Slow Reader? I Am. It Helps My Career (And Will Help Yours Too)

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By Dr. Anthony Metivier, PhD | Updated August 6, 2026

I once signed up for a speed reading course during my years at York University because I thought being a slow reader was bad.

I mean, I’ve always read a ton, but I wanted what everyone wants. More books down the hatch in less time.

Well, let me save you from wasting time and money on speed reading courses. And show you why slow reading is actually a good thing.

For one thing, what that speed reading course actually delivered was a set of bizarre eye exercises and instructions to stop subvocalizing. Worse, the instructor suggested I cease hearing the words in my head.

When I asked why, the teacher gave me a clearly pseudoscientific answer, and I could spot his word salad because I had also recently taken an anthropology course about the role of scammers in society.

What I quickly learned however is a very simple and empowering fact.

Being A Slow Reader Is Not A Defect

And for many people, taking your time while reading isn’t a problem that needs fixing.

In fact, readers who get the most out of books tend to read slowly on purpose. It’s just that they pair their pace with various methods, such as priming books and taking notes using Zettelkasten.

And because experts tend to focus their reading efforts within categories, often they create the illusion that they read more than they actually do. That’s an effect created by staying in your lane, as Nir Eyal put it a few years ago on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.

Why You’re a Slow Reader (And Why That’s Not Always a Problem)

There are many reasons why some people fail to read at a rapid clip. 

But not all of them are problems. 

Some of the things we’ll discuss are entirely circumstantial.

In other words, they have nothing to do with you. When you understand these points as I explain them below, your potential for making positive changes goes way up.

That’s because, believe it or not, some books are so badly written that they can literally ruin your ability to read.

I’m not joking either. There’s a condition called cognitive deskilling, and by exposing yourself to hard to read books and then blaming yourself for not understanding them, negative thoughts about yourself can arise.

When that happens, as discussed by Andy Clark in The Experience Machine, you start predicting that the next book you read will also be a poor experience.

This “predictive processing,” as scientists call it, winds up making future books harder to read.

Let’s stop that from happening to you by going through these reasons. All you have to do after that is put my suggestions into action and perhaps go through my list of books on learning for more suggestions like The Experience Machine.

What About ADHD and Slow Reading?

A lot of people who have completed my Read with Momentum program have asked me: Does ADHD make you a slow reader?

Or is reading slowly a sign of a learning disability?

Ultimately, you have to get the answers to such questions from a qualified professional.

But I can tell you that my friend Jonathan Levi, creator of Superlearner, substantially improved his reading speed using techniques I don’t use myself.

I worked with Jonathan on several projects and saw both his ADHD tendencies and his reading skills myself.

In my view, how quickly he could read is not all that relevant. He was a careful memorizer of information. And more importantly, a skilled thinker about the information he consumed.

One interesting point: Jonathan used some of the speed reading techniques I fully and completely criticize.

But he’ll be the first to tell you that he found using them very tiring. He pulled them out selectively. And never at the expense of not reflecting deeply on what he was learning.

Think of it like this: It doesn’t really matter how fast you’re going if you’re travelling in the wrong direction.

So for most of us, the following set of suggestions is bound to be the better bet.

One: Your Vocabulary Needs Boosting

A lot of people read at a decent pace, but they have to keep stopping to look words up. 

This is probably one of the biggest issues readers who want to improve their reading speed face. 

Why?

Because vocabulary ability is directly related to reading comprehension. 

So how do you improve your vocabulary? 

Set a goal to memorize 260 words you don’t know or with which you have lost familiarity over the next 30 days.

I’m confident this will speed up your reading. And to help you out, I created this tutorial on how to memorize vocabulary.

Do This To Build Your Vocabulary While Reading

Here’s one simple exercise I use to learn new vocabulary while reading without breaking my flow. I’ve been doing it a lot during my recent law memorization project at law school.

Rather than stop reading whenever I come across a word I don’t know, I place a small dot in the margin. I call this the Margin Dot.

I limit myself to a maximum of three new words per page.

Then, after the chapter is complete, I look up the meanings of the words before committing them to memory.

This simple strategy has also helped me a lot while reading in foreign languages. Even though it’s tempting to pause and look up words by the dozen, you simply get more reading and more vocabulary memorizing done when you focus on fewer words.

