Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour

by Kam Knight

Brain scientists and information experts assert that more than 80 percent of the information we receive comes through the eyes.[1]

Unfortunately, most are simply not using this ability. That’s because reading isn’t something that originated or exists in nature. Reading is something that humans created, and since it is human-made, it is not an instinctual skill that we are born to do. It is a skill that must be learned.

Most of us learn to read, but that doesn’t mean we learn to read in the best way.

With commitment, there is no doubt that you will develop the ability to read a 200+ page book in one hour!

With everything out of the way, let’s learn to read a 200+ page book in 1 hour.

Of course, those same opportunities existed before setting the goal, but since they were of no interest at the time, the mind paid them no attention.

Whatever the purpose, there is a purpose—even if you don’t consciously recognize that purpose.

if you want your mind to know and pursue your goals and intentions, you must identify and clearly state them.

The purpose of reading for the next few hours is to unwind, relax, and get lost in the author’s tale.

Once again, think about the motivation for reading each of these items. What do you hope to get from the material? Even if it is painstakingly obvious, write it down.

Purpose is valuable because it helps us determine what we want to get out of the material. Once we know, we can examine it to see if it will meet our goal. If it does not, a great deal of time is saved right away.

Several years ago, while traveling in Belize, I met a fellow traveler, a Canadian woman who had a particular habit. Whenever she arrived in a new city or town, the first thing she did was take a few hours to walk around and explore. She had to do that; otherwise, she would get anxious and restless.

This is how I want you to approach reading, to preview material before reading it. That means scrolling through the text, scanning the table of contents, major headings, any words in bold or italics, visual aids, and any information that seems relevant.

why do we make mistakes? Humans are by no means perfect. Countless quotes speak of our erroneous nature, such as To err is human. One reason is that the mind doesn’t necessarily respond to what is happening in real-time, but to what it thinks is going to happen.

the brain is essentially a prediction machine.

This means that we interpret what we read not always based on the actual text, but often on what our mind predicts the text is going to say—sometimes based on what the mind wants it to say.

This is why proofreaders are taught to spell check by reading backward.

So, instead of previewing the entire textbook, focus only on the portion that is assigned.

To remember all this, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) recommends the acronym T.H.I.E.V.E.S[14]: • Title • Headings

Introduction • Every word in bold, underline, quote, and italics • Visual Aids • End of Chapter Questions • Summary/Conclusion

Whether you preview or not, the mind is going to make predictions. You can’t stop this process. It is hard-wired into the brain. By skipping preview, the mind is likely to form inaccurate predictions, making it difficult to understand the material.

Based on the info you gather, you can decide if the material will contain the information or answers you seek. If so, you can proceed with confidence. If not, then you’ve saved a great deal of time.

Whenever an urge to start without preview arises, resist that urge. No matter how quickly the mind wants to begin, refrain yourself. If necessary, put the book down until the urge subsides. Condition your brain and habits to understand that it's not okay to proceed without preview. Let them know not to push you into reading without this important step. Preview is valuable, but equally valuable is the manner in which you choose to read. All content is not created equal, and that’s what we’ll discuss next.

If our reading pattern isn’t the best fit for the book at hand, we have a hard time taking in or making sense of it. This leads us to assume that we are not cut out for the subject, topic, or information.

Therefore, curb any temptation to haphazardly race over such works. Instead, carefully chew and digest every line.

If it’s for pleasure, do what is pleasing.

It goes without saying, the more you seek, the slower and more attentively you should read.

At the same time, pay attention to earlier parts of courses and trainings as they establish the groundwork for the more complex ideas to come.

Practice getting accustomed to reading at different speeds.

The eye has the ability to process an image both as a whole and as a collection of individual parts.

Such a restricted focus would require scanning other parts of the face and then putting all those parts together to recognize that person. This is how most of us read; we narrow our focus to each word or letter.

Exercise 4—Shultz Table

Employing the Shultz table is a great way to train and expand vision. Practice using the tables until you can comfortably see the outer numbers with your peripheral.

Exercise 5—Raining Letters

In other words, writers write to make a point, and your job as a reader is to understand that point.

a paragraph is a group of sentences that discuss one idea.

In formal writing, paragraphs consist of three parts: topic sentence, supporting sentences, and concluding sentence.

They are the details that describe, illustrate, communicate, or explain the topic sentence using facts, reasons, examples, definitions, comparisons, and other pertinent info. Supporting sentences sell the idea the topic sentence makes.

Since the concluding sentence restates and summarizes previous information, it is similar to, but not exactly the same as, the topic sentence. These sentences often lead the reader into the next paragraph.

In fact, majority of the topic sentences in this book are the first sentences of their respective paragraphs.

These include words that show continuity, like next, another, also, in addition, or words that express disagreement, like despite, nevertheless, however, and although.

Circle Unfamiliar Words

Use a Thesaurus

Synonyms not only increase your understanding of a word but expose you to more words.

Read a Variety of Materials

Learn Prefixes and Suffixes

Ironically, the term prefix uses a prefix itself, as pre means before and fix means to attach, creating a word that means attach before.

Talk to People with Strong Vocabulary

In my experience, people respect those who show enough concern about what they are saying to seek clarification.

Study More Words