Do you know how your eyes work while you are speed reading?  If you’ve ever been witness to someone speed reading the sight can be remarkable. They turn the pages of a book at

breakneck speed and often their hand is skimming the length of the pages very quickly. It’s difficult to imagine that

they are absorbing everything that they are reading. After all, a person reading at normal speed can sometimes even

have trouble remembering what they just read. However, it is possible to read and retain all of the information in a

book or magazine even when you are reading it much faster than a normal person does.

It’s obvious that one of the keys to speed reading is the eyes. It’s the eyes that are scanning the page, and soaking

up the information for the brain. The people who are able to speed read don’t have special “bionic” type eyes. Their

eyesight is just the same as anyone else’s.

The first step to speed reading is found with the eyes. In order to read properly at all, regardless of speed, a

person has to be able to see to the best of their ability. This involves getting a regular eye examination. Once you

have a thumbs-up from the eye doctor or a new set of glasses or contact lens, you are all set to learn some of the

basics regarding your eyes in relation to speed reading.

It’s easier to read under a dim light than a very bright light. Many people have been led to believe the opposite and

have spent years sitting next to a lamp that is almost blinding them, as they read. The eyes adjust better to dimmer

light and so if you are going to practice your speed reading techniques, invest in a reading lamp which generally

features a softer type light bulb, so that it’s easier on the eyes.

For years it was strongly believed that speed reading was done by using the peripheral vision. When someone refers to

peripheral vision, they are referring to the line of sight that you see out of the corner of your eye. The idea was

that the eyes scanned the page and the words that were caught in the peripheral vision were the words that stuck.

This doesn’t seem to be the case though, as people who read using peripheral vision would ultimately be missing much

of the text. This would lead to a misunderstanding of the material.

Instead it’s important when you are attempting to speed read that your eyes scan the entire text. The techniques that

are suggested for speed reading utilize this approach. That way the person reading isn’t missing entire words or

phrases as they would be with the peripheral vision approach.

Your eyes are essential to your success in speed reading. Having the proper prescription eye wear and using a dim

light will give you the foundation you need to begin the process. By using your entire field of view, you can quickly

and efficiently absorb the material you are reading.