especially when a writing is densely packed with information. For example, you can’t speed read a mathematical proof, unless you already know how the proof works.
This technique may be a useful tool to have in one’s toolbox, but isn’t a cure-all for reading in general. You may be able to take in information fast through speed reading, but to properly understand a good work of writing requires one to sit back and digest the material for minutes, hours, days… years if necessary. Because in some of the best works that I’ve ever read, meaning isn’t just derived by comprehension of complete thoughts (sentences), but is taken from words, symbols, images, riddles… even punctuation.
But once again, it all depends on what kind of writing you’re faced with and what your purpose in reading it is. Speed reading may be a powerful tool, but should be used with at least some level of discretion.
Steve said,
March 27, 2007 at 4:39 am
Stumbled on to this article. Eliminating subvocalization sped up my reading right away. This is very helpful for me.
I find it helps to subvocalize “Aaaaaaaaah” continually. It puts the subvocalization mechanism of the mind to work in a way that prevents it from being automatically triggered by reading. This is similar to the “La, La, La” in previous post. I find the continual tone less distracting than the repeated. I am experimenting with different vowels and continual consonants (like “Ommmmmm”). Your verbage may vary.
yipyip said,
March 27, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Amen to rayshoe.
I think anything truly worth *reading* is worth reading slowly, because you’ll spend far more time thinking about what was written than you do reading the text.
On the topic of semantic masturbation, I personally view speed reading as structured skimming, which is a vital skill for the efficient extraction of relevant info from piles of fluff and crap. Alas, most writing is fluff and crap, whether because the author is lazy, illiterate, or hiding something.
You can call it semantic masturbation, but I think the overloading of the word “reading” for these two vastly different activities (slow reading to catch the nuances of even punctuation, vs. structured skimming) has caused a great deal of confusion and wasted effort in people’s lives.
yipyip said,
March 27, 2007 at 12:30 pm
OK that wasn’t entirely fair: there’s also justified “fluff” in some writing simply to allow for variation in knowledge and life experience among the readership. One person’s fluff is another’s paradigm shift…
Scott Young said,
March 27, 2007 at 3:06 pm
yipyip,
My reference to “semantic masturbation” was in regards to a claim that speed reading was impossible because you couldn’t “read” that fast. Obviously there are differences between speed reading something really fast and slowing down to catch all the nuances. The comment about semantic masturbation comes from whether you discount speed reading because you don’t think it should be defined as “reading” rather than if it works to get the ideas you want. I wasn’t really trying to imply that slow reading and speed reading were exactly the same thing.
Fluff is whatever you don’t need to get the point. Few things are written solely for one person, so your interpretation between fluff and an example that helps you understand is different. Speed reading is about reading to suit your own understandings.
In any case, practicing the techniques I’ve described here has allowed me to read more efficiently, not only by increasing the upper limit for how fast I can read but allowing me to understand more at every speed.
Savvy Steward » Getting Things Done Ain’t Getting Things Done said,
March 28, 2007 at 8:23 am
[…] Unfortunately I only got through a quarter of the book last night. I tried applying speed reading techniques but I still feel like I’m a slow reader. Darn it, I hate how I am subvocalizing as I read. From what I’ve read so far, the GTD system seems a little clunky. Allen does a great job of writing clearly and concisely, but so far, the system itself comes off as being complex and convoluted. […]
in tune and on time said,
March 28, 2007 at 9:34 am
[…] So when I saw this link, I had to click. The author goes into a lot of detail on six points he considers essential to learning to read faster, the most interesting to me being subvocalizing. I do this all the time and I had never really realized it until now. After reading the post though, I’ve been trying really hard not to. It is quite difficult breaking that habit. Anyway, check out the article, you’ll probably learn something. […]
Schwippy » Blog Archive » Learn to Speed Read said,
March 28, 2007 at 8:13 pm
[…] Double Your Reading Rate [Via Lifehacker] […]
strange said,
March 29, 2007 at 3:49 pm
I find the average speeo to be amazingly low I have “resting” (since 4th grade) reading rate or 600-700 wpm and can boost to 1k though not very long. I find that music can actually be an excellent way to increase reading speed because it kills subvocals for me and forces me to focus more.
