How to read faster and absorb large amount of information/words?

[Deathkillz]

I knew I was slow at reading but looking at the speed of others compared to mine is depressing

I've got to read more books

320 wpm ;_____;

[Kang Seung Jae]

I guess the only secret is: keep reading.



I usually read at about 2000 words per minute at my "high" speed, and 1000 wpm at "medium" speed.


For this particular test: You read 404 words in 0.13 minutes. Your reading speed is 3108 words per minute!

[kitto-chan]

I skim thru it as if I was reading a text book and got

You read 532 words in 0.29 minutes. Your reading speed is 1834 words per minute!

But when I read it as if I was reading a novel or interesting book I got

You read 532 words in 0.97 minutes. Your reading speed is 548 words per minute!

.

[Terrestrial Dream]

Originally Posted by Kang Seung Jae

I guess the only secret is: keep reading.



I usually read at about 2000 words per minute at my "high" speed, and 1000 wpm at "medium" speed.


For this particular test: You read 404 words in 0.13 minutes. Your reading speed is 3108 words per minute!

WTF? Are you kidding me? How the hell can you read that fast? I mean is that even humanly possible? Or did the Korean government did something to their education system to create super nerd or something? Seriously though that's pretty amazing.

[Kang Seung Jae]

Originally Posted by Terrestrial Dream

WTF? Are you kidding me? How the hell can you read that fast? I mean is that even humanly possible? Or did the Korean government did something to their education system to create super nerd or something? Seriously though that's pretty amazing.

I've always loved reading. I think I read enough pages to set up my own little wildlife reserve.


This is a guy who read the World Books for fun (really, just for fun. I'm not one to try and memorize the whole damn stuff, like those supposed geniuses).

[escimo]

You read 532 words in 1.52 minutes. Your reading speed is 350 words per minute!

I think that's quite OK since I'm not a native English speaker (by a long shot). I need to do some in the fly translation to actually absorb the information. I'm also an extremely lazy reader overall. So I'm not getting depressed even as I didn't score something like 3000... I do have to admit that's something quite impressive.

[Vexx]

I think this is informing me that the elementary school systems aren't really doing their job in *teaching* reading skills and techniques to improve speed and comprehension.

Skills in this department really impact one's ability to absorb information needed in college/grad schools.

[Solace]

Hmm, 1000 words a minute. Not a very good test though.

The trick to speed reading is to not read every word on the page.

Using the sentence I just typed above, I would read it (in speed reader mode) like this:

"trick speed reading not read every word page"

Then I let my mind fill in the blanks. You mind constantly records *everything* you see, so even if the words aren't "read", it still sees them, and organizes the sentence to make sense.

This approach is a little different from a true speed reader who can literally scan a page and recite every word from it. Such people are rare though. Most speed readers just skim and summarize.

[KholdStare]

Well, this isn't a speed reading contest though. When I took this "test," I read at the same pace that I could read for at least 3 hours straight, not how fast I can read and understand only those several paragraphs of text, because knowing that is really irrelevant. I expected several pages of some kind of novel (not an informative page like it's out of a textbook) then asking some basic questions at the end to verify yourself (if you cheat it would only be cheating yourself) that the test is correct.

[teachopvutru]

...
You read 518 words in 1.87 minutes. Your reading speed is 277 words per minute!

I don't know if I should laugh or cry.
And that exclamation mark at the end of the sentence is ticking me off.

Originally Posted by Vexx

Hmmmm, it said I read at 1204 wpm (normal casual speed) ... but its information that I already sort of know. I tend to grab chunks of words by the block (paragraph, etc) rather than actually read each word. In 7th grade, they gave us a reading-acceleration program from which I credit much of that. There *are* techniques for reading faster with retention and comprehension.

Do you mean something like this?

[Reckoner]

Perhaps I didn't understand the directions of the test very well as I read every single word, trying to understand everything on the test as I was thinking there would be a next page in which they would actually ask you something.

You read 518 words in 1.93 minutes. Your reading speed is 268 words per minute!

When I do this test with my normal reading techniques...

You read 532 words in 1.05 minutes. Your reading speed is 507 words per minute!

I really doubt that people's reading scores would be the same as about half of the ones already posted though if this test actually tested for 90% accuracy on some sort of test or something. Like others said it is poorly constructed. My reading score is much closer to the first score than it is to the second.

Anyway, Kinny Riddle, that is a good question! How do we digest large amounts of sometimes unintelligible information without being overwhelmed? I myself, especially recently due to A.P. exams, have had to read copious amounts of pages from my books like History and Statistics and Chemistry and English.

Reading faster without destroying your understanding will decrease the amount of time you spend on something. That is if you gain the same understanding though. If you decrease the time, you will decrease the pressure you put on yourself and you'll able to feel more at ease with your life and not so overwhelmed. This is your train of thought no?

