Speed reading: Effective learning strategy or putting text comprehension at risk?

What is Speed Reading?

Speed reading is all about cutting out the factors that slow down our reading speed. Common obstacles include getting lost in details, getting stuck on individual lines, going back to previous parts of the text, and reading aloud in your head at your natural speaking pace. Speed reading not only helps you read faster, but it can also improve your understanding. It’s sometimes called “brain-friendly reading” because it challenges your brain and boosts its efficiency.

Benefits of speed reading:

• More efficient intake of information
• Increased concentration leads to better exam results
• Faster processing and better retention of what you read.
• Brain training that leads to increased performance and more self-confidence in exams.
• Useful for preparing texts for academic papers.
• Saves time by quickly filtering and selecting relevant sources

Disadvantages

• Can increase stress
• Limited capacity and increased pressure to absorb information since you’re going against your natural reading pace
• Studies suggest there’s a limit to how much new information you can take in; unlimited fast reading isn’t possible
• In the case of literary texts, the reader must decide for himself whether speed reading conveys sufficient style and atmosphere of the work.

What does science say?

Speed reading remains a controversial topic among experts. Research on traditional reading, like that of Keith Rayner and his team at the University of California, questions its effectiveness. Their studies suggest that speed reading worsens text comprehension, based on the “speed-accuracy trade-off” from psychology, which states that faster mental activities are more prone to errors.

On the other hand, the work of Ralph Radach, a professor of General and Biological Psychology and a leading speed reading researcher in Germany, shows more positive results. Radach and other research groups have found that with the right techniques and moderate effort, reading speed and comprehension can increase by one and a half to two times. In his studies, the comprehension rate remained almost constant at speeds of 220 to 360 words per minute, which goes against what many might expect.

Techniques and tips for speed reading

• Avoid reading aloud in your head!

Train yourself to ditch subvocalization by focusing on taking in and understanding texts with just your eyes. A helpful tip is to briefly hold your breath, especially when reading important sections.

• Be brave and skip unnecessary parts!

You don’t need to read every single page. Check the table of contents first and decide which chapters and sections are important. This is super useful for long texts or topics you’re already familiar with. Read the first and last paragraph fully, and in other sections, just focus on the first sentence. Jump straight to the end to see how things wrap up—this keeps you more motivated and focused. Try this method for texts when you’re short on time, and see if speed reading is better than not reading at all!

• Before reading: Previewing

Use previewing to quickly skim through the text. Spend only a short time on each page to capture key elements like images, headings, info boxes, standout words, or abbreviations. Often, the main point is right at the start of a paragraph, which helps you judge how relevant the text is. Based on that, you can decide whether to read more quickly and selectively or even skip parts of the text entirely. Keep in mind that in legal texts, the main idea often appears at the end of a paragraph.

• Don’t get stuck on individual words.

A lot of people jump back to earlier lines out of insecurity or perfectionism. Notice if you’re actually picking up new information or just repeating things you already know. Focus on understanding entire sections of meaning. Try to get the gist of a whole passage before going back. This is especially important with texts in other languages: you don’t need to know every word to grasp the overall message. For example, you can read every other word in a sentence or focus only on the beginning and end of each line. A quick, forward-moving reading style boosts confidence in your own perception and is key to effective speed reading.

• Use skimming, be patient with yourself!

It’s proven that skimming a text twice is more effective than reading it intensively once. When skimming, you already pick up a lot of details and create connections for further information. Focus first on quickly grasping a manageable section and filtering out the essentials without immediately filling in any gaps. On the second pass, you’ll be able to fit in the details and understand difficult parts more easily since you already know the context.

• Use reading aids.

Whether it’s your finger, a ruler, a bookmark, or a pencil, use tools to guide your reading. This way, you won’t miss any important info.

• Avoid regression: No jumping back!

Don’t look back if you don’t get a passage right away. Just keep reading—you’ll pick up the thread later. Imagine rewinding is impossible, like watching a movie!

• Mind wandering? Read faster!

Studies show that we can absorb up to 1000 words per minute, while most people only read 200-300 words. This unused brain capacity often leads to daydreaming. By reading faster, you make better use of your brain, stay more focused, and find the text more engaging.

• Chunking: Grouping units of meaning

“Chunking” refers to taking in multiple words at once, which reduces eye stops and helps you read in meaningful units. This improves comprehension compared to reading individual words. However, mastering this technique requires practice and a well-structured training plan.

• Increase your speed gradually and learn to focus!

Gradually boost your reading speed every day, but do it in small steps to maintain understanding. Visualize explaining the content to someone else—it helps you stay focused!