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josephtbradley.com » Blog Archive » Learn to read faster said,
March 30, 2007 at 5:57 am
[…] I’ve always been a fast reader. When I was in grade school, I always ranked at the top of my class in reading and comprehension. I’m not sure whether I love to read because I can read fast, or if I read fast because I love to read…but I think it’s a shame that more people don’t like reading. It’s probably the most important skill you can have - reading (and comprehending) quickly. Scott Young has a few tips on reading quickly - check them out and let me know what you think. […]
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Scott H. Young teaches you to double your reading rate « Tech for PR said,
March 30, 2007 at 10:02 am
[…] Posted by eriksr on March 30th, 2007 I started to read books without pictures in ‘em back when I was, oh, 10 or 12 years old. It was painfully slow going as I started by reading out loud. I then read to myself. And eventually I simply stopped reading the words — I just saw them and they went straight into my head. The amount of pages I could polish off every day was staggering to my local librarian. Over the years I’ve slowed down a bit and, my guess is, so have you. […]
Boost your reading rate « 0ddn1x: tricks with *nix said,
April 3, 2007 at 8:49 am
[…] Boost your reading rate Filed under: Skills — 0ddn1x @ 2007-04-03 15:49:25 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/03/10/double-your-reading-rate/ […]
Digmann.com » Blog Archive » Learn to Read Faster said,
April 3, 2007 at 7:39 pm
[…] Well, like most things, you can teach yourself how to read better. Scott H Youth created a few steps which should help you learn to read faster. […]
max night said,
April 5, 2007 at 3:40 pm
I like the idea of reading faster, but I have no intention of following any of this advice from you, sorry to say. I do subvocalize, even moving my throat and lips slightly to say it in my out of habit, but I have no problem with my reading pace. In fact, I read faster than most of the people at my school. The point of this comment is to note that the thought of skipping unneccessary information, anecdotes, and metaphors should only apply to informative, textbook, and other various articles stating fact over fact. Fiction books and other enjoyable books should be read at the very linear, however fast pace of reading it, so that no detail down the last speck of eyelash on the most minor characters face should not be left out or skipped over. This adds to the overall quality of the book and leaves room for the vivid imagery and comprehension of the story itself, for which the author has tried to give by writing the book in the first place. Personally, ever since I was in elementary school, Ive never had trouble trying to read a word itself or comprehending that particular word. For example, imagine that you read a sentence that required a lot of speech articulation. That sentence in my head would be said very fast with almost perfect articulation. That applied, reading something like Green Mile would be fast and easy, depending on how your personal reading skill is. Thanks for reading. Please post a response. thank you.
7 Little Known Ways To Drastically Improve Your Learning at Ririan Project said,
April 15, 2007 at 3:41 pm
[…] About Scott Young: Scott is a PBN blogger who writes about learning, goals, productivity and getting the most out of life. You can check out his blog here (subscribe here) or check out some of his other popular articles: Habitual Mastery (how to change habits), Double Your Reading Rate, How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying or Energy Management. Filed under: Success, Personal Development, Leadership on Apr 15,07 | […]
Psychic said,
April 18, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Another great article. I have been reading through your posts and cannot believe the information you have provided. I shall return.
Thanks
Terry Psychic
Jonathan Yeung said,
May 8, 2007 at 4:49 pm
I don’t believe too much in this whole speed reading thing. As a psychology graduate student myself, (who specializes in memory & cognition) I have studied speed reading extensively, by means of the scientific method.
In general, the faster you read, the lower the amount of information you retain. This has been proven in the scientific literature over and over again. In essence, you end up skimming the passage when you hit speeds of around 900 WPM. Its like your eyes are just skimming over the page, just like they might skim over a painting.
