Speed Reading is a technique by which an individual can increase the rate of words read per minute. An average person can read anywhere between 200 to 250 words per minute, but with speed reading tips, a person can increase his/her speed to 500 to 600 words per minute. The most important thing is that the person does not merely increase his speed, but is also able to retain the information given in the reading material. The primary reason for a lower speed is our inability to judge what to read and which portion to skip. Skim Through the Material and Increase your Eye Span To improve your pace, you need to first skim through the material that you are going to read. If you have a rough idea about the topic, it becomes easier to understand and retain the material. If you are reading a textbook, then it is a good idea to read the summary, introduction or preface before reading the main text. Reading the summary will prepare you and give you a guide as to what you need to learn from the text. Your eyes can take in several words at a time and this is known as eye span. The longer your eye span, the more volume of information your brain can assimilate. Avoid reading word-by-word, and try reading chunks or blocks of word in a sentence. The best thing to do while reading is to skip over words such as: the, a, it, to, etc., as even if you skip over them, you will still comprehend the main idea of the sentence you are reading. Do not Re-read The most common mistake made by poor readers is frequently pausing to go back and dwell on some previous sentences. This is done mainly due to poor comprehension skills, which leads to loss of flow and structure of the text. One way to avoid doing this is to take a piece of paper and use it to place it over the text you are reading, covering each line once you have finished reading it. Avoid Reading out Loud Sub-vocalizing is a tendency that most people find hard to break, and they do it without even realizing it. Sub-vocalizing reduces the flow to a considerable extent, since you are reading at a speed which is just around your speaking speed. Some people move their lips while reading while others tend to "read in their head". Both these methods contribute to a low reading speed. The best way to break this habit is to be conscious while reading and if you catch yourself moving your lips, just place a finger on your mouth. Factors That Affect Some factors that reduce the reading speed are as follows:

• Vocalization
• Regression
• Slow response to the reading material
• Poor evaluation in choosing the more important aspect
• Low attention span
• Decreased eye span

If you are reading in a crowded room, you can try to block out all sounds by using earplugs. To retain what you have read, you need to concentrate and focus on your reading material.