20 Benefits of Speed Reading
What are the benefits of speed reading? Enjoy 5 instantly.
“Why should I learn to speed read? This is just nonsense?” is only one of a few common responses I occasionally receive from people when I talk about reading improvement. That’s totally fine for me. My answer usually is: for higher speed and better comprehension! However, there are many more benefits of speed reading.
I assume that most people know the great experience of speeding through an exciting novel and instantly grasp the ongoing storyline and events happening in it. You can’t stop. You just want to know how everything is going to work out.
Fast reading can be quite similar: the proven techniques aim to systematically improve your comprehension and retention while pushing the pedal to the metal. Saying that here is the list of 20 popular benefits that can positively affect your career and life.
20 Benefits of Speed Reading
- Increases average reading speeds.
- Allows absorbing information much faster.
- Increases overall comprehension.
- Increases knowledge in many fields of interests.
- Allows recalling information more effectively.
- Promotes visualization while reading.
- Delivers reading strategies to handle today’s information overload.
- Encourages unlearning some bad reading habits from school.
- Organizes the reading process more effectively.
- Promotes concentration and discipline.
- Decide faster what is worth to read and what’s not.
- Allows reading more material in the same time.
- Allows reading material in less time.
- Open ups new job opportunities and can be a boost for any career.
- Improves time management.
- Techniques are suitable for reading blogs or RSS feeds.
- Promotes a more efficient writing style.
- Encourages to learn memory techniques; all applicable in daily life.
- Beat any of your friends in remembering things in order.
- Actively create your own future by learning new skills.
My favorite benefit – These are just the most obvious benefits of speed reading. In my opinion, the biggest benefit you may enjoy is to expand your general knowledge consistently and, thus, be able to create a steady flow of ideas that have the potential to let you improve on all levels be it your career, hobbies or partnerships.
Furthermore, as with many other things in life: speed reading will open up a few doors to other interesting skills such as remembering things better, making better choices for your reading or visualizing written words more precisely.
How to get started? Read our in-depth tutorial or consider the following tips.
- Read an overview on how to apply effective reading tactics (see tutorial link).
- Watch and benefit from one of the many good videos if you prefer visual media.
- Enjoy listening to a podcast if you are an audio learning person.
- Make yourself familiar with common phrases, terms, suffixes and prefixes.
- Test your speed and comprehension rate. Know where you stand. Set your goals.
- Research and benefit from a course/class/book. Get some guidance.
- Exercise, Exercise, Exercise to fully enjoy the benefits mentioned above.
Kids can enjoy the benefits of speed reading too, though…
- Reading tests are not really necessary for kids. Relax and enjoy the fun.
- Easy methods such as hand pacing or previewing provide faster benefits.
- 15 minutes a day is a good time frame to practice techniques.
- Research books that are suitable for children.
- Think of a smart and inexpensive reward system to keep your child motivated.
- Involving friends from the neighborhood offers great benefits to boost motivation.
- Making a plan on what to teach and how to teach benefits the outcome.
- Warm-up sessions help to increase focus.
Further reading: Skimming and Scanning | Improve Comprehension – Tips
What are the benefits of speed reading in your opinion? Please share them in the comments below.
Image credit: Creative Commons Flickr / ZionFiction Title: Books-reading