As you repeat this simple process, you’ll find that you read with greater flow because now you understand more words.

Two: Stop Reading In Distraction Zones

A lot of people think they’re reading slowly, when in fact they’re pushing through the molasses of distraction. 

Maybe you’re in a cafe and the background music is too busy.

Or you’re in a room where someone is watching TV.

If that’s the case, you’re forcing your brain to filter out too much noise.

Although it is true that the famous polymath John von Neumann loved studying with loud music and other distractions, creating such obstacles is not a very common polymathic personality trait.

In addition to exposing yourself to noise, it could also be that you’re sitting incorrectly. What feels comfortable isn’t necessarily conducive to reading well. 

Consider where you read and experiment with different locations.

When you find places that help you focus on your reading with greater intensity, rotate between them.

In other words, read in one location for a certain amount of time.

Then move to another location to read some more.

A small amount of walking between your reading sessions will focus your brain and promote better health.

I believe that moving between libraries helped my memory and understanding tremendously while studying at York University.

I would constantly travel between libraries across Toronto, sometimes up to five in a single day. While walking or riding my bike between them, the ideas would percolate and I still remember many of them decades later.

Three: It’s Not You. The Book Is Poorly Written

A lot of slow readers blame themselves when it’s actually the book that deserves the criticism. 

Some of the best thinkers on the planet are downright horrible authors. In fact, there are some intelligent people who also can’t explain themselves in spoken words either. 

Specific problems can include:

• Archaic vocabulary
• Obtuse phrasing
• Obscure references
• Poor introduction skills
• Lack of reflective thinking about the topic matter that helps you connect the dots

So the next time you find yourself reading slowly, look at the text. It really might not be you. 

In terms of handling poorly written books, I find it helpful to read them in smaller doses.

Rather than plow through them, I use a process called interleaving, literally and intentionally rotating through 2-5 different books.

This helps avoid topic exhaustion, and more winds up getting read over the long haul, and all without ever cramming.

Four: You’re Bored

Just as some books are written poorly, many publications are legitimately boring.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can always avoid reading them. Many people have to read tedious books in order to excel in their professions, myself included.

That’s why I created this tutorial on how to deal with boring topics.

Other ways to make what you read more engaging include elaborative encoding memory exercises.

Basically, if you get bored, you can make things exciting for yourself by using the pegword method or the Major System. These are two highly immersive memory techniques that can make even the driest topics interesting and exciting.

You can also spend some time reflecting on the reasons why you’re reading the book in the first place. Sometimes remembering your motivation can build excitement that carries you through.

I can tell you that my own law school experience requires me to keep my reasons why at the top of my mind very frequently. But it’s worth the additional effort because so many of life’s riches are on the other side of discomfort.

Five: Your Mind Wanders While You Read

Ever get distracted by your thoughts? 

When I ask myself, “Why do I read slow?” distracting thoughts are usually the issue I face.

Luckily, I found a way to eliminate the problem on demand. I shared the process in this TEDx Talk:

If you don’t have time to watch it, the two questions are:

• How do my thoughts behave?
• Are they useful?

Fire off those two simple questions when you find your mind wandering, and you’ll enjoy deeper focus.

The questions work because often our thoughts behave like undisciplined children. And when they do that, their value is obviously very low.

Once reminded of this, getting back to reading is often much easier. 

Six: You’re Intimidated 

Some books are very long. They can also be incredibly complex.

It’s normal to be a bit nervous.

When I decided to learn about computational consciousness, I felt that way too for a short while. 

But when I decided to just get started, I found everything was easier than I thought. 

And I realized that in the case of one book in particular, I’d been afraid for nothing.

You see, in Douglas Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach, there’s a complicated section near the beginning where he gives you a puzzle to solve.

When I initially read the book, I gave up because I couldn’t solve the puzzle.

If I’d just kept on reading, I would have realized that he was playing a trick on the reader. It’s unsolvable and he puts it there to make a point.

In reality, all books are puzzles and they all contain elements that are unsolvable. That’s why I’ve made it a policy to just keep reading, even when I’m confused and don’t understand. 

I keep reading so that I might understand. And I recommend you do the same too.

For more nuance on this, here are some tips for reading the memory books of Giordano Bruno, who is even trickier to grasp than Hofstadter.

Seven: It’s Your Job

Did you know that some people are paid to read slowly?

