Learn To Read Faster To Be More Productive

Posted by Ken

With so much information we deal with these days, it’s hard to keep up with it all. Doing something as simple as reading faster — just a little bit — could help us shave off a little time so we could spend it on other things, like our kids or spouse.

Spreeder can help you.

This is a simple interface where you can paste text into a small window. Click the VCR-like play button and it will show you the text you entered one word at a time at a rate you specify.

Why one word at a time? Well, when we read, sometimes we subvocalize the words in our heads — we hear ourselves “speak” the words we read. This can slow our reading down. So the key is to recognize the words we read without having to say them in our head. Showing the words one at a time at a faster rate can help us do that.

When reading a book, try using your finger or the eraser-end of a pencil to follow along the words. Make it go slightly faster than you normally read so you can make your eyes catch up a little.

If you’re reading online, however, try this bookmarklet. If you’ve browsed to a page that has a significant amount of text, why not practice your speed reading? Just select the text (no need to copy it) and click the bookmarklet that’s saved in your toolbar. A new window will pop up with the text you selected and you can start reading one word at a time.

Inspired by zenhabits.

[tags]reading,speed-reading,life tips,advice[/tags]