Obviously you are going to be reading at different rates when you are catching up on the tales of your favorite young wizard, than when you are cramming for your managerial finance exam, so it is necessary to have different reading strategies in place to make the most productive use of your time.

Daily Life – Reading the newspaper every morning no longer will take an hour, and finding that right dish on the menu quicker will get you ordering faster. Every hour that you spent reading in the past can now be cut in half, and you can spend all that newly found free time doing whatever you please.

Entertainment – If you are reading strictly for entertainment, feel free to sit back in your favorite bean bag chair and fly through the material enjoying every second. From personal experience I’ve found the reading experience much more enjoyable than traditional reading, because you become engulfed in the story and feel like a part of the plot line. You may notice that you have a lot more time on your hands as recreational reading tends to go by very quick.

Education – Speed reading is extremely helpful to students of all shapes and sizes. You can cover the required reading, as well as supplemental reading which can give you an advantage over other "slow reading" students who couldn’t possibly fit enough time in their schedule. Depending on the quantity you are reading, you may find it helpful to take notes on the material you are reading. Taking proper notes can save you time in the future, and make studying and reviewing a breeze. Effective note taking will consist of writing in the margins, or on a separate sheet of paper, short main ideas and a page number for reference. I usually have a notebook open right next to me with a pen ready so if I ever need to write something down, it doesn’t take away too much time from my reading. With your new speed reading abilities I also recommend learning a bit about Mind Maps and other note taking strategies.

Business – In the information age, it is important to stay current on events and keep up to date on any advances in your field. Reading extra materials can give you the competitive edge on your coworkers and get you advancing up the business ladder and making a lot more money. In certain reports you may find it necessary to slow down on graphs or charts or other technical data. Analyzing costs and comparing facts and figures may also require you to slow down. It is better to take time and make sure you entirely comprehend the important things, and blast through the remainder of the fluff.