<p>I was reading a thread where someone asked if he could read a certain amount of pages in a limited amount of time, and people posted what their reading speeds were.</p>
<p>I am a naturally slow reader, and my comprehension isn't that great either. What can I do to improve my reading speed so that I can get through boring textbooks more quickly with better comprehension. I know I should read more, and I do. But what exercises can I do that might help me?</p>
<p>wow i have the same question. except i'm even worse. I just don't comprehend languages.</p>
<p>Exercises? I know, keep reading. READ READ READ. Period.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I know I should read more, and I do. But what exercises can I do that might help me?
[/quote]
Reading more will help the most.
But try the following: try reading groups of words, and try looking at a paragraph and see how many words you can see by focusing on one letter.</p>
<p>As for textbooks... read them in a spaced out time period. According to the site listed on the thread you were talking about, I read @ 2200 WPM. * (The world record I believe is Steven Snider at 10000)
But I read textbooks very slowly with little comprehension because I wait until the last minute to read 40+ page, boring chapters.</p>
<p>*(I don't know if this effects it or not, but I have a lexile score of 1656L.)</p>
<p>You can take a class that will teach you various techniques. I took one in high school. The best way to increase your reading speed is to not "say" what you are reading in your head. When we learn to read we are taught to say what we are reading in our heads. If you just look at the words, but don't say them in your head, you will read much faster. This takes practice, of course. It seems strange, but you'll be surprised how much you comprehend without the repetition.</p>
<p>In the other thread that you referenced, I posted the site spreeder.com. With this tool, you can insert any large block of text and set it at any speed so that the words flash by individually. Play around with the settings to find a speed that is comfortable for you and at which you can also comprehend the material. From there, increase the amount of words per minute (wpm) to push your limits. You can practically train yourself to read at any speed that you'd like. Don't use the same block of text over and over, or else you'll end up memorizing the words eventually and the speed will be inaccurate.</p>
<p>Also, nothing helps more than becoming an avid reader. Read books that you enjoy often, and your reading comprehension will improve without even noticing.</p>