A cornerstone of
ability to speed read is ability to skim. However, many argue that skimming is in fact cheating - i.e. you're not really reading at all! The following is a brief outline argument in favor of why skimming will improve your reading speed (and ability).Basically, skimming is most rudimentary form of reading. The object of skim reading is not to necessarily comprehend all that is being read, but rather to familiarize yourself, as quickly as possible, with text being read. In this regard, skimming materials, by reading index, subject headings and sub-headings, allows you to prepare yourself so that when time comes, you can race ahead and speed read at pace - as you are already familiar with text. Consequently, your overall reading speed will be vastly improved.
In addition, skimming allows your subconscious chance to absorb main ideas of a text. These are later cemented by your speed reading of contents. The combination of these two methods allows you greater comprehension of what you are reading.
Conversely, if you are reading from cold, there is more chance you'll miss certain points or issues. If you want, think of it as if you are watching a movie for second time: don't you always see parts of movie second time that you didn't see first, which makes second viewing all more relaxing and pleasurable?
How to Skim Read
Having ascertained that skimming will increase our reading speed, we now need to know how to skim read. Whilst there are many different methods adopted to skim reading, following are essential elements:
* read index of a text - note that it is essential that you do this so that you get general ideal of what text is about;
