So many books, so little time…sound familiar? Here are some tips on boosting your reading speed!
Read A Lot
I know, I know – if you could spend more time reading, why would you need to read faster? But I’m speaking from experience when I say that a high volume of reading will help you read faster.
When I sustained a concussion in college, my reading speed plummeted dramatically. After struggling along through the semester, I dedicated weeks over break to just reading fiction, trying to boost my speed back up to where it had been. I read over 10,000 pages that summer – and it helped! I clocked myself at the beginning and end of the summer, and my speed was much closer to where it had been before the concussion. Reading is a skill, and even more so reading quickly – you have to train it like any other skill, and repetition is key.
Read What You Love
If you’re struggling with a particular book or with reading in general, try putting your current book aside and reading something that catches and keeps your attention. Sure, classics are classics for a reason, but if you’re just starting to pick up reading as a hobby, don’t bog yourself down thinking you have to read the “right” books. Reading speed comes with volume, as I’ve said, so boost your speed by giving yourself permission to train it up with books you genuinely and easily enjoy.
Boost Your Vocabulary
Finding new words I don’t know is actually one of my favorite parts of reading, but it can also really slow you down – especially if it happens on every page. Increasing your vocabulary can help you breeze through books much faster in the long run.
- Sign up for word of the day emails – Merriam-Webster has a good one
- Use the word lookup feature of your reading device, if you’re reading digitally. If you have a Kindle, it can even make flashcards out of words you’ve looked up while reading! This is a great way to make sure the words stick.
- Keep a dictionary app on your phone if you’re reading paper books
Choose Your Format Wisely
My speed varies widely between different formats – I’m definitely slowest reading on a computer screen, and probably fastest on a dedicated ereader. If you have difficulty reading paper books because of dexterity or visual impairment issues, consider reading on a phone, tablet, or ereader. Increasing the size of the text and having control over the brightness of the screen can be a lifesaver for some!
Also, the font you read in can have a massive impact. There are fonts designed to mitigate some common issues with reading caused by dyslexia, such as OpenDyslexic. There are some paper books available in this font, but it’s also available as an font choice on some ereaders! If these issues plague you, consider trying one of these options.
Don’t Be Afraid to Skim
This may sound blasphemous (sorry not sorry), but I am not afraid to skim a bit if a book has hit a slow point for me. Assuming you’re not reading for a class, there isn’t going to be a test at the end – I hereby give you permission to skim sections of books that aren’t grabbing you. *waves wand permissively*
Don’t Be Hard on Yourself
Reading is, above all, something you do for yourself. Never beat yourself up over how, what, or how fast you read. It won’t help, and it’s not necessary.
I hope you found something useful in this post, and I’d love to hear from you! What’s your best tip for reading faster?
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