We spend a great deal of time reading blogs, e-mails, articles or news releases. Would you like to save time by at least doubling your current reading speed following some easy to use techniques and practice with a fun, free website application...?

There are a few techniques to speed reading which include cutting out the sub-vocalising, using a guide and not backtracking. As with most things it requires practice, but at least it is a skill you can develop for free!

Here are the techniques in a bit more detail:

• Stop sub-vocalising. Most of us say each word in our heads when reading. It is a habit probably developed in childhood but its is not necessary and does nothing but slow down your reading. Try forcing your brain to not have enough time to sub-vocalise by reading at a fast pace. There is also a handy and fun website called www.spreeder.com that will help you practice – just copy and paste the text you want into the box, click play, and it will display each word individually one after another on the screen, at a rate you choose. Probably 300 words per minute is a good start and this is just about the threshold speed where it gets hard to follow the text, and sub-vocalise at the same time. So if you try it you’ll probably stop saying the words in your head, as you just don’t have time to.
  
• Read in chunks. Rather than reading one word at a time try looking at a chunk of three or four words – you’ll find that with practice your brain will be able to process the information from larger and larger chunks of text, without having to read each word individually.
  
• Don’t go back. When you are reading fast, it is tempting to go back to reread sentences as you feel you have missed a few points. If you practice not going back it should ensure that you concentrate more to get it first time around and this will help increase your reading speed.

There is plenty to practice with on the Internet and it will save you paying for a speed reading course. Obviously if you are reading a textbook or a research article you may have to slow down your speed of reading but with a bit of practice you can improve your reading productivity.

Good luck!