I'm a really slow reader, which affects my ability to do homework quickly a lot since you have to read a lot in high school. Textbooks and novels are what really get me. But for textbooks, esp. science textbooks, I found a really great way to speed up my reading. There's a lot of extra, unnecessary stuff in textbooks, like cute examples and all kinds of other stuff the authors throw in to make the reading "interesting." These can just be skipped, usually, unless you're having a problem understanding the concept.

In general, I read the first and last two sentences of each paragraph of textbooks. You can do this with novels, too, but it's not nearly as effective. You miss a lot of important details when you do this with novels because some paragraphs are really, really long. Usually what I do with novels is read the first and last two sentences of each paragraph and skim what's in between really fast.

This technique takes a little while to master, but once you're used to it, you can save a lot of time reading.

When I'm working really slowly and can't think of any other way to speed myself up, I set liltle goals, like finish one page of this essay in the next hour, and then reward myself with something to give me incentive.

Lots of times my rewards are things like, playing fifteen minutes of video games or watching some TV. Sometimes I reward myself with pieces of candy or ice cream or stuff. Really anything that motivates you will work.

For big assignments, sometimes I'll set time checkpoints for myself. For example, everytime I finish a page of an essay or a lab report in under an hour, I'll reward myself with 15 minutes of fun. Then when I finish the assignment, I take my reward all at once. So if I was a fast worker the whole time, my reward will be bigger.

I guess little rewards like this might not work for everybody, but it's worth a try if you need some help. You need some self discipline, but it certainly makes you work faster if you have the discipline. Hope it works!

For me, distractions like TV, music, and IM programs are the biggest obstacle to doing efficient work. For me, working with the TV on or while talking to my friends makes working much more enjoyable, but it slows me down a lot. If I really need to get something done, I just turn off whatever else I'm doing and work in a quiet, secluded place. That has a profound effect on my speed.

If you've always had trouble focusing on your work and doing it efficiently, perhaps you should talk to your guidance counselor about it. There are lots of resources for students who have trouble focusing or with attention span. I'm not saying you "need help" or anything, just encouraging you to check out all the options available to you.

Most of the time, I do my homework slowly too.
It's due to the fact that I get distracted very easily.
My advice:
1) Be in a comfortable and quiet working place!
2) Make sure you are not distracted
3) Try to pick a certain time to finish at
4) Put some music if it helps
5) Take breaks once in a while
6) Start with subjects that are easier for you

The major problem for me in reaching my mini time goals for certain homeworks is the fact that I am tired! I mean I spend my day in school and between classes I'm really just running up and down hallways, plus extracurricular activites and sports. When I get home, I am dog tired! One thing that has really helped me to concentrate and get my homework done on time is taking mini naps between homeworks
Between doing different homeworks or before starting homework i set my alarm and take a nap for 20 - 30 minutes. This is really helpful for me!

Additionally, IMs and TV are major distractions. I dont turn on AIM or anything while doing homework because I keep looking up at the computer and this gets me nowhere. Use IM or watch tv only during breaks.

I know how you feel. I am a really slow homework doer. If I had three months do someone some couple of reports to do I still would not even be close to done. But I try and do as much as I can before it is done. I read at a slow pace so any reading homework that I get usually dont get done. Usually before class starts or before school, or after school, i ask for the teachers help. So if youve never tried that before, it is really helpful. Just tell them why you have trouble and who knows they can be more understanding then your friends and family at times.