They’re called copy editors. 

The best will always work from a printout and then go through the process again on a screen. 

Of course, even the best still make mistakes.

For example, I’ve counted up to seven typos in a single Stephen King book.

If his editorial team can’t catch them all, then such errors are either perfectly human. Or those people need to find ways to read even more slowly in the future.

In any case, if you need to copy edit and still want to speed up the process, try this:

Most computers these days have text-to-audio features. 

Sometimes when I’m copy editing my books or this blog, I just highlight the text, press option + esc and let the machine read it back to me.

Although the pronunciations are often awkward, it keeps me focused on my own writing and things go much faster. 

Eight: You Need More Brain Exercise

If you’re not in a profession where you would benefit from reading slowly, some solid brain exercise might be just the ticket.

A simple brain exercise that can help you read faster is to read every other word out loud.

Although it might sound like a strange activity, it’s inspired by Harry Kahne’s Multiple Mentality course.

After completing his exercises, which involve reciting the alphabet backwards and skipping letters, I found that my mind was sharper.

You’ll give up some comprehension by completing this kind of exercise. But it will get you in the zone and you only need to do it for a few minutes to get the benefits. 

If you’d like more brain exercises, here’s a list of my all-time favorites.

Speed Reading Vs Slow Reading

A lot of marketers talk about speed reading vs slow reading and then give you “magic” techniques to try.

For example, they’ll talk about:

• How to “suppress” subvocalization
• How to skim and scan
• Using a pointer
• Breaking the pages into three columns
• Reducing “back skipping”
• Counting while reading

The problem is, very few people like my friend Jonathan aside, most marketers rarely focus on a visualization reading strategy that can truly help you.

By following their advice, you risk the trap of rote learning because their suggested techniques distract you. Then you have to go back and read everything again. 

Even some of the best speed reading books lead you into this trap, so read them with caution.

The truth about learning how to read faster is simple:

You need to focus on thoroughness and seek to ground all reading projects inside of a well-formed context. 

That’s where the next tip comes in very handy.

Commit Long Form Material To Memory

We’ve already talked about the value of memorizing vocabulary to boost your reading speed. 

Being able to “read inside your mind” is the next level. 

Did you know that you can commit entire paragraphs to memory?

The benefits are tremendous. 

For one thing, you can compare two passages at once from within your mind. This is a skill that transcends reading and will help you create new knowledge as you think faster. 

The only question remains… what to commit to memory first. 

I would suggest something that will make your life better as quickly as possible. For some people this would be quotes or ideas from philosophy. 

For other people, it might be scripture. You could even start with a mini-goal, like memorizing the Books of the Bible.

Whatever goal you choose, you’ll want to have the Memory Palace technique under your belt.

How To Read Slowly On Purpose

Now that we’ve come this far, I hope you can see that there are many reasons why you don’t have to chase efficiency.

Let’s focus now on effectiveness. I want to help you get good at drawing real value out of a book. Do that and efficiency will follow.

Here’s a summary portrait of what reading looks like for me:

Deliberate Patience

I rarely abandon boring or challenging books. Instead, I make myself be more patient with the writing style. I accept that some authors are simply harder than others. Deciding in advance to be patient with difficult styles and challenging topics removes most of the frustration before it starts.

Non-Linear Reading

I mentioned interleaving above. I also read books out of order.

Before going through a book from beginning to end, I usually browse the index first and then read the conclusion. This helps me understand where a book is going. Then, after some strategic skimming, I read the most interesting chapters next, or start from the beginning.

Active Note-Taking

I take notes in a robust way and using a variety of note-taking strategies, not just one.

Although I’m strategic about the notes I take, I don’t overdo it.

Think about it:

Rarely does any of us know which points will matter. As a result, we wind up taking more than we need.

To combat this habit, I set simple rules, such as ten index cards per chapter.

After reading, I review and cull from my notes. I might extract thirty cards’ worth of notes from a book, and only memorize ten points.

But this is perfectly fine because while I think about the cards, my mind naturally connects to information in the book I didn’t memorize.

And the handwriting involved in the note-taking process itself helps establish a layer of memory. As this scientific study on The Neuroscience Behind Handwriting shows, writing helps us instil memories. You simply cannot shortcut your way to substantial retention, even when using memory techniques.

