How to Coach Yourself and Others Happiness Is No Accident | Page 20

But how can you practice read faster than you can read? How do you follow the text but still go
faster than you can read? The answer is another of speed reading tricks, using a pointer.
4) Use a Pointer
Your eyes don’t stay fixed in one spot when reading. Eye
tracking movements have shown that your eyes actually quiver
and move around considerably. And every movement away from
your position in text requires a few milliseconds to readjust.
These little readjustments in locating your place in a book add up
to be very costly if you want to go faster.
Use your index finger to mark where you are on the page at all
times. It should follow along with the word you are currently
reading, slowly scrolling across each line and then back down
one. It may feel awkward at first and it may even temporarily
slow your reading rate as you adjust, but using a pointer is
critical if you want to improve your reading skill.
Using a pointer is also crucial if you want to practice read. By
moving your finger faster than you can actually read, your eyes
get used to viewing text faster than your brain can process what is written down. This will break
your sub vocalization attachment and can easily let you double your reading rate with sufficient
practice.
You should use your finger as a pointer all the time. When I first started with the habit I found it
annoying to hold the book in a funny position so I could use my right hand to scroll the page. I
thought it was silly and maybe even a waste of time. But now I find it hard to read without a
pointer. Noticing how much it has helped me focus my reading efforts it is a priceless tool in
reading.
5) Eliminate Distractions
As a university student living on campus I’ve noticed a few of my friends who “study” while
watching television. Not surprisingly, these tend to be the same people who complain about how
much studying they have to do. Reading can’t happen in an environment where external
distractions are overwhelming.
If you need a break, take a break. Taking a few minutes to watch a television show, listen to some
music or just close your eyes can often improve your focus. But don’t multitask with your reading
or you’ll lose any benefits speed reading can offer. Worse, because you have stopped sub
vocalizing, you might even skim through several pages before you realize you haven’t
comprehended anything that was written.
Distractions will hamper regular reading but they will make speed reading impossible. Sub
vocaliz ation creates enough mental noise that it can hold your attention, but without that it can
often be difficult to stick with what you are reading.
External distractions may be a problem, but internal distractions are just as bad. They occur when
in the midst of reading you start pondering that conversation you just had with a friend, the movie

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