The Benefits Of Speed Reading
Articles about reading:
1) Why Read? Benefits of Reading;
2) 7 Best Speed Reading Books;
3) 5 Brain Games For Speed Reading.
With the amount of information we need to process growing rapidly by the day, how can we better manage and take in the volumes of emails, reports, files or digital data that we encounter? To alleviate some of the pressure in tackling this information more quickly, speed reading is a skill that can be developed in order to assist. Speed reading, not to be confused with skimming, is commonly defined as having the ability to recognize and absorb text, phrases, or sentences at speed. The average person reads 200-250 words per minute but as explained in Thought Co’s article on reading speed, this can be increased with practice. They specifically pinpoint the working partnership between the mind and the eye and how altering eye fixations can aid tremendously towards increased reading speeds. There are many techniques that can be employed and various learning processes to master speed reading. But whilst it’s a useful time-saving skill, it also has many other positive benefits.
Increased Memory Capacity
Just as we take care of our physical well-being to remain fit and healthy, it’s also important to look after and exercise our brains. All mental activities help to maintain a sharp memory and help prevent memory loss and cognitive decline. During our learning processes and storage of information our memory plays a vital role. Practicing speed reading techniques can help to improve our information retention, recall and memory muscle.
Improving Practical Performance
As you train your brain to read faster, it becomes more efficient at associating and arranging the information so as your reading speed improves, so too does your logical thinking. Aspects of practical performance are addressed in “Speed Reading” by Ryan James - one of the leading books on speed reading. The book highlights how studying, reading comprehension, and note-taking are all among the potential benefits one can enjoy while learning to speed read. Incidentally, all of these can lead directly to improvement in practical performance - whether in school or at work.
Focus & Concentration
Life Hack outlines how speed reading encourages the brain to perform at a higher level and improves focus and concentration in the process. Training the brain to digest text rapidly requires you to employ a higher degree of focus, and with practice this allows you to read with greater depth and accuracy. As you apply these techniques, your brain becomes more accustomed and rewires itself so your overall concentration levels will improve.
Mental Health Benefits
Mastering the art of speed reading has many practical benefits but it’s also shown to improve our mental health. The sense of accomplishment it can bring induces positivity. Increased production rates can heighten your motivation. If using speed reading within an educational setting, being able to digest your research material more rapidly and creating more time for yourself will elevate your mood. Reading generally for enjoyment stimulates your mind, reduces stress and anxiety and is a helpful tool for managing depression.
Brain Exercise
As mentioned earlier, it’s prudent to undertake mental activities to maintain a healthy brain. Reading is certainly beneficial overall, but interestingly our brains are actually fairly constrained when we read. It’s suggested that we are almost pushing boundaries and limitations thus further stimulating and exercising our gray matter. Add the skill of speed reading to your repertoire and you’re providing an even more challenging and hugely beneficial brain exercise into your regime.
In conclusion, there are many benefits to speed reading across many aspects of life. Whether you need to address your time management in school or work, improve your memory or work on your concentration skills. To assist in learning the art of speed reading, download the Readlax speed reading app to enjoy brain games, mini books and comprehension tests whilst developing your rapid reading.
Author: Ava Kristen