The problem is that won't really make you less overwhelmed as reading faster from my experience requires more concentration than your casual reading speed so you end up more exhausted anyways.

However, if you are one, such as me, who does not do well with intensive speed reading or lacks the concentration to do so, but still wants to be able to read faster... This is my only tips I have: When reading, try not to "say" the words to yourself (even mentally) as you read, as this limits your reading speed to your speaking speed. Also, try to skip articles and conjunctions as you browse through your reading.

Being overwhelmed by reading in my experience is often linked to not just a lot of reading during a period of time, but also a lack of sleep. Do you get enough sleep in your life? Your brain is offered time to rest in sleep which is invaluable to concentration, and especially for your eyes that have to scroll side to side and up and down in text. I do realize though that college tends to be a sleepless environment, I'm thinking you're a college student, but if that is the case you should make an effort to take a cat nap every now and then.

What may also help you is possibly doing a sport or physical activity if you don't do one at the moment. Getting your blood flowing and making you feel more alive is great for stimulating your senses.

I don't think I really said anything too constructive, but hope I was able to help you out. I don't suggest worrying too much about such an issue, the best cure for this is relaxing your mind.

[Kang Seung Jae]

Originally Posted by Solace

Hmm, 1000 words a minute. Not a very good test though.

The trick to speed reading is to not read every word on the page.

Using the sentence I just typed above, I would read it (in speed reader mode) like this:

"trick speed reading not read every word page"

Then I let my mind fill in the blanks. You mind constantly records *everything* you see, so even if the words aren't "read", it still sees them, and organizes the sentence to make sense.

This approach is a little different from a true speed reader who can literally scan a page and recite every word from it. Such people are rare though. Most speed readers just skim and summarize.

It really depends on how much info you're trying to take in.


My "high" speed is usually done for tests and such, and it's by not reading every single word.

However, my "medium" is closer to what a true speed reader does, by actually reading every single word and memorizing it.

[yezhanquan]

I don't know about speed reading or retaining information, but as a history student, it's a skill I hope to hone in on.

KSJ nailed the basics: keep reading. But, be interested in what you read.

[KholdStare]

It's pretty much the same thing is typing. Casual typing like on forums for me is about 100-110 wpm, since I don't try to overexert myself for no reason. For games that require typing, I go up to 170, and for typing an essay or important document, I usually slow down to 75. Keep reading (or keep typing), but just be aware that you shouldn't use the same reading speed for everything. Like some people took the test as if they're taking a real exam and some people read it like skimming a textbook, your score depends on your approach on the test

[Thentus]

I got 392 WPM. Read every last word on the test...

I don't really read much, if at all, only when I deem it necessary.

How somebody can almost triple my score is beyond me O_o.

[nanafan]

man i feel bad that mine is so bad compared to others, and i didn't read everything there was meh.

[Magedark]

You read 518 words in 0.49 minutes. Your reading speed is 1057 words per minute!

Eh. I'm sure I could be better. I thought it was much slower though O_o.

[Aoie_Emesai]

You read 518 words in 1.08 minutes. Your reading speed is 480 words per minute!

Humm.. is that possible for me? >.<

Well... that aside. From my experience (which is limited to some fields) grasping information isn't limited to just your reading speed, Kinny. For me it's been usually quite easy for me to read and remember (except Physics and Chemisty). Comprehension of each of the paragraph also has to do with the amount of words in your understandable vocabulary; Since if you didn't have a "decent" amount of understandable words you knew, reading a long winded paragraph would be less effecient due to many the lack of information you're taking in cause you just plain out don't understand it. So a wide vocabulary.

For me, on that "test" I got jumbled at the beginning of each of the paragraphs and that slowed me down, it must have been the break b/t each of the paragraph.

Originally Posted by Shana

Reading the text in English, without comprehending, it was 452 words/minute. But I used a (bad) translator so I could see how much I can read in my mother language, but that was SO bad translated... it was...

552 words/minute!

wtf XD that's why I finish my tests so fast

Speed reading is about taking in as much information while speeding through it, not to break a record. It's no use speed reading if you didn't take in any of the information from it ^^

--Oh wait... so you did a translation on it Shana?

[nanafan]

if i get what i am reading i will probably read it faster, i can read stuff in french pretty fast if it isn't too complicated.

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Originally Posted by Rookie103

I don't really think there's a technique to it. Some people can read faster and the like and some people can't.

Well, that's not necessarily true. You can train yourself to read faster, and with greater comprehension, but it takes a hell of a lot of work. I think there are some books out there to teach this, but I can't rememder their titles. In any case, practive makes perfect. The more you read, typically the faster you read. In general.