And subvocalizing is actually supposed to play an important part in working memory/short term memory. If you do not subvocalize, the information is less well represented in short term memory. Ultimately, you end up remembering less in the long run. What i’m trying to say is not that you should mentally enunciate each word but that trying to cut off subvocalization entirely is not the solution.
I DO AGREE WITH SCOTT THOUGH THAT READING IS NOT A LINEAR PROCESS. Some parts of the text are more important than others and you can often distinguish fluff from dense content. Of course, when reading scientific journals, there is often very little fluff so skimming won’t help.
So to conclude, I’d just like to say very clearly: SPEED READING IS A GYP. IT DOES NOT WORK!! SPEED READING = SKIMMING THE PAGE. If you want to actually understand the article, you will end up having to read it over and over again.
Scott Young said,
May 9, 2007 at 4:43 am
Jonathan,
I don’t have a fancy research paper, but here is why I disagree with your assessment of speed reading.
You are correct that there is a trade-off between information retained and speed of reading. But speed reading is more a skill than a specific process. After reading this article you won’t suddenly become a speed reader. You need practice.
The reason practice reading works (that is training yourself to read faster) I believe is it forces the brain to optimize how it is reading. Little kids read letter by letter, but adults often simplify common words to make them easier to read. I believe the process of speed reading move this even further so you are forced to compress the meaning associated with an entire phrase from a word or two.
I’m not a researcher, so I won’t argue you on the scientific merit of speedreading. I don’t believe it is a panacea, but unless you actually train yourself to read faster, trying to do it for one session isn’t going to work.
You might want to avoid racial slurs to get your point across though. “Gyp,” is a racial slur for Eastern Europeans (derived from “gypsy” associating negative qualities such as theft or con to groups in Eastern Europe).
links for 2007-05-06 at DeStructUred Blog said,
May 10, 2007 at 12:47 pm
[…] Scott H Young » Double Your Reading Rate (tags: Spead_Reading Productivity) […]
» Be Your Own Teacher - Goals to Action said,
May 11, 2007 at 2:48 pm
[…] Scott Young runs a popular personal development website (subscribe here). Some of his most popular articles include: Double Your Reading Rate, How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying and Habitual Mastery. You can get his free e-book on Holistic Learning here. […]
AgentSully said,
May 14, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I find that it is also helpful to have a goal in mind, i.e. what am I hoping to learn from this.
Of course if you have the time, reading slowly is a wonderful luxury for books or topics you want to really digest.
Very useful post. Thx.
Solve Tough Problems with a Brain Reboot | zen habits said,
May 18, 2007 at 2:05 am
[…] You can check out Scotts blog on productivity, learning and improvement here or subscribe to his feed (updated 5-7x per week) here. Some of his popular articles include: Habitual Mastery, Double Your Reading Rate and How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying. […]
How to Hack Your Presentation Skills « dodowolf likes interesting things said,
May 21, 2007 at 4:16 am
[…] About Scott Young: Scott Young is a productivity and improvement blogger. You can check out his blog here, and you can subscribe to his feed (updated 5-7x per week with posts similar to this one). Some of his most popular articles include Habitual Mastery, Double Your Reading Rate and How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying. […]
让你的阅读速度翻倍 at i Life | 爱生活 said,
May 22, 2007 at 3:04 am
[…] 摘译自Scott H Young的文章Double Your Reading Rate。文章先指出虽然大家都明白阅读的重要，但是但多数人的阅读效率很低，而后作者以自身的体会总结了六点以提高阅读速度。 […]
How to be an Original said,
May 24, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Update on speedreading and some tools online
I have been learning speed reading techniques in the past week. The good news, my speed is up by 200% (to around 350 wpm). The bad news, my comprehension is down by 50% (from 94% to 52%). Not quite what
Seven Little Known Tips for Getting in Shape - lifehack.org said,
May 28, 2007 at 7:29 am
