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Enkelriktat: Excellent text on how speed reading works

I have been doing this for some years, but reading in this way makes my eyes really tired. Speed reading compared to ordinary reading is to me like lying on a bed relaxing compared to lying on a bed with all your muscles tensed. Tiring.

The article also mentions that one of the big obstacles to learning how to speed read is fear of skipping important information or not understand what the text is saying. Totally recognise that in myself.

What I need is practice. Speed reading saves a lot of time (for people who read a lot that is ;).

From the article is a link to another page at Enkelriktat describing why speed reading is a good skill to have, and that all people benefit from it.

I am not so sure about the last part. My experience is that a lot of people don't read much after their school years. But I guess it can be connected; if you feel reading is a cumbersome and slow task that takes too much time it definitely is boring (like my relationship to golf). Learning how to read in a more efficient way when you are young would probably make reading a more fun and exciting experience.

Niklas at Enkelriktat sums speed reading up with these points:

• Prepare your reading by checking out the table of contents and flipping through the book, taking note of questions and items that you want to know more about when you are done. Set goals, in a way.
• Don't mouth the words in your head. It just takes unnecessary time. You don't need to "hear" the words to understand them.
• Avoid skipping back a few lines to reread things you think you missed.
• Use a visual guide such as your finger, a ruler or a pen. Follow the current line you are reading with it in a comfortable speed.
• Focus your eyes "softly", that is don't focus on every single word. Try to see whole parts of lines and sentences instead of individual words.
• Keep the book as far away from your eyes as possible to make it easier to avoid focusing on individual words.

One more thing: practice, practice, practice.

Speed reading is not for novels though. Finishing a good novel makes me sad. I want it to go on and on and on. No speed reading there.

Enkelriktat.com: Snabbläsning - så går det till (Swedish)

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