What is Incremental Reading?

The Unsung Hero of Efficient Learning

In a nutshell

Imagine effortlessly absorbing vast amounts of information without feeling overwhelmed. Sounds too good to be true? Welcome to the world of Incremental Reading, a technique designed to help you manage and retain large volumes of information by breaking it down into manageable chunks and reviewing it over time.

Whether you're a student, professional, or lifelong learner, mastering Incremental Reading can be a game-changer. It can dramatically increase your learning efficiency, boost memory retention, and help you stay current in any field. But like any powerful tool, its effectiveness depends on how well you use it. If approached carelessly or without understanding its principles, it can easily lead to clutter, frustration, or even burnout.

In this article, we’ll explore what Incremental Reading is, how it works, and the many ways it can benefit you, but we’ll also be honest about the challenges. This method isn’t for everyone, and it takes time to learn how to do it right. But if you're willing to engage with it thoughtfully, it can truly transform the way you learn.

The Origins and Evolution of Incremental Reading

Piotr Wozniak, with SuperMemo for Windows in the year 2000 [1] invented the first implementation of Incremental Reading. The rise of Incremental Reading coincided with advancements in digital technology, particularly the internet and spaced repetition algorithms, reflecting a natural convergence of ideas across various fields. Incremental Reading can thus be viewed as an encompassing form of Spaced Repetition Software. [2].

Incremental Reading enables reading of hundreds or even thousands of articles simultaneously (in parallel) without getting overwhelmed or forgetting essential details. It combines reading, prioritization, spaced repetition, and active recall techniques [2] to help you efficiently process, retain, and apply vast amounts of information [2].

As the amount of knowledge in the world keeps growing faster than anyone can keep up with, Incremental Reading gives you a practical way to stay on top of what matters most. It helps you manage the flood of information by connecting what you learn into a personal network of knowledge [2], one that's always growing and adapting to your goals. Over time, the method doesn't just help you store more—it helps you think more clearly [2], make better decisions, and build your own understanding in a way that's uniquely yours.

How Does Incremental Reading Work?

At its core, Incremental Reading involves breaking down large sources of information, such as websites, articles, blog posts, research papers, or even entire books, into smaller, manageable sections. But despite the name Incremental Reading, the method isn't limited to just reading. The same principles can be applied to watching videos or listening to audio content like podcasts [2]. The key idea is incremental processing: consuming and learning from complex materials bit by bit, across time, while maintaining a clear sense of priority and progress.

As you engage in Incremental Reading, you highlight and extract essential points and ideas from the text. These highlights are transformed into concise, digestible fragments, which are then converted into question-and-answer pairs using techniques such as cloze deletion (filling in blanks). A spaced repetition algorithm schedules these flashcards at optimal intervals [2], reinforcing the information over time and ensuring long-term memory retention [4].

The entire process follows a systematic prioritization designed to manage the inevitable information overload [2]. This approach ensures that you get the maximum value from the time invested, focusing on high-priority information while leaving lower-priority chunks, which offer diminishing returns, unprocessed, not because they are forgotten, but because they are intentionally deprioritized.

Incremental Reading is designed to be effortless by aligning with natural cognitive processes and reducing mental strain. By breaking down content into smaller, manageable sections, Incremental Reading prevents cognitive overload [2], making it easier for the brain to digest and retain information. The method incorporates Spaced Repetition, where material is reviewed over intervals, reinforcing memory and making recall more effortless over time [4]. This spacing strengthens neural pathways [5], ensuring that information is more accessible when needed.

The non-linear learning flow of Incremental Reading promotes seamless context switching [2], allowing you to shift focus between different topics without feeling overwhelmed. This flexibility reduces the mental strain [6] associated with deep, prolonged concentration on a single subject. The approach also supports interleaved practice, where different types of content and subjects are mixed, enhancing learning and retention compared to focusing intensively on one topic [7]. Interleaving helps the brain make connections between various ideas [7], making the learning process more engaging and less effortful.

Intentional interruptions in Incremental Reading serve as natural breaks that prevent fatigue. These breaks allow the brain to rest and consolidate the information processed [8], making it easier to return to the material later with a fresh perspective. During rest periods between learning sessions, the brain rapidly and repeatedly replays faster versions of the activity seen during practice [8]. Additionally, Incremental Reading enables the creation of a personalized learning path tailored to individual interests and goals [2]. This personalization makes the learning process more enjoyable and less like a chore, reducing the perceived effort required to engage with the material.

Active engagement is another key aspect of Incremental Reading. By processing and summarizing information in smaller sections, you engage more deeply with the content, leading to better understanding and retention [9]. This active engagement contributes to an overall learning experience that feels more effortless and aligned with natural cognitive processes.

The Funnel of Knowledge

Think of incremental reading as a funnel that ensures that information from diverse sources gets refined into durable, practical knowledge. The process from identifying and importing the learning sources to the distilled, well-formulated flashcards guarantees lifelong retention with SRS.