[…] Scott Young is a University student who writes about personal development, productivity and goal setting. Some of Scott’s popular articles include: Habitual Mastery, Double Your Reading Rate and How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying. You can get his free e-book on Holistic Learning here digg_url = ‘http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/seven-little-known-tips-for-getting-in-shape.html’; ( function() { var ds=typeof digg_skin==’string’?digg_skin:”; var h=80; var w=52; if(ds==’compact’) { h=18; w=120; } var u=typeof digg_url==’string’?digg_url:(typeof DIGG_URL==’string’?DIGG_URL:window.location.href); document.write(”"); } )() Author: Scott H Young Posted: Monday, May 28th, 2007 at 9:30 am Tags: exercise, fitness, health Bookmark or Share this with a friend! […]
How I aced most of my exams(in spite of skipping most classes) | brain | Hack the Day said,
June 13, 2007 at 12:55 am
[…] Want more tips? The internet is full with tips on more efficient studying. From speed reading skills to mnemonics, to getting organized, all you have to do is a quick Google Search. My favorites? Scott Young’s post on holistic learning and Speed Reading, the book Breakthrough Rapid Reading, Kevin Trudeau’s Mega Memory. […]
5 Powerful Hacks to Immediately Improve Your Presentations at Ririan Project said,
June 13, 2007 at 4:15 pm
[…] About Scott Young: Scott Young is a productivity and improvement blogger. You can check out his blog here, and you can subscribe to his feed (updated 5-7x per week with posts similar to this one). Some of his most popular articles include Habitual Mastery, Double Your Reading Rate and How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying. Filed under: Success, Personal Development, People Skills, Leadership on May 05,07 | […]
Personal Growth and Effectiveness at Life Optimizer said,
June 28, 2007 at 10:05 am
[…] Use your finger as pointer Your eye movement is vital to your reading speed. If you want to increase your reading speed, you should decrease the readjustment time needed by your eyes to move to new positions. One way to train your eye movement is using your index finger as pointer.Resource(s):Double Your Reading Rate […]
Web Watch 07/16/2007 « weblog said,
July 16, 2007 at 5:44 pm
[…] Scott H Young » Double Your Reading Rate […]
Frank said,
August 5, 2007 at 12:34 pm
900 words per minute it’s cool! Thanks for very interesting Article. I try to use this recommendations.
tariq said,
August 26, 2007 at 9:24 am
thanks for your advices in increase our speed of reading they are really so interesting & valuable
i have one problem i feel bored when i read without a music or without songs or radio so thus not feel bored or tired from reading whatever i read ,,,,,while this is may do distraction as you said ,,,so what is the solution for it ? do you think
Scott Young said,
August 26, 2007 at 9:35 am
Tariq,
Try reading in shorter bursts. I’ve found that helps me maintain focus.
-Scott
My list of bookmarks of the week 1 « Sebastien Lachance said,
September 6, 2007 at 9:05 am
[…] Double your reading rate […]
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September 26, 2007 at 12:00 am
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Brian Vaughan said,
October 11, 2007 at 11:33 pm
wow that was useful. I feel like just by reading that article I can now speed read… just by knowing how and bothering to try.
I used to practice meditation, and in meditation I would try not to vocalize thoughts. I think it’s sort of a similar idea in a sense… just the idea that you don’t have to tie the information being conveyed to the way specific words are pronounced.
and now I’m in China, studying Chinese. Chinese writing doesn’t convey much phonetic information, and often enough I couldn’t pronounce the chinese words I’m reading even though I know what they mean.
This is making me wonder that much more about inherent differences in the way native literate Chinese speakers process information as opposed to us users of phonetically written languages.
One study I read recently, http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/dn9422-mother-tongue-may-determine-maths-skills.html
suggests that Chinese speakers fundamentally process mathematical problems differently, using different areas of the brain.
-brian
Bjørn said,
October 17, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I don’t like using a pointer, as I’m reading faster than being able to move the pointer in a usefull manner. But for not so interesting texts a pointer helps me to concentrate on reading.
