Eliminate any distractions around you before trying speed reading. Find a quiet, comfortable place where you can relax. Distractions will almost certainly lower your chances of rapid comprehension of the material.
Start off by reading as you normally would. Notice that, rather than reading a single word at a time, you take in a whole block of words simultaneously. Observe if you skip up and down the page between blocks, which is how most adults read.
Avoid re-reading or skipping backwards along the page, which slows most readers down dramatically. Force yourself to forge ahead through the text, even if you miss some material. Prevent yourself from looking back, and your mind will gradually acclimatize to fuller comprehension on the first read-through.
Start reading each line by focusing on the second or third word rather than the first, and stop reading the line at the second to last word. Try to observe the first and last words using your peripheral vision rather than looking at them directly.
Increase how quickly your eye moves across the page by pointing at a line of text with a pencil or pen and tracing across as you read. Follow the pen or pencil with your eye, even if rapid comprehension initially eludes you. Limit yourself to one second per line and then move on.
Practice reading with a pen or pencil and skipping a few words per line at the same time. Emphasize speed and avoid looking back, regardless of comprehension. Practice these techniques continually and your mind will acclimatize to the speed and reduced focus, bringing your rapid comprehension back to normal levels but greatly increasing your reading speed.