Has anyone managed to increase their reading speed?

[waltzingparrot]

I feel like I'm reading as fast as I can but I'm clearly not reading as fast as Kindle thinks I should. 10 minutes till the end of this chapter on Kindle usually takes me 20 or more.

Is it possible to increase your reading speed?
Has anyone managed to - any tips please?

How do people get through a book a week. Even if I read all day, I don't think I could do it.

As a teen I did a speed reading course- although I don't actually recall why? I think it was an optional, after school class to do with reading and comprehension, but included a speed reading aspect to it.

We apparently read by the shape of the whole word and context, rather than reading individual letters. I would think youtube would have some videos on it or tips.

I had to read a lot of novels at uni and can read very quickly. No idea how I do it!!! I can read a 400 page novel now in about 4 hours.

@AuntieMarys

I had to read a lot of novels at uni and can read very quickly. No idea how I do it!!! I can read a 400 page novel now in about 4 hours.

Are you skim reading?

I can read a 400 page book in 5-6 hours but I have to be really enjoying it.

I can read factual info really quickly, but I find roughly a page a minute seems to be my optimum for processing fiction properly (55-70 pages an hour, roughly). I just don't enjoy or understand it as much when I read much faster.

I read a standard chick lit type paperback in about 90 mins
Apparently it's to do with the way your eyes move or something - I didn't teach myself this, it's how I've always read
So if I have a book open, I read both pages at once without realising I'm doing it, and skip words like and/the/this as "unimportant"
Did a study at uni for my then boyfriends degree and was at about 1500wpm and 80% accuracy

My writing is horrific as I can't get my thoughts down as quickly as I want to

There was a long thread about speed reading in January:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/what_were_reading/4448328-do-you-speed-read?msgid=114068010

I think the general outcome was that although there are some techniques to speed up reading (eg focussing the eye on groups of words instead of one word at a time) the idea of learning to read at extremely high speed has been debunked (unless you're skimming). Some of the posters are fast readers but I ended up feeling rather sorry for them - they can read a book in a day and have to use a library because they simply get through so many books. I'd rather have the enjoyment of spending a few days in a good book.

Using a visual aid to focus your eyes can help, but I'm not sure if it would work with a Kindle. Something simple like running your finger along the line as you read it, or a plain piece of paper under the line you're reading and keep moving it downwards. It focusses your eyes and if you move your guide at a slightly faster speed then you'll read more quickly. I've done it with non-fiction but don't tend to do it with fiction as I'm happy to linger in that.

@Plexie definitely - I use three local libraries as read around 300 books a year and couldn't afford to buy them! I swap between libraries as they all have different books

I am defeated/deflated

People are reading 300 books a year, 400pp books in 4 hours, two pages at the same time (winner).

My problem is I'm in a book club and we're meeting on Saturday and I'm only 53% through. I've divided the number of pages by days left and "We're not going to make it Captain". My options are read faster (think we've established this is a non-starter) or miss a chunk out.

Can you skim through some of it? I don't have much patience with normal fiction and I often read the beginning to get the picture, skim through the middle, and read the end for the outcome. Fine for whodunnits but maybe not so good if you're discussing it at book club. Although at least you'll have an idea of the whole story.