James Gibbins said,
November 12, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Read through the articles, but not all the comments. Very helpful! After reading about the pointer and subvocalization, I tried speed-reading the rest, and it worked fairly well (using pen or finger as pointer). I didn’t get every word, but I got the gist of it.
I’ve taken a huge interest in personal development and blogs lately, meaning lots of articles, so this was amazingly helpful. Thanks!
Amna said,
November 24, 2007 at 12:58 am
Scott,
I found the part on finding motivation very informative and interesting. I read pretty fast already, but I found speed reading a bit difficult. I guess the results vary from person to person. I’ll try practicing, though.
Referring to the pointer thing- I find it distracting. I mean, it’s hard to focus my attention on the words when there’s something moving over the paper.
Secondly, I’m very easily distracted by other things while reading. There used to be a time when I could read effectively anywhere and everywhere (even on a train station), but now even a tiny sound sends me off the track.
Okay, I know I’m just rattling off my own difficulties in reading, but do you have any solutions?
Thanks!
Scott Young said,
November 24, 2007 at 11:45 am
Amna,
Try committing to the pointer suggestion for a week of reading. I also found it distracting initially. But now I can’t read without it. The control it gives in reading is remarkable.
-Scott
jsandreu said,
November 25, 2007 at 9:18 am
I’m not sure about the recommendation of a pointer. I’ve done that for years, but not read long prose for a long while — focusing on technical texts. Now that I’m reading prose again, I find that I’ve lost the discipline to read left to right and *need* a pointer or my eyes track wildly off point. I don’t always want or have the freedom to use a pointer. I think using a pointer has reduced my ability to read text on the web comfortably. I’m glum about the whole thing.
Tommy said,
November 26, 2007 at 2:05 pm
I got that book a few years ago, and I haven’t really been able to finish it, but I’m not quite into the pointer thing. I can control my eyes OK without it, but it’s worth a try. It helps when you are first trying to learn some of the techniques that require to make a bunch of loops with more than one finger. I think the pointer should be used until control is gained, and then you may discard or keep using.
Read Faster…your brain will thank you. « Wes-blog said,
December 1, 2007 at 5:26 am
[…] is helpful and a short read, since we’re assuming you don’t read fast to begin with. Scott H Young’s Blog This one is a bit more intesive, taking ideas from the book, Breakthrough Rapid Reading by Peter […]
David said,
December 23, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Great post Scott. I especially agree with the whole motivation thing–it’s amazing how fast and with how much comprehension you can read a book if you are very interested in the subject. I have had times where I end up basically reading through a book while standing in a bookstore just because I’mso interested in the subject. I use a pointer in a “Z” pattern, which was a concept in a speed-reading book I read a long time ago. I usually focus on the spaces between the text and try to essentially read 3 lines at a time. Something about the pointer motion is very helpful. On a computer monitor I just move my cursor in small movements back and forth, which seems to do the job. Excellent post. I look forward to reading more on your blog.
Bunsann Kim said,
January 12, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Great work! I agree with the idea to take a break, if you need to, to relax and refresh your brain for a bit. I usually take a 15-minute-break for every 2 hours reading.
