Speed reading

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A reading muse

Speed reading is any of several techniques used to improve one's ability to read quickly. Speed reading
methods include chunking and minimizing subvocalization. The many available speed reading training
programs include books, videos, software, and seminars.

Contents

 1 History

 2 Methods

o 2.1 Skimming and scanning

o 2.2 Meta guiding

 3 Types of reading

 4 Effect on comprehension

 5 Software

 6 Controversies in speed reading

 7 See also

 8 References
  9 Footnotes

 10 External links

History

Psychologists and educational specialists working on visual acuity used a tachistoscope to conclude,[1]
that with training, an average person could identify minute images flashed on the screen for only one
five-hundredth of a second (2 ms). Though the images used were of airplanes, the results had
implications for reading. [2]

It was not until the late 1950s that a portable, reliable and convenient device would be developed as a
tool for increasing reading speed. Evelyn Wood, a researcher and schoolteacher, was committed to
understanding why some people were naturally faster at reading and tried to force herself to read very
quickly. In 1958, while brushing off the pages of a book she had thrown down in despair, she discovered
that the sweeping motion of her hand across the page caught the attention of her eyes, and helped
them move more smoothly across the page. She then used the hand as a pacer. Wood first taught the
method at the University of Utah, before launching it to the public as Evelyn Wood's Reading Dynamics
in Washington, D.C. in 1959.[3]

Methods

Skimming and scanning

Skimming is a process of speed reading that involves visually searching the sentences of a page for clues
to meaning. Or when reading an essay, it can mean reading the beginning and ending for summary
information, then optionally the first sentence of each paragraph to quickly determine whether to seek
still more detail, as determined by the questions or purpose of the reading.[4][5][6][7][8] For some people,
this comes naturally, but is usually acquired by practice. Skimming is usually seen more in adults than in
children. It is conducted at a higher rate (700 words per minute and above) than normal reading for
comprehension (around 200–230 wpm), and results in lower comprehension rates,[9] especially with
information-rich reading material. Scanning is the process where one actively looks for information
using a mind-map (organizing information in a visually hierarchical manner that showcases the
interrelatedness of the information for better retrievability) formed from skimming. These techniques
are used by meta-guiding your eyes.

Meta guiding

Meta guiding is the visual guiding of the eye using a finger or pointer, such as a pen, in order for the eye
to move faster along the length of a passage of text. It involves drawing invisible shapes on a page of
text in order to broaden the visual span for speed reading. For example, an audience of customers at a
speed reading seminar will be instructed to use a finger or pen to make these shapes on a page and told
that this will speed up their visual cortex, increase their visual span to take in the whole line, and even
imprint the information into their subconscious for later retrieval. It has also been claimed to reduce
subvocalization (saying words in your head rather than grasping the idea), thereby speeding up reading.
Because this encourages the eye to skim over the text, it can reduce comprehension and memory, and
lead to missing important details of the text. An emphasis on viewing each word, albeit briefly without
regression (Regression is an unconscious process where the eyes go forward two or three “stops” and
then go back.) is required for this method to be effective. E.g. S movement and Z movement[clarification
needed]

Speed reading is a skill honed through practice. Reading a text involves comprehension of the material.
In speed reading practice this is done through multiple reading processes: preview, overview, read,
review and recite; and by read and recall (recording through writing a short summary or a mental
outline) exercises.[10] Another important method for better comprehension is the SQ3R process. These
processes help an individual to retain most of the presented ideas from a reading material. A better
focus in comprehension is attained through a better reading process with good understanding of the
topic.[clarification needed]

Types of reading

Types of reading greatly affect the speed of reading. Each of us is wired differently from environmental
influences. Many have learned to read word by word from grade school, and have never been taught or
informed the need to improve upon that method. When reading word by word, our eyes often skip back
to a previous word or line; we might also fixate on a single word even after it has been read. These
mechanical issues slow us down while reading and comprehending.

There are 3 types of reading[11]

1. Mental reading (Subvocalization): sounding out each word internally, as reading to yourself. This
is the slowest form of reading.

2. Auditory reading: hearing out the read words. This is a faster process.

3. Visual reading: understanding the meaning of the word, rather than sounding or hearing. This is
the fastest process.

Mental readers generally read at approximately 250 words per minute. Auditory readers read at
approximately 450 words per minute. Visual readers read at approximately 700 words per minute.[citation
needed]

Effect on comprehension

Skimming alone may not be ideal when complete comprehension of the text is the main objective.
Skimming is mainly used when researching and getting an overall idea of the text. Nonetheless, when
time is limited, skimming or skipping over text can aid comprehension when layered reading is
employed.[12] Duggan & Payne (2009) compared skimming with reading normally, given only enough
time to read normally through half of a text. They found that the main points of the full text were better
understood after skimming (which could view the full text) than after normal reading (which only read
half the text). There was no difference between the groups in their understanding of less important
information from the text.[13]