There are 5 distinct stages in the funnel of knowledge [3]:

• Input: Articles and electronic sources collected.
• Processing: Identifying and extracting important sections.
• Conversion: Transform these extracts into flashcards by selecting the text you want to be the answer to.
• Review: Using Spaced Repetition to reinforce the memory of the created flashcards. As your memory consolidates, you might also reformulate the flashcard during review.
• Application: Utilizing the retained knowledge creatively in real life.

Benefits of Incremental Reading

Incremental Reading offers many powerful benefits, but it usually requires first getting fluent in the method before being able to enjoy most of the benefits. Let’s see the most relevant advantages:

• Enhanced Retention: Regular reviews using Spaced Repetition guarantee high recall rates with minimal effort [4].
• Improved Comprehension: You naturally build your understanding by revisiting complex topics over time [10], tackling simpler concepts first, and gradually approaching more challenging material [10].
• Massive Learning Capacity: Unlike traditional linear reading, Incremental Reading allows you to explore many subjects simultaneously, significantly increasing your learning capacity through the spacing effect (revisiting material at optimal intervals to strengthen long-term memory [4]) and the interleaving effect (switching between different topics to deepen understanding and retention [11]).
• Creative Problem-Solving: Incremental reading’s frequent shifts in context fuel creativity [13], as regularly changing perspectives make it easier to spot unexpected relationships between different concepts [14].
• Prioritization and Efficiency: You save time by spending more effort on high-priority topics while minimizing time on less critical material [2,3,12].
• Reduced Stress and Increased Enjoyment: Reading remains engaging because you're constantly moving between different topics, preventing boredom and maintaining attention [2, 15].

Drawbacks of Incremental Reading

While Incremental Reading can significantly enhance learning, staying aware of its drawbacks is essential for maximizing its benefits. The disadvantages that learners should carefully consider that Incremental Reading carries are the following:

• Overhead Costs: Incremental Reading has a steep learning curve and initial complexity [12], causing frustration and discouragement for beginners [12]. Although mastering the method significantly reduces overhead, achieving proficiency requires considerable initial effort and patience [2]. For instance, I needed about 40 hours to get the basics and close to two years to acquire the skills to a decent level.
• Frustration and Stress: Incremental Reading demands language proficiency [12] and abstract thinking skills [2]. Those who find these areas challenging may experience ongoing stress and frustration. If Incremental Reading remains difficult after sustained effort, it might not suit the learner's preferences.
• Opportunity Costs: Incremental Reading can be highly engaging (sometimes even addictive) due to the constant sense of progress, discovery, and intellectual stimulation it provides. However, every moment spent with Incremental Reading is time not spent on other meaningful pursuits like relationships, creativity, family, or health. It's important to recognize that IR assigns priority only to the material you manage within it; it doesn't account for your other life priorities. You still need to consciously manage these. Whether you dedicate minutes or hours each day, maintaining a healthy balance that fits your personal goals and lifestyle is crucial. Regularly reflecting on the costs and benefits helps ensure your learning remains both sustainable and aligned with your broader values.
• Learning Garbage (GIGO): Poor selection or formulation of content can result in wasted effort memorizing irrelevant or ineffective material (garbage in, garbage out) [12]. Adhering strictly to recommended guidelines, careful selection, and honest prioritization [12] is crucial to avoid this pitfall.

Why Isn't Everyone Using Incremental Reading?

You might be asking, if Incremental Reading is so powerful, why is it so niche, and not everyone is using it? Indeed, despite its large benefits, Incremental Reading hasn't yet become widespread. It initially appears complex and can seem overwhelming to beginners. The learning curve is very steep and takes a long time to understand how to use the methods properly. On top of that, for now, Incremental Reading is only implemented in SuperMemo for Windows [16], which is a Software that creates friction for many users [19], and it builds an extra barrier to adopting the Incremental Reading flow. While other software options claim to implement Incremental Reading, they often do so to varying degrees or follow only some of the principles. However, this doesn't diminish their value; each tool has its unique strengths and can be highly effective depending on your specific needs and preferences.

For instance, RemNote with the Incremental Everything plugin [17] and Anki with the Incremental Reading add-on [18] are popular alternatives that offer robust features for capturing and reviewing information. RemNote excels in providing a seamless highlighting and note-taking experience, making it easy to capture key points from your reading material. Anki, with its Incremental Reading plugin, focuses on the simplicity of the flow.

However, it's important to note that these tools may not fully implement all aspects of Incremental Reading. For example, they might lack a priority queue [16] or have a different flow compared to the original Incremental Reading method. This means that while they are effective in their own right, the experience and benefits might differ slightly.

Exploring these alternatives can enrich your learning journey and provide different perspectives on how to implement Incremental Reading effectively. By trying out various tools, you can discover which features resonate best with your learning preference and integrate them into your workflow for a more comprehensive and personalized experience.