Student Tools: Easy-Read | GearFire - Tips for Students said,
January 15, 2008 at 3:01 am
[…] and taking notes from textbooks much more efficient and less painful. It also makes practising speed-reading a lot easier because you don’t have to hold the book with one hand while using your other […]
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January 18, 2008 at 7:20 pm
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Music Practice Tips - Sight Reading | Music Practice Tips said,
January 23, 2008 at 4:17 pm
[…] a useful place to get hints as to things I could bring across into my music practice. One post by Scott H Young talks about doubling your reading rate, and also of being able to read 70 books in a year. If […]
My Get Things Done List » Blog Archive » Update on speedreading and some tools online [How to be an Original] said,
January 25, 2008 at 10:06 pm
[…] Double your reading rateA post on the subject by Scott H Young […]
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February 14, 2008 at 7:56 pm
[…] learning and habits at his website. Some of Scott’s most popular articles include: Double Your Reading Rate, How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying and Unique 80/20 Rule […]
numyafp » Blog Archive » 7 Food Hacks to Stay Alert Without Caffeine said,
February 20, 2008 at 12:03 am
[…] productivity, learning and habits at his website. Some of Scott’s most popular articles include: Double Your Reading Rate, How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying and Unique 80/20 Rule […]
sunday links -- feb. 24 | BOOK CLUB CLASSICS! said,
February 24, 2008 at 2:13 pm
[…] how to double your reading rate with Scott […]
Magrete said,
March 5, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I was wondering recently how come sometimes it seems I read slower than other people…and after reading this page I just found out the main reason: subvocalization!! Truth is I didnt think of this before, but I tried it and it really works, just needs a little bit of practice and focus at start. Thanks for all yous ideas!
Kent said,
March 7, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Scott, the information really was great help to me.. thx!!
Just a question, do you know anything about a different hardcover version of the book? http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Rapid-Reading-Secrets-Speed/dp/B000OSQ7IM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204923817&sr=1-3
And do you know if the older hardcover version is anything different than the newer paperback version?
Thanks again for the post!!
Strategic Junior High | How To Handle Criticism said,
April 26, 2008 at 6:38 pm
[…] productivity and goal setting. Some of Scott’s popular articles include: Habitual Mastery, Double Your Reading Rate and How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying. You can get his free e-book on Holistic Learning here […]
Taylor said,
April 28, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I honestly didn’t realize that most people routinely subvocalize until I read this article. I can only barely remember doing such a thing; I think maybe reading Lord of the Rings at age 10 broke me of it, since I didn’t know how to pronounce a lot of the words which I nevertheless figured out from context.
Regardless, though, I disagree with the pointer method. It seems like another limitation to be disregarded, like subvocalization, once you can get by without it. I read faster than my finger can move, and often employ a holistic approach to each sentence, in that I comprehend the entire sentence without focusing on any of the individual words.
Scott Young said,
April 29, 2008 at 9:32 am
Taylor,
The reasoning behind using a pointer is that it keeps your eyes focused on one part of the page. Your eyes don’t actually stay fixed, but make tiny twitches while you’re reading. A pointer allows them to quickly fixate back on to the location you were reading, saving time.
-Scott
Scott H Young » Studying and Holistic Learning said,
May 28, 2008 at 6:27 am
[…] my article on speed reading, it seems that my article on holistic learning has brought a fair bit of confusion and controversy […]
Scott H Young » Getting Lucky said,
May 28, 2008 at 6:35 am
[…] know that some articles I write will just take off. A couple posts here including Habitual Mastery, Double Your Reading Rate and How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying, became huge hits. When Habitual Mastery got picked up […]
gamer said,
June 21, 2008 at 11:00 am
I have always been parnoid about my reading abilitys until I came across this web page. I read slow, and I mean slow. I find it very difficult to read out load and can just about manage reading in my head. I find it difficult to define most of the words I read, probably because of the deep and broad subjects im in to, and it would take me ages to get to the point about something interesting ive just read.
After reading all of these comments, before trying or learning the skill, I think it will not work for me,yet! my vocabulary is small. I will try to learn the skill but this skill can only come with skilled readers who have a wealth words and definitions stored in there long term memory, you wont need to say the words in your head, just look at them, your subconciuos mind will do the rest, build the picture without you knowing.
I think that some readers will mistake speed reading as solution to there slow reading/dedication towards there rather thick new book. 1000 words per minute sounds impossible to me, but reading alone seemed impossible when I was at school…. my new car has 225bhp, i use it when I need it, not when taking my family out, or tring to find a parking space. You get me?
What is the specification of a human mind? I mean, whats its limits?
It reaches its limit when there is doubt, limited by narrow minds who cannot see what you achive simply by having faith in yourself, as the mind is not phisical, imagination cant grasp it.
