Speed reading: Difference between revisions
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{{Redirect|Speed read|a management summary|speed read (summary)}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} |
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[[File:Muse reading Louvre CA2220 (cropped).jpg|thumb|A reading [[muse]]]] |
[[File:Muse reading Louvre CA2220 (cropped).jpg|thumb|A reading [[muse]]]] |
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{{Reading}} |
{{Reading}} |
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'''Speed reading''' is any of many techniques claiming to improve one's ability to [[reading|read]] quickly. Speed-reading methods include [[chunking (psychology)|chunking]] and minimizing [[subvocalization]]. The many available speed-reading training programs may utilize books, videos, software, and seminars. There is little scientific evidence regarding speed reading, and as a result its value seems uncertain. Cognitive neuroscientist [[Stanislas Dehaene]] says that claims of reading up to 1,000 words per minute "must be viewed with skepticism".<ref>{{cite book |first=Stanislas |last=Dehaene |title=Reading in the Brain |pages=17–18 |location=New York |publisher=Penguin Books |date=2010-10-26 |isbn=978-0-14311-805-3}}</ref> |
'''Speed reading''' is any of many techniques claiming to improve one's ability to [[reading|read]] quickly. Speed-reading methods include [[chunking (psychology)|chunking]] and minimizing [[subvocalization]]. The many available speed-reading training programs may utilize books, videos, software, and seminars. There is little [[scientific evidence]] regarding speed reading, and as a result its value seems uncertain. Cognitive neuroscientist [[Stanislas Dehaene]] says that claims of reading up to 1,000 words per minute "must be viewed with [[skepticism]]".<ref>{{cite book |first=Stanislas |last=Dehaene |title=Reading in the Brain |pages=17–18 |location=New York |publisher=Penguin Books |date=2010-10-26 |isbn=978-0-14311-805-3}}</ref> |
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== History == |
== History == |
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⚫ | The term "speed reading" is thought to have been coined in the late 1950s by [[Evelyn Wood (teacher)|Evelyn Wood]], a schoolteacher. She was reportedly curious why some people were naturally faster at reading, so tried to force herself to read very quickly. In 1958, while brushing off the pages of a book she had thrown, she noticed 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.<ref name=frank-everything>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z0wn1I3Q9SQC&pg=PA40 |title=Remember Everything You Read: The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and Learning