I already told you that breaking existing habits is a key part of learning how to improve your reading speed.\u00a0 I told you about subvocalization and how much saying words as you read them slows your reading speed.\u00a0 I also showed you how easy it is to break this habit simply by occupying your mouth with some other task.<\/p>\n
Now I\u2019m going to tell you about another reading habit that wastes about a third of every hour you spend reading.\u00a0 Yes that\u2019s right \u2013 about 20 minutes out of every hour!<\/p>\n
The habit is called regression and like I said, it\u2019s a HUGE time waster.\u00a0 The thing to remember about regression though, is that it sometimes comes in handy.\u00a0 So you shouldn\u2019t completely eliminate it from your reading arsenal.\u00a0 But you do need to learn how to control it, especially if your goal is to improve reading speed.<\/p>\n
Regression is the process of re-reading text that you\u2019ve already read.\u00a0 It goes by other names including back-skipping, re-reading, and going back over what you\u2019ve read.\u00a0 Whatever you call it, regression is like taking two steps forward with your eyes and one step back \u2013 and sometimes, a lot more than one step back; like when you go back and re-read an entire page or worse, an entire chapter!<\/p>\n
If you ever have an opportunity to observe someone while they read to themselves, pay close attention to their eyes and you might be able to catch regression in action.\u00a0 As you watch that person\u2019s eyes you will probably see them moving in a forward direction at a pretty good clip.\u00a0 And then suddenly, for no apparent reason, you\u2019ll see the eyes twitch backwards.\u00a0 If you keep observing, you\u2019ll likely see this process repeat itself over and over again.<\/p>\n
Like I said a few moments ago, regression is a habit that can seriously slow your reading speed.\u00a0 And not only that, regression disrupts your concentration.\u00a0 You\u2019ve probably never thought about it, but reading isn\u2019t all that matters.\u00a0 You also have to comprehend what you read.\u00a0 Without comprehension, reading is a wasted effort.<\/p>\n
A lack of concentration, whether real or perceived, is one reason you might regress when you read.\u00a0 For some reason you don\u2019t trust your brain\u2019s ability to comprehend the material, so just to be sure you go back and read the information again.\u00a0 What you don\u2019t realize is that re-reading is the more likely cause of reduced comprehension because it interferes with the proper flow and meaning of the words.<\/p>\n
Subvocalization can also cause regression for the simple reason that your eyes usually move faster than the mouth.\u00a0 When the difference between what your eyes see and your mouth reads becomes too much, comprehension falters.\u00a0 Regression might also be a form of compulsive behavior.<\/p>\n
No matter why you regress, you can free yourself from the regression habit.<\/p>\n
All you need is a plain white or colored card that\u2019s as wide as the column of text you plan to read.\u00a0 Just be sure it\u2019s blank because any writing will distract your eyes.\u00a0 Now all you do is pull the card up as you read so that the text you\u2019ve already read is covered by the card.\u00a0 With the text covered up and out of sight, you\u2019re less tempted to go back and reread.\u00a0 The less you back-track, the quicker you\u2019ll break the regression habit.<\/p>\n
Once you break this habit, feel free to ditch this visual aid because I plan to show you newer ways to reduce regression.<\/p>\n
Ok \u2013 that\u2019s it for today. Stay tuned for more speed reading tips coming soon.<\/p>\n
Video Version of Post
\n