Speed reading tips?

HLS · 01-08-2018, 05:19 PM

Sorry if this is a repeat topic.

Is there a way to speed read but not loose the quality of the book reading experience? I tried Kindles word runner but the experience does not seem satisfying

sealbeater · 01-08-2018, 05:39 PM

I don't know about using any of the e-book readers to speed read.

However.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_...l_presentation

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/irsvp/id523989697?mt=8

https://accelareader.com/

https://lifehacker.com/use-these-app...ead-1795692865

Personally I think RSVP is the best. You just have to find a good app that you can work with.

Dazrin · 01-08-2018, 06:07 PM

You might check out this thread about one option to speed up your reading a little. It seems like I read a little faster by reducing my column width (increasing margins) and don't lose out on any of the reading experience.

As for speed reading in general, if you are reading for fun, my thoughts are to make sure you don't turn reading into work. When I actively try to read for quantity I know I lose a lot of the reason that I read - the enjoyment of reading. So just be careful.

barryem · 01-09-2018, 05:01 PM

I think it's worthwhile to distinguish between reading faster and speed reading. Speed reading usually involves techniques that borrow from skimming and is meant to sacrifice a bit of quality for quantity. There are times when that's useful but it's not something I would do for pleasure.

I took a course in speed reading in college, lo those many years ago, and it helped me. I was and still am a fairly slow reader. Most of the time my emphasis was on comprehension and I didn't use the speed reading techniques I learned. At times though, they were pretty useful. I could jump my speed from my usual 300 wpm to well over 1000 wpm and still retain a lot of what I read. But it wasn't much fun and I did retain less than when reading normally.

After college I kind of forgot about speed reading and I haven't done it much since.

Reading faster is a very different thing. I've found that by increasing the margins I read maybe 25% faster. I haven't actually measured that and I'm not sure how to measure it but that's how much faster it seems to me. It hasn't affected my comprehension at all, at least not that I can tell. In fact I sometimes think it might have increased it. It has increased my pleasure in reading. I read a bit faster and I read more now.

Barry

4691mls · 01-09-2018, 06:38 PM

I can understand trying to read faster if you are in school and have a lot of required material to get through in a limited amount of time, but if you're reading for personal enjoyment with no deadline then I don't see the point in trying to go faster than comes naturally to you.

That said, it can't hurt to experiment with different fonts, sizes, or whatever settings are available on your reader (including colors if you are reading on a tablet) to see if any of those make a difference in your reading comfort.

Tarana · 01-09-2018, 07:01 PM

As someone who had to relearn how to read, the best way to pick up some speed on your reading is to simply force your eyes to move back and forth a little faster than they are now. At some point, you will start having comprehension problems. That's the max FOR NOW that you can work with. Just practice at that for awhile. After a couple of weeks, speed up a little more. There will be a limit. I sped up my reading considerably after doing this for several months. However, I've reached my maximum for comprehension now and backed down a bit. Still, I'm satisfied with my current speed given my issues.

Speed reading is different as it is skimming, skipping words.

HLS · 01-09-2018, 08:41 PM

I do not want to be super fast but I am below the average slow. I want to be able to get thew a book at a normal pace. it takes me 5 to 6 weeks to read a normal size book when I feel I should be able to do it in 4 weeks. I may just have to stick with regular reading then use wordrunner to move thew the long boring chapters

rcentros · 01-09-2018, 09:58 PM

Speed reading, to me, seems like rushing through a hike in the mountains just to get it done.

barryem · 01-09-2018, 11:17 PM

I'm a fairly slow reader. I measured myself at about 300 wpm years ago. I'm not sure if I'm faster or slower these days. I'm really not sure how much I care.

If I can finish a book faster with no loss of pleasure or comprehension then I like that. I was a programmer for a lot of years and getting things done became a habit, a good habit. When I'm reading there's no rush but the habit is still there.

I tend to read chapter to chapter and each chapter gives me a bit of gratification when I finish it. It's a good feeling. But the important thing is that I enjoy the book. Other considerations, such as speed or finishing a chapter are a distant second. Not forgotten but not major either.

It seems to me that you have two options: learn to read faster and learn to care less. There's no reason you can't work on both.

Barry

Cinisajoy · 01-10-2018, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barryem

I'm a fairly slow reader. I measured myself at about 300 wpm years ago. I'm not sure if I'm faster or slower these days. I'm really not sure how much I care.

If I can finish a book faster with no loss of pleasure or comprehension then I like that. I was a programmer for a lot of years and getting things done became a habit, a good habit. When I'm reading there's no rush but the habit is still there.

I tend to read chapter to chapter and each chapter gives me a bit of gratification when I finish it. It's a good feeling. But the important thing is that I enjoy the book. Other considerations, such as speed or finishing a chapter are a distant second. Not forgotten but not major either.

It seems to me that you have two options: learn to read faster and learn to care less. There's no reason you can't work on both.

Barry

200 wpm is average.
300 wpm is not slow. Where did you hear that?
I have been told more than once that is fast reading.
1000 wpm is speed reading.

MikeB1972 · 01-10-2018, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcentros

Speed reading, to me, seems like rushing through a hike in the mountains just to get it done.

Fell running is quite popular around here, and people do mountain running

pdurrant · 01-10-2018, 04:46 AM

You might find this thread of interest.

Ken Maltby · 01-10-2018, 08:03 AM

KOReader has this Perception-Expander-plugin.

Luck;
Ken

rcentros · 01-10-2018, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You might find this thread of interest.

Took a test linked there ... 221 words per minute with 100% comprehension. So that confirms I am a pretty slow reader.