The above frame of mind has gaind me knowledge in many subjects I never heard of, and can now score around 114 in iq tests. not bad to say its almost doubled since positive thinking and going to “thick school” not my words, bullys words.
Anything has the potential, its down to belief that its possible. Tried and tested and trying this exciting skill with the same attitude.
Thank you for inspiration, and rare being that likes to help.
Scott Young said,
June 23, 2008 at 11:09 am
gamer,
Actually in the book, Breakthrough Rapid Reading, it suggests that you don’t go ahead with speed reading until your comprehension and reading level is at least 200 wpm. Speed reading is less effective if you still need to work on your vocabulary. Thanks for the comment.
-Scott
Lavern Bennett said,
June 24, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Dear Mr. Scott:
What interest me the most about your article is
the motivational aspect. I am a 52 year old adult who wants to motivate myself to be an avid reader.
Are there any tools (tapes, books or anything)
that will help motivate me to read.
I notice you mentioned the book “Breakthrough
Rapid Reading” by Peter Kump, will this book mo-
tivate me to be an avid reader? In other words will
it put me on the right track? Please respond quickly!! Thank You
Sincerely,
B L. Bennett
Scott Young said,
June 25, 2008 at 5:53 am
Lavern,
I don’t think it can provide the motivation to learn more, but it provides you the tools to do so. Read my article, “The Goal of Learning Everything” if you want some ideas on my motivation to read a lot of books.
-Scott
Andres Jimenez G said,
June 30, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Scott,
To use a pointer when reading on the computer screen I use “stickies”
This is an application comes bundled with all macintosh computers.
Here is a screenshot of how it looks when reading,
view at Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/andresito10/2627379368/
I suppose you can use a small window for example in computers with windows OS.
Chandan Sharma said,
July 8, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Hi Scott,
I am someone who wants to do a lot of functional reading, I buy books like anything. I have a lot of book around me most of the time. Sometimes for references, sometimes for reading, sometimes the piles that I have not been able to finish because while reading one of those books I came across another book mentioned, I went and bought that book and then this continues.
I believe I have not been managing my book reading. That is just one point. However, the important point that I want to make here is that, according to my research, different books should have different strategy to be used. As most books are not the same, the purpose too might be different for reading. Also, at times you are reading a book on a subject that you have already read once, here you find lot of stuff that is already known to you.
So, based on the types of book we can create different strategy, this is what I do. I have been watching a lot of stuff on YouTube about reading. I came across Marshal’s reading methods. I implement that in some of my readings, the techniques you mentioned here are used for most of the serious reading.
At times, I get down to create mindmaps and even write the points about the books so that to establish the relationship of conscious with sub-conscious.
Came across a RapidReader software, downloaded the Trial Version and read some of my books. I was surprized to find out what is really needed to read something. Just a glance at words is more than enough. Though I didn’t by the software but thankfully I came across some basic things required.
Your articles on reading were the onces from where my journey started. I have more than doubled my speed. Though still on an average side. But thanks to you.
Cheers,
Chandan
Scott Young said,
July 9, 2008 at 7:45 am
That’s great, Chandran.
-Scott
Karl S. said,
July 12, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Great post! I found a website that has some speed reading classes you can watch online for free: http://www.irisreading.com/speedreadingwebinars
Personal Hack » Blog Archive » Top Personal Development Productivity Lifehack Blogs said,
July 29, 2008 at 2:31 pm
[…] Scott H Young’s Personal Development Blog. Focused on achievement and goals. Some of my favorite posts are Habitual Mastery and Double Your Reading Rate […]
James P. said,
August 28, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Great information Scott. Thanks for posting it.
Scott H Young » The 10 Best Productivity Articles said,
September 11, 2008 at 10:00 am
[…] #1 - Double Your Reading Rate […]
Leo said,
September 11, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Was googling for how to read faster and this was a good find. I find it easier to break subvocalizing by murmuring when I’m reading (I never realized what subvocalizing was until I read this article). You were first trained to sound it out so maybe going back and not sounding it out (really) can help.
