# Improving Reading Speed **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312 "2010-08-24T17:32:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/1 "2010-08-24T17:32:13Z")
There’s is a certain secret I have that I will reveal as of this present moment. For some reason I have a very slow, below average reading speed. It must be noted however this has not hurt me at school as I am excellent a reading comprehension and memorizing contents from the reading. However it is annoying for me when I read a book or an article for pleasure and indeed destroys much of the pleasure. I think when I was smaller I could read faster, indeed very fast and even now if I’m locked in a “reading mode” I read fast but such times are quite rare. Does anyone have an explanation for this and any methods I could do on my own? Edit/Delete Message ---
**Author:** ![Ruminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Ruminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruminator)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/2 "2010-08-24T17:46:53Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > For some reason I have a very slow, below average reading speed. Have you measured (quantified) your reading speed? I think average reading speed is about 200 words-per-minute. IME, this is about double the speed at which most people talk. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/3 "2010-08-24T18:02:22Z")
> [@Ruminator](#): > > > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > > For some reason I have a very slow, below average reading speed. > > Have you measured (quantified) your reading speed? > > I think average reading speed is about 200 words-per-minute. IME, this is about double the speed at which most people talk. Its rather below that although sometimes it is faster. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/4 "2010-08-25T05:04:55Z")
Skim as you read. Skim over each paragraph picking out the main words and try and get a feel for the intent of the paragraph, if it’s just fluff, descriptions of a scene or in some way doesn’t add significantly to the narrative, skip to the next paragraph. If it seems to contain more important information slow down and read it more thoroughly. I sometimes read this way when I’m getting to the exciting part of a novel and want to find out what’s _happening_ rather than what colour someone’s shirt is. Of course you’re not getting the full effect of what you’re reading this way but it’s certainly a lot faster. Also if you’re reading comprehension is good you can generally read a paragraph for meaning without actually taking all the words in. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/5 "2010-08-25T07:10:04Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > [@Ruminator](#): > > > > Have you measured (quantified) your reading speed? > > > > I think average reading speed is about 200 words-per-minute. IME, this is about double the speed at which most people talk. > > Its rather below that although sometimes it is faster. Sounds like perception then. College reading speed is ~100-150 wpm. Getting below that would be a sign of something else going on. If you can hit 200 wpm, that’s fine, especially for expository (non-narrative) writing. For narrative reading, I would guess that a page per minute is a good clip, maybe 150-200 pages per 3 hours. But, you are lucky that you have retention. Reading fast is meaningless without retention and the fastest readers probably have to read it 2-3 times (thus getting down to regular levels) with near-full retention. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/6 "2010-08-25T07:28:14Z")
I used to be a blazing reader as a teen. Now I’m slower, but I figured out why. I was reading fiction then, and now I prefer meatier fare such as technical manuals. It really matters _what_ you are reading. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/7 "2010-08-25T16:09:02Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > > Its rather below that although sometimes it is faster. > > Sounds like perception then. College reading speed is ~100-150 wpm. Getting below that would be a sign of something else going on. If you can hit 200 wpm, that’s fine, especially for expository (non-narrative) writing. > > For narrative reading, I would guess that a page per minute is a good clip, maybe 150-200 pages per 3 hours. > > But, you are lucky that you have retention. Reading fast is meaningless without retention and the fastest readers probably have to read it 2-3 times (thus getting down to regular levels) with near-full retention. I hit 200 WPM if I’m lucky. ☹ Sometimes if the material isn’t particularly interesting or I’m tired I get below 100. But I do read short stuff like posts here or plays fast enough. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/8 "2010-08-25T16:18:41Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Skim as you read. Skim over each paragraph picking out the main words and try and get a feel for the intent of the paragraph, if it’s just fluff, descriptions of a scene or in some way doesn’t add significantly to the narrative, skip to the next paragraph. If it seems to contain more important information slow down and read it more thoroughly. I sometimes read this way when I’m getting to the exciting part of a novel and want to find out what’s _happening_ rather than what colour someone’s shirt is. Of course you’re not getting the full effect of what you’re reading this way but it’s certainly a lot faster. Also if you’re reading comprehension is good you can generally read a paragraph for meaning without actually taking all the words in. This technique makes ‘Lord of the Rings’ a lot more manageable. ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/9 "2010-08-25T16:33:15Z")
