How to Read Quickly and Still Retain Information

Posted on July 29th, 2008 in How To by q u a i l e

This guide provides you with tips to reading faster while still retaining the information for recollection later.

Move a pencil or other pointer at a steady pace along the line – This will force you to read more quickly and at a consistent rate. Doing this will improve your reading speed dramatically by providing a guideline speed for you to read at.
After you read a line, cover it up with an index card -Sometimes when reading, we subconsciously go back and reread a word, sentence, or paragraph. Often, this occurs more than once per page. Covering up what you have already read is a great way to prevent this from happening.
Read only the first and last sentence of a paragraph – The first and last sentence of a paragraph is what contains the main gist of the paragraph. Simply skim through the rest of the paragraph and look out for key phrases.
Take notes and read actively - While reading/skimming, highlight or underline key phrases. Also take notes (either in the margin or on a piece of paper) about main idea, tone, syntax, etc. This will help you recall things more easily later.
After reading a chapter or section, stop and think – Quickly review the main concepts of what you just read. This will allow you to absorb the information for recollection later.
Practice reading a lot – By reading often, and using the above tips, you can become a comprehension machine. Then, when it really counts, like on the SAT or other standardized test, you will be able to get through reading comprehension sections with ease.