Gerber said,
October 5, 2008 at 6:26 am
Thanks Scott, a great article. I did one article about this subject myself and was looking for other articles on the same subject. I will try some of the tips you mentioned.
Crystal Tseng said,
October 29, 2008 at 7:19 am
Nice piece!!! I am so glad that I saw your article.
I am a non-native English speaker. When I read, I need to subvocalize every word, even those functional words (e.g. of, in, at, with…), to comprehend the content. But this reading habit has made me feel frustrated in class. In one o my classes, the professor sometimes distributes case study aritles for us to read in class and then discuss. Whenever my American classmates get ready to talk about it, I still have a couple pages to go. Worse, under this circumstance, I am always too nervous to really comprehend the pages I have read, so I usually end up saying nothing. : (
Anyway, I’m gonna try the ways you suggest and let you know if it works for non-native speakers. : )
Arumugam Srinivasan said,
November 17, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Hi,
when I search the web I have got two entries for Breakthrough Rapid reading.
1. published by prentice hall
2) published by Penquin Books (2nd edition).
Let me know whether I can go for the 2nd option. but it is not available in amazon.com.
Scott Young said,
November 18, 2008 at 7:58 am
If you’re looking to get the book, I’d just follow the link I have up at the top of the post.
-Scott
Developing Reading Systems | 3stylelife said,
December 5, 2008 at 5:55 pm
[…] process, as the effectiveness of any method is certainly not universal, and there are a lot of methods out there. Today, I’m going to develop my requirements for a reading system as an […]
John said,
December 28, 2008 at 10:56 am
“Good writers generally add anecdotes or metaphors to improve understanding of a concept which you can skim over top of if you already get their point. Similarly, bad writers often go short on explanation of complex details so re-reading can allow your brain the time to form the concepts.”
That’s right!
dave said,
January 12, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Thanks, my rate tripled just from contemplating upon ‘Stop Sub-Vocalizing’.
Paul Derham said,
January 18, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Hi Scott - great post. You’re in a great place looking into this kind of stuff whilst at uni. I only learned about spead reading AFTER uni. Crazy. I’ve been heavily influenced by Tony Buzan, who talks about a lot of the things you do above - but you’ve added your own tips, too.
I have a short blog (don’t wanna waste too much of your time) about reading and digesting books - http://visionadvancement.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/how-to-devour-and-digest-books/
ali said,
February 9, 2009 at 11:20 am
The biggest challenge in speed reading is to be able to read fast and comprehend at least 60% of what’s being read (non-vocalized), I have tried and have been unsuccessful in able to comprehend anything without vocalizing. If I don’t , I don’t comprehend anything. Do you have an article that gives you step by step guideline move away from vocalizing ?
jackey said,
March 12, 2009 at 6:45 am
i read this page in 9seconds!!! tytytytytytytytytytytyttytytyty for helping me read faster!!!!!!
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[…] productivity, learning and habits at his website. Some of Scott’s most popular articles include: Double Your Reading Rate, How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying and Unique 80/20 Rule Uses. Share and […]
Tagz | "Scott H Young » Double Your Reading Rate" | Comments said,
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[…] [upmod] [downmod] Scott H Young » Double Your Reading Rate (www.scotthyoung.com) 0 points posted 10 months, 1 week ago by jeethu tags lifehacks reading […]
Akbar said,
May 27, 2009 at 7:34 am
Hi Scott,
I like your blogs and guides. Can you please make a guide on how to power read.
Double Your Reading Rate « The Blog of Tagmac said,
May 29, 2009 at 4:24 pm
[…] Original article by Scott H Young Pages […]
speed reading « sed contra said,
July 3, 2009 at 9:47 am
[…] are worth a more thorough read, I need to up my reading speed. So, I hope to put into practice these lessons (HT: Alastair), and, also, to make a bit of regular time for this online speed reading tool (HT: […]