In contrast, other findings suggest that speed reading courses which teach techniques that largely
constitute skimming of written text result in a lower comprehension rate (below 50% comprehension on
standardized comprehension tests) (Carver 1992).[14]

Hyo Sang Shin, in his book "Visual Reading and the Snowball of Understanding(2012)" claims that
increasing one's reading speed does not lead to decreased comprehension. On the contrary, he argues
that the faster the reading speed, the better the comprehension. That phenomenon is described by Shin
as a non-zero sum game between the reading speed and comprehension. He ties together the ideas of
critical reading skills with visual reading and explains how these two ideas play off each other to not only
give readers massive speed, but deep comprehension of written material that is used to make
connections between different sections of the work itself, as well as other works, such as others in a
series or other works that are either directly or indirectly related to the subject. [15]

Arvin Vohra, in "Introduction to Speed Reading and Rapid Analytical Reading" claims that grammar
based speed reading can lead to a simultaneous increase in speed and comprehension. Just as moving
from letter by letter reading in early childhood to word by word reading in later childhood increases
speed and comprehension, he argues that reading clause by clause or phrase by phrase can cause a
similar increase in speed and comprehension.[16]

Software

Eye exercise for speed reading

Computer programs are available to help instruct speed reading students. Some programs present the
data as a serial stream, since the brain handles text more efficiently by breaking it into such a stream
before parsing and interpreting it.[citation needed] The 2000 National Reading Panel (NRP) report (p. 3-1)
seems to support such a mechanism.

To increase speed, some older programs required readers to view the center of the screen while the
lines of text around it grew longer. They also presented several objects (instead of text) moving line by
line or bouncing around the screen; users had to follow the object(s) with only their eyes. A number of
researchers criticize using objects instead of words as an effective training method, claiming that the
only way to read faster is to read actual text. Many of the newer speed reading programs use built-in
text, and they primarily guide users through the lines of an on-screen book at defined speeds. Often the
text is highlighted to indicate where users should focus their eyes; they are not expected to read by
pronouncing the words, but instead to read by viewing the words as complete images. The exercises are
also intended to train readers to eliminate subvocalization, though it has not been proven that this will
increase reading speed.

Controversies in speed reading

Common controversies in speed reading are between its intent and nature with traditional concepts like
Comprehension vs Speed; Reading vs Skimming; Popular psychology vs Evidence-based psychology.
Much of the controversy is raised over these points. This is mainly because a reading comprehension
level of 50% is deemed unusable by some educationalists (Carver 1992). Speed reading advocates claim
that it is a great success and even state that it is a demonstration of good comprehension for many
purposes (Buzan 2000). The trade-off between "speed" and comprehension must be analyzed with
respect to the type of reading that is being done, the risks associated with mis-understanding due to low
comprehension, and the benefits associated with getting through the material quickly and gaining
information at the actual rate it is obtained.

Jimmy Carter and his daughter Amy participate in a speed reading course.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy was a proponent of speed reading[17] and encouraged his staff to take
lessons. U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and his wife Rosalynn, were both avid readers and enrolled in a
speed-reading course at the White House,[18] along with several staff members.

A critical discussion about speed reading stories appeared in Slate. Among others, the article raises
doubts about the origin of John F. Kennedy's allegedly amazing reading speed. Ronald Carver, a
professor of education research and psychology, claims that the fastest college graduate readers can
only read about 600 words per minute, at most twice as fast as their slowest counterparts.[19] Other
critics have suggested that speed reading is actually skimming, not reading.[20]

The World Championship Speed Reading Competition stresses reading comprehension as critical. The
top contestants typically read around 1,000 to 2,000 words per minute with approximately 50%
comprehension or above. The six time world champion Anne Jones is recorded for 4200wpm with
previous exposure to the material and 67% comprehension. The recorded number of words the eye can
see in single fixation is three words.[21]

Another controversy is about "Speed Reading World Record" claims. For example, Howard Berg from
the United States claims to be the Guinness Fastest Reader World Record holder with his reading speed
of 25,000 words per minute.[22] Another such claim comes from Ms. Maria Teresa Calderon from the
Philippines. She claims that she earned the Guinness World Record as the World's Fastest Reader with
her 80,000 words per minute reading speed and 100% comprehension.[23] Whether these
announcements were made as Guinness Speed Reading World Records or not, critics point out that con-
artists beat these speed reading world records by reading a pre-read or pre-memorized text just by
flipping the pages as fast as possible without reading it. The troubling problem is under what criteria
these world records were recorded and set. Morever, the Guinness Speed Reading World Record
Standards are not known. In 2015, Memoriad, the World Mental Sports Federation, set the rules for
"Speed Reading World Record Standards" in order to prevent such unclear claims.[24][25]