Most of us are avid readers. While research suggests that the majority of readers cover anywhere from 10-15 books each year, for a beginner, this is most often not the case. However, with a bit of practice with the right techniques, even as a novice reader you can start reading more, in much less time.

"To improve your reading quantity, you need to enhance your reading quality"

In order to read anything faster, there are 3 systems you can use to improve your reading speed. This applies to books, articles, or academic papers. Let's dive in

1. Priming

There is strong evidence that suggests priming is an effective tool to enhance cognition and retention. When you look at your page, spend about 1-2 minutes understanding the big picture.

Approach the page by first skimming the headings, bold words, and important quotes. One of the most common mistakes is reading in a linear manner when you first encounter your text. Try your best to avoid it, especially when the material you are reading is completely new to you.

2. Sub-vocalization

In any form of text, there are always going to be some sentences that are more important than others. After obtaining a big picture through priming, you should be able to almost 'predict' what is important and what isn't.

Once you have an idea of that, sub-vocalize over the crucial knowledge by softly reading the words out to yourself, in order to help you retain it better. This allows you to stimulate both, your visual and auditory senses.

3. Grouping words

Reading in a linear manner is often quite an unproductive technique. Instead of focusing your center of attention on words, one by one, relax your eyes and expand your vision.

An effective way to do this is by focusing your vision on the gaps between two words, rather than any single word. This method is extremely useful if your aim is to capture a vast amount of text in a short period of time.

"Reading is faster than listening. Doing is faster than watching"