When you where in 5 years old or younger, you were probably reading letter by letter to give you a reading rate of about 50 WPM. As time progressed you began reading word-by-word to increase your reading speed to between 150-250 WPM.

In this stage of the course, you will realize that one of the best ways to increase your speed reading is to read more than one word at a time. This is done by reading and looking at words as a group. As you are reading, your eyes take about a quarter of a second to visually refocus on each set of words you are looking at. This quarter of a second might not sound like a lot but think about the number of words your eyes need to focus on while reading and multiply that by a quarter of a second. As you can see you will be wasting a lot of time if you need to focus on each word separately. Hence, in this chapter you will learn some techniques to help you focus on several words at a time.

The BEST way to increase your reading speed and stop regression, which occurs when you reread the same material, is to use your hand as a pointer.   Regression is usually due to faulty eye movement that occurs while reading. This section of this guide will help you to eliminate regression!

The main tool that we will be using to eliminate regression is called a pointer.  A pointer is simply a reading accelerator that redirects your focus along the lines of the text.  Basically, a pointer will guide you as you read.  The pointer and your eye should follow each other as you read.  In this chapter and the next chapter, I will introduce several methods that have been successfully used as pointers. Your goal should be to practice each method and see which one you are most comfortable with.

In this chapter, you will learn about other pointers and pacers you can use while you are reading.  Although the finger pointer that was discussed in the last chapter is the best pointer and the most recommended one to use, you may find one of the other pointers to work better for you.

The Pencil Pointer

The first pointer is also one of the most known methods to reduce regression. As you are reading, use a pencil (a highlighter will also work) to guide your focus. For example, as you are reading a sentence, place the tip of the pencil below the word that you are reading while moving the pencil at a steady place to match your reading speed. Your goal is not to underline the words that you have read. Your goal is to pace yourself with a pencil by reading the words above it. The major advantage of this pointer method is that you can highlight or underline a portion of the sentence that you find useful. This can prove to be an excellent study habit is mastered.

One of the best ways to study and retain information for a much longer time is highlighted by the SQ3R method. This method has been proven to increase your retention and comprehension of the material being read. This method is optimum for studying.

SQ3R Method:

S = SURVEY
Determine the structure or organization of the chapter.

There are many things that separate fast readers from slow readers. One of the features that speed readers possess is that they read to gain from the information and enjoy reading frequently. On the other hand, slow readers approach reading with a negative perspective and thus read slow.