One of the reasons why people read slowly is because of what is known as back-skipping (going over previous lines and passages). Another reason is lack of concentration according to James Kwik – a memory and speed reading expert. So is there a simple way one can learn to read faster?…
Probably the easiest way to read faster is to use a visual pacer. This can be a pencil or even your finger moving across the words and lines as you read. This helps because of a fundamental biological process: our eyes are attracted to motion. It is estimated that the use of a visual pacer can help to improve reading speed by as much as 25%.
This came originally from the fight/flight response where even a tiny movement in the bush could have meant danger in the form of a predator or lunch in the form of a prey. Either way, it became valuable to pay attention to movement so we do.
Another tip is to use the left finger for the pacer as you read – or hold a pencil in the left hand. This is because the left side of the body is controlled by the right side of the brain which is far more creative than the left. When we control the pacer with our left hand, we engage these creative processes much more effectively.
This happens subconsciously and automatically. By engaging the right side of the brain, we stimulate imagination. Now the really interesting part is that the more we engage imagination to process information, the more vivid the real-time experience of that information. This is what enables much better memory recall.
By using our left finger as a visual pacer, we are deploying the power of the subconscious mind. Just by using this simple trick, we get to read faster and recall faster with vivid detail.
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