There are no specialized way of getting started in speed reading other than the normal way any average reader reads.
However, factors such as comfort, time periods, and space should be considered before settling down to speed read since these factors can influence one psychologically if proper arrangement is not on ground to to accommodate them.
Appropriate reading material should be ready for your speed reading exercise.
This material should be a subject that you have an interest in.
This is to increase your speed and comprehension while speed reading.
Actually these are the basic necessities for this exercise.
The next step will be to practice speed reading on a daily basis.
This is to familiarize you with words to increase your speed and comprehension.
It might interest you to know that the value of mastering terms in a readingmaterial in a subject you know can not be over emphasised.
This actually helped me during my days in the high school and University, as i continue to be the first to excel and pass all subjects' tests within an amazing short time and at the same time i stunned many lecturers, professors, and teachers with my performance.
The truth of the matter is i never spend much time reading for tests or exams, but i familiarise myself with the content of every lecture as it comes and i do this in details on those days that these lectures are offered in the class, thus, even if there is an impromptu test the next day i go on to pass it very well without further preparations while others score far behind me.
In other words, speed reading is all about familiarity with the words of the contents of the material with you.
Familiarity aids understanding and hence speed in reading.
As you familiarise yourself with words, you take up challenges to speed read in other subject areas that are of no interest to you to conquer them.
How does this help you? Let's take the examples below to clear my point: Easy sentence: The president's convoys raced past us as we were trying to to cross the road.
Difficulty/Complex sentences From the subject of etiology, hemorrhoids are the results of hereditary activity, obesity, weight lifting, straining stools, infections of the intestines.
According to Pathophysiology, an increase in abdominal pressure can cause a serious reduction in the flow of blood resulting to hemorrhoid venous plexus.
To a medical practitioner, the second sentence will be easier for him to read because he has over time familiarised himself with those terms.
He doesn't need a lexicon to understand them.
This also applies to a speed reader who has made efforts to be versed in medical materials.
However, a novice will prefer the first one, because it is as easy as he sees it.
And this will be the best material for him to read if he wants to start spead reading.
It is very important that you learn how to speed read each day to improve yourself.
You will have to review any information you want to speed read.
Check out the Titles, subtitles, scan through the body of the material to spot charts, pictures, graphics, tables etc.
All these will make an easier read when you start the exercise.
All this is to enable you increase your recognition level.
Let's perform a recognition test: You will need to count the following random numbers by touching each of them in the correct sequence.
On your marks, get set, go! 3, 8, 11,5, 7, 12, 1,2, 4, 6,9,10 For an average speed reader, Nine seconds is okay to complete it.
However if it takes you 5 or 6 seconds to complete, then you have an excellent speed of recognition.
Now, take up your stop watch and set it to zero mark.
Start again and see how long it takes you to complete the touching of the above numbers in the correct sequence.
Ready? Go! How many seconds did it take you to complete it this time? Let me know.