12 Speed Reading Techniques and What the Evidence Says

Of the twelve best-known speed reading techniques, four have good support for what they actually do (previewing, scanning, skimming for gist and a version of SQ3R), five help with focus or easy text but have not been shown to raise speed at full comprehension (chunking, meta guiding, RSVP, timed pacing and reducing careless regressions), two need a narrower aim than they are usually sold with (the key word method and quieting the inner voice), and one is not supported at all (PhotoReading). The summary table is at the end.

The backdrop for every verdict is the 2016 review by Rayner and colleagues: reading much faster than your normal rate costs comprehension, eye movements take only about a tenth of reading time, and language skill, vocabulary above all, is what makes fast readers fast.

Techniques for getting the gist fast

1. Previewing

What it is: surveying a text's structure before you read it. How: spend one or two minutes on the title, headings, first and last paragraphs, figures and any summary; then write down two questions you want answered. Evidence: works. Readers who use headings and opening sentences find the main ideas faster, and knowing where a text is going makes the full read easier. More in how to read research papers.

2. Skimming

What it is: deliberately reading only part of a text to get its gist. How: read headings and the first sentence of each paragraph, slowing where something looks important. Evidence:works only for gist. Skimming a whole text under time pressure kept the important ideas better than reading only part of it normally (Duggan & Payne, 2009), but details are lost. Trained speed readers tested at 600 to 700 WPM performed much like untrained skimmers. See skimming vs scanning.

3. Scanning

What it is: searching for one specific item: a name, a date, a figure. How: fix the target in mind, including what it looks like (capitals, digits), and sweep the page without reading. Evidence: works for its purpose. It is a search task, not reading, so do not judge it on comprehension.

4. The key word method

What it is: letting your eyes land only on content words (nouns, verbs, numbers) and passing over function words. How: on an easy text, try to pick out three or four key words per line. Evidence: works only for gist. Readers already skip many short, predictable words naturally; forcing it further is a form of skimming, and the meaning of a sentence often hangs on the small words (not, only, unless).

Techniques for pacing and focus

5. Meta guiding

What it is: following a finger, pen or pointer along the line. How: move the guide under each line at a steady pace slightly above your comfortable speed for five minutes. Evidence: helps focus; speed gains not established. We found no controlled study showing that a hand pacer raises reading speed at full comprehension, but it does keep a drifting reader moving. See meta guiding.

6. Pacing with a timer

What it is: reading in timed blocks with a target number of pages or words. How: set 10 minutes, note your page count, and aim for the same amount or slightly more next time while still being able to summarise. Evidence: a sound practice structure, not directly tested. Its value is in protecting attention and giving you a measurement.

7. RSVP

What it is: rapid serial visual presentation, where software shows one word or short chunk at a time in one spot. How: set the speed to your normal rate and raise it 25 WPM at a time only while you can still summarise. Evidence: comprehension can match normal reading at ordinary rates and falls as speed rises, partly because you cannot glance back. Useful for short texts and small screens. See what RSVP reading is and the optimal recognition point.

Techniques that change reading habits

8. Chunking

What it is: taking in short phrases rather than single words. How: read with a pacer showing two or three words per step, or mark phrase boundaries with a pencil on a printed page. Evidence: helps on easy text, within limits. Readers identify words only within about seven letters to the right of where they look, so a phrase of two or three short words is the realistic unit. See chunking.

9. Reducing regressions

What it is: cutting down on going back over text you have already read. How: cover finished lines with a card, or use a pacer; allow one deliberate re-read per paragraph. Evidence: reduce careless regressions only. When readers were prevented from benefiting from looking back, comprehension of tricky sentences dropped (Schotter et al., 2014). See regression in reading.

10. Reducing over-articulated subvocalization

What it is: easing off the habit of mentally pronouncing every word at speaking pace. How: on easy material, read a little faster than you could say the words aloud, and let the inner voice become lighter. Evidence:partly supported. Some inner speech is a normal part of skilled reading, and suppressing it harms comprehension of difficult text. Aim to stop sounding words out, not to silence the voice. See subvocalization.

Study methods and big claims

11. SQ3R

What it is: a study method from the 1940s: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. How: preview the chapter, turn headings into questions, read to answer them, recite the answers from memory, then review. Evidence:the recall steps are well supported; the full five steps are little tested. A simplified read-recite-review strategy gave better free recall than rereading or note-taking, and matched note-taking on other tests in less study time (McDaniel, Howard & Einstein, 2009), and practice testing is one of the most effective learning techniques in a major review (Dunlosky et al., 2013). It makes you slower and better, not faster. See improving reading comprehension.

12. PhotoReading

What it is: a commercial method claiming you can absorb a page in a second or two in a relaxed state. Evidence: not supported. In a test carried out for NASA, PhotoReading gave no advantage on any of five comprehension measures, and the claimed speeds did not appear (McNamara, 2000). See PhotoReading.

The techniques that work best do not make your eyes faster. They decide how much of a text you read closely, keep your attention on it, and test what you took away.

Speed reading techniques: summary table

How to practise these techniques

1. Measure your speed and comprehension first; the guide on testing reading speed shows how.
2. Pick one technique a week, not five at once. Week one: previewing and skimming on every long article. Week two: 10 minutes a day with a pacer at your baseline, raised 25 WPM when your summary holds up two days running. Week three: chunking with two or three words per step. Week four: SQ3R on one chapter you need to learn.
3. After each session, write three sentences from memory. If you cannot, slow down.
4. Re-measure after four weeks and compare WPM and comprehension together.

Concrete drills for each habit are in the list of speed reading exercises, and the full picture is in the speed reading guide. Terms are defined in the glossary.