Expand Peripheral Vision
Short Answer
Improve speed by widening your “visual span”—the number of words you can recognize in a single glance. Practice by aiming your gaze at the center of a phrase and letting your peripheral vision pick up nearby words, while checking comprehension frequently.
Why This Works
Reading speed is largely constrained by how many eye fixations you make per line and how often you regress. If you can recognize more words per fixation, you can move through lines with fewer stops.
How to Practice
1) Two-word chunks: Read by intentionally grouping two words at a time for a few minutes.
2) Center gaze: Place your eyes near the middle of a short phrase and try to capture the words on both sides.
3) Increase gradually: Move from two-word chunks to three- and four-word chunks over days (not minutes).
A Simple Drill
Take a paragraph and draw light vertical marks every 3–4 words. Use a pointer to keep pace and try to “land” your eyes near each mark instead of on individual words. Summarize the paragraph to confirm comprehension.