Majority of the people out there do not realize the importance of eye movements while reading. In fact, it was only in the late 19th century, a French person discovered the relationship between eye movements and reading. It was ascertained that a person’s eyes do not move in accordance to the lines of the text, but indulges in several rapid movements and pauses. Depending upon the number of pauses taken by an individual while reading, the speed would vary.
As such, reading does not take place when eye movements are happening, rather only when we pause. The pause is generally as short as a quarter of a second, which is why we don’t realize this fact.
What we also don’t realize is that reading is carried out in horizontal and vertical pattern. Different eye movements are involved for horizontal and vertical pattern of reading. For instance, vertical pattern of reading is conducted in two forms. One method involves word to word reading and the other one involves reading from left to right, while maintaining focus only on larger chunk of words.
Horizontal pattern of reading involves moving the eyes throughout the page in a random pattern, thereby focusing only on the main keywords. Basically, you will be eying only the important keywords, and ignoring the less important words. This is more like speed reading.
To be able to read faster, one needs to work on the comprehension. Absorb the larger group of words so that you are able to understand the content better. In horizontal eye movements, you won’t be missing relevant information as the focus will stay on important words.
Precise combination of rapid reading and eye movements is the key when it comes to reading fast. A good reader will be able to adapt to this pattern quickly, whereas those who encounter several hiccups while reading will have to work on it. Scanning relevant information in a jiffy is an art in itself, which can be develop with regular practice.
A poor reader will usually hop through the information back and forth to understand the matter better. Such a person will usually lose the flow and have confused reactions over the content. Remember, irregular eye movement makes reading a taxing task, thereby leading to lack of concentration and focus. To get the movements spot on for rapid reading, regular practice is a must.
Also, to decrease the number of times our eyes skip back at the already read information, you can use some sort of pointer as you read along the lines. Your eyes will find good direction in the form of a pointer which could be a finger or a pencil, thereby ensuring that you don’t get lost.
Faster reading involves precise eye movements. Your eyes should move from left to right in a straight line, without any hiccups. Also, once you finish reading one line, your eyes must take up at the beginning of the next line. This should be more of an automatic process, which can be achieved with regular practice. It’s important that you move your eyes and not your head while reading. You can start slow reading, and then move on to increase your pace so that the accuracy and flow are not compromised.
The best part is that fast reading is an art, which anyone out there can achieve with regular practice. We all know that practice makes a man perfect. The same principle applies over here!