Cinisajoy · 01-10-2018, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcentros

Took a test linked there ... 221 words per minute with 100% comprehension. So that confirms I am a pretty slow reader.

Site I saw said 200 was average.

01-08-2018, 05:19 PM	#1
HLS Wizard Posts: 2,027 Karma: 15107670 Join Date: May 2017 Device: Sage, Scribe, Boox Note 2 Plus, iPad Pros and Samsungs S6,S7,S8	Speed reading tips? Sorry if this is a repeat topic. Is there a way to speed read but not loose the quality of the book reading experience? I tried Kindles word runner but the experience does not seem satisfying

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01-08-2018, 05:39 PM	#2
sealbeater Banned Posts: 666 Karma: 1752814 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505 : Onyx Boox Max : Sony PRS-900 : Onyx Kepler Pro	I don't know about using any of the e-book readers to speed read. However. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_...l_presentation https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/irsvp/id523989697?mt=8 https://accelareader.com/ https://lifehacker.com/use-these-app...ead-1795692865 Personally I think RSVP is the best. You just have to find a good app that you can work with.

01-08-2018, 06:07 PM	#3
Dazrin Wizard Posts: 2,631 Karma: 73864785 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: PDXish Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices	You might check out this thread about one option to speed up your reading a little. It seems like I read a little faster by reducing my column width (increasing margins) and don't lose out on any of the reading experience. As for speed reading in general, if you are reading for fun, my thoughts are to make sure you don't turn reading into work. When I actively try to read for quantity I know I lose a lot of the reason that I read - the enjoyment of reading. So just be careful.

01-09-2018, 05:01 PM	#4
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I think it's worthwhile to distinguish between reading faster and speed reading. Speed reading usually involves techniques that borrow from skimming and is meant to sacrifice a bit of quality for quantity. There are times when that's useful but it's not something I would do for pleasure. I took a course in speed reading in college, lo those many years ago, and it helped me. I was and still am a fairly slow reader. Most of the time my emphasis was on comprehension and I didn't use the speed reading techniques I learned. At times though, they were pretty useful. I could jump my speed from my usual 300 wpm to well over 1000 wpm and still retain a lot of what I read. But it wasn't much fun and I did retain less than when reading normally. After college I kind of forgot about speed reading and I haven't done it much since. Reading faster is a very different thing. I've found that by increasing the margins I read maybe 25% faster. I haven't actually measured that and I'm not sure how to measure it but that's how much faster it seems to me. It hasn't affected my comprehension at all, at least not that I can tell. In fact I sometimes think it might have increased it. It has increased my pleasure in reading. I read a bit faster and I read more now. Barry

01-09-2018, 06:38 PM	#5
4691mls Wizard Posts: 2,776 Karma: 30081762 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: US Device: ALL DEVICES ARE STOCK: Kobo Clara, Tolino Shine 2, Sony PRS-T3, T1	I can understand trying to read faster if you are in school and have a lot of required material to get through in a limited amount of time, but if you're reading for personal enjoyment with no deadline then I don't see the point in trying to go faster than comes naturally to you. That said, it can't hurt to experiment with different fonts, sizes, or whatever settings are available on your reader (including colors if you are reading on a tablet) to see if any of those make a difference in your reading comfort.

01-09-2018, 07:01 PM	#6
Tarana Wizard Posts: 3,978 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	As someone who had to relearn how to read, the best way to pick up some speed on your reading is to simply force your eyes to move back and forth a little faster than they are now. At some point, you will start having comprehension problems. That's the max FOR NOW that you can work with. Just practice at that for awhile. After a couple of weeks, speed up a little more. There will be a limit. I sped up my reading considerably after doing this for several months. However, I've reached my maximum for comprehension now and backed down a bit. Still, I'm satisfied with my current speed given my issues. Speed reading is different as it is skimming, skipping words.

01-09-2018, 08:41 PM	#7
HLS Wizard Posts: 2,027 Karma: 15107670 Join Date: May 2017 Device: Sage, Scribe, Boox Note 2 Plus, iPad Pros and Samsungs S6,S7,S8	I do not want to be super fast but I am below the average slow. I want to be able to get thew a book at a normal pace. it takes me 5 to 6 weeks to read a normal size book when I feel I should be able to do it in 4 weeks. I may just have to stick with regular reading then use wordrunner to move thew the long boring chapters

01-09-2018, 09:58 PM	#8
rcentros eReader Wrangler Posts: 7,441 Karma: 48453105 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Boise, ID Device: PB HD3, GL3, Tolino Vision 4, Voyage, Clara HD	Speed reading, to me, seems like rushing through a hike in the mountains just to get it done.

01-09-2018, 11:17 PM	#9
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I'm a fairly slow reader. I measured myself at about 300 wpm years ago. I'm not sure if I'm faster or slower these days. I'm really not sure how much I care. If I can finish a book faster with no loss of pleasure or comprehension then I like that. I was a programmer for a lot of years and getting things done became a habit, a good habit. When I'm reading there's no rush but the habit is still there. I tend to read chapter to chapter and each chapter gives me a bit of gratification when I finish it. It's a good feeling. But the important thing is that I enjoy the book. Other considerations, such as speed or finishing a chapter are a distant second. Not forgotten but not major either. It seems to me that you have two options: learn to read faster and learn to care less. There's no reason you can't work on both. Barry

01-10-2018, 04:46 AM	#12
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,504 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	You might find this thread of interest.

01-10-2018, 08:03 AM	#13
Ken Maltby Wizard Posts: 4,465 Karma: 6900052 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Heart of Texas Device: Boox Note2, AuraHD, PDA,	KOReader has this Perception-Expander-plugin. Luck; Ken

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