Many classes claim to be able to teach folks to read faster. But why pay for something you can learn for free on the Web?

I found an informative article from Associated Content that lists various tips on how to read more efficiently. Here are some highlights…

1. Don’t necessarily worry about reading faster. The trick is to read for key details and facts.

2. Skim for headlines and sub-headlines.

3. Become well-versed in the structure of newspaper articles. Learning how they construct their stories will help you learn where the important details are.

The article goes on to explain how you can teach yourself how to read faster and more efficiently. Read for 15 minutes as you normally would. Then write down the key facts you remember.

Then read again for 15 minutes, but this time “don’t take in each word and detail but do stop and carefully read things that might contain the key ideas in the writing.” Write down what you remember from round two. The results should be very different (and better).

Mike