I’m seriously fast… but I have no actual knowledge why that is; it’s just how I’ve always read. Can you describe your reading somehow? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/10 "2010-08-25T16:37:43Z")
I’m not sure what the problem is. I have a friend who apparently reads (novels, anyway) much faster than I do, but I don’t want to catch up. I read as fast as is comfortable, which varies with the density of the material. “Density,” as I mean it here, can be a good thing. Works of finely-crafted language _should_ be read slowly, it seems to me, to get the full effect. I am horrified by the suggestion to skim through _Lord of the Rings_, if that wasn’t a joke. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/11 "2010-08-25T16:49:48Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > I am horrified by the suggestion to skim through _Lord of the Rings_, if that wasn’t a joke. It was a half joke. I certainly wasn’t suggesting skimming all of it. There are a few places, however, where J.R. does seem to use an awful lot of prose to get not very far at all. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/12 "2010-08-25T17:17:25Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > There are a few places, however, where J.R. does seem to use an awful lot of prose to get not very far at all. You mean in a narrative sense? The purpose of prose, even within a narrative story, isn’t always to advance the narrative. As with poetry, the intent can be simply to evoke images and feelings. There’s not necessarily _supposed_ to be anything _happening_. Sometimes reading even slower is the best way to get more out of such passages. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/13 "2010-08-25T17:31:10Z")
This is one reason why I’ve never been able to finish TLorR. Extensive prose used to set the scene sometimes leaves me feeling bored. Tolkien had that effect on me. I certainly don’t think it’s bad, it’s obviously good, it’s just not a style that I particularly enjoy reading. ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/14 "2010-08-25T17:54:32Z")
I’m reluctant to state this, but I have been tested at about 1,000 wpm. However, that was several years ago, before cancer and chemo and teenagers. I think my reading may be nearly as fast now, but my cogitating (figuring out problems) is quite a bit slower. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/15 "2010-08-25T18:32:35Z")
> [@GHO57](#): > > I’m seriously fast… but I have no actual knowledge why that is; it’s just how I’ve always read. Can you describe your reading somehow? What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/16 "2010-08-25T18:45:01Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > [@GHO57](#): > > > > I’m seriously fast… but I have no actual knowledge why that is; it’s just how I’ve always read. Can you describe your reading somehow? > > What do you mean? Are you reading individual letters, words, sentences, blocks of text? What’s the eye movement like? Oh… and how did you learn to read? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/17 "2010-08-25T18:57:39Z")
> [@GHO57](#): > > > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > > What do you mean? > > Are you reading individual letters, words, sentences, blocks of text? What’s the eye movement like? Oh… and how did you learn to read? Don’t remember the letter but I usually try to read groups of words. ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/18 "2010-08-25T19:28:08Z")
Damn… it’s hard to visualize how someone else does something… I’m going to have to do some research, I’ll try to get back to you. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/19 "2010-08-25T19:36:02Z")
Speed-reading courses train you to read blocks of text at a time rather than individual words. You get narrow columns of text to practice on, and practice just training your eyes to go down the column at speeds faster than you can actually read it, using a notecard or your hand to run down the columns so your eye doesn’t stop to rest on any one word. Your eyes gradually then learn to discern what you are reading in blocks. You can ask your parents to enroll you in a speed reading class. I’ve never heard of anyone who did the Evelyn Wood courses, so I wouldn’t recommend them. ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312/20 "2010-08-25T21:45:41Z")
I taught myself to speed read after I read an article about how when we learn to read, we learn to look at each individual letter, to sound them out. Most of us, by now, don’t have to sound out c-a-t. But our eyes still look at each letter. Your peripheral vision is much wider than that. You can actually see a whole line of type at a time. You just have to train yourself to read a whole line without moving your eye muscles. It takes some overcoming of old habits, but it can be done with practice. You are supposed to put your finger under the center of a line of words, read it, move your finger down, etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-reading-speed/551312.md?page=2)