The Success Slow Reading Brings

Although I fully recognize that a lot of younger people just want to know how to study for finals, I wish they would consider the reading habits of people from the ancient world, like St. Augustine and Cicero.

Augustine thought that taking time to ruminate was one of the most important things we can do. And Cicero deliberately slowed himself down to memorize.

In fact, Cicero could stand in the Roman forum and speak for hours without notes. He cited names and legal cases precisely and argued that it’s possible to keep learning no matter how late your season in life.

I made a full video about what Cicero understood about lifelong learning, including his warning that memory only fades in those who stop exercising it:

Ultimately, slow reading helps you accumulate knowledge that turns into wisdom.

In fact, Peter Burke ends his excellent book The Polymath with the statement that we now live in an era where there should be courses in reading slower.

And more than one hundred years ago, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche argued strongly that readers must take more time with books in order to avoid looking like fools for commenting on points they misunderstood.

Depth of understanding is always more important than speed. And none of it comes from turning pages quickly.

FAQ on Slow Reading & Improving Your Comprehension Speed

If you’ve come this far and you’re still wondering if being a slow reader is really a bad thing, here are some rapid pace questions and answers based on messages I’ve received from a variety of people over the years.

Is being a slow reader bad?

In my view, it depends. If you’re putting obstacles in your path by reading in distracting places, then yes.

But reading slowly and carefully is generally a very good thing.

People like Mortimer Adler suggested slowing down to consider different ways you can read books. His How to Read a Book is quite famous for suggesting four main ways to read:

• Elementary
• Inspectional
• Analytical
• Syntopical

Only elementary and inspectional reading was meant to be conducted at a faster pace.

Much more interesting to me than Adler is a book by I. A. Richards called How to Read a Page. I often recommend it to students in my courses.

Richards recommends that you spend more time on individual words and their meanings and gives you excellent tools for doing so.

What’s a good reading speed?

I believe that it’s a waste of time to track and calculate reading speeds unless you’re genuinely curious or researching claims about speed reading.

Understanding is not a linear outcome. Many people, myself included, often experience multiple insights and connections over time.

What matters more than the speed of reading individual words is the consistency of your reading over long stretches of time.

Can I train myself to stop subvocalizing?

In my view, you should increase subvocalization, not reduce it.

I’m not the only one who thinks so, as you can read in this Mind Map Unleashed article.

When I’m struggling to understand something, reading it out loud is the first thing I do.

I have a PhD, two MAs and many accomplishments under my belt. Would that have happened if I wasted time trying to stop subvocalization that has been so helpful to me understanding challenging topics?

I don’t think so.

Why do people now recommend slow reading?

Information overload has created a situation in which people feel that ten minute videos are too long, let alone books that are hundreds of pages long.

Many people now long for the depth of understanding they had pre-Internet.

And it’s not just about knowing more.

It’s also about enjoying the time spent with long-form content. It’s much more immersive and not interrupted constantly by ads that fry your attention-span.

Should I re-read books?

I believe so and try to reread at least one book once a month.

I use a very specific re-reading strategy to make it happen.

Frankly, the answer ultimately depends on the nature of the book. But once you’ve read a book thoroughly, even just dipping in to reread certain passages will do you a lot of good.

The reason has to do with context-dependent memory. As you revisit something you’ve read before, large networks of connections in your brain receive nurturing.

It’s one reason I work on developing a physical library. It increases my rereading and my random visitation of passages from books I’ve read before.

Do memory techniques actually help with reading speed?

Yes, because increasing your vocabulary improves pattern recognition.

Memorizing entire phrases and passages also improves your target-scanning, which is how quickly you can find individual words on the page.

To learn how to memorize entire phrases, check out my tutorial on passage memorization.

Better still, register for my free course on using the Memory Palace technique so you can memorize while you read:

Reading Slowly Doesn’t Have To Be A Bad Thing

The two biggest takeaways for today are simple:

• Anyone can read faster
• There are times when reading slowly totally makes sense

And another thing to consider is that finishing books and articles at any pace is not meant to be the end of the learning process. 

Finishing something you’re reading is always just the beginning. 

Fast or slow, reading one book is a portal to the next thing you read.

And if you found today’s tutorial useful, why not let it be your portal to my ultimate list of reading strategies?

Go through it next and you’ll not only enjoy reading more, but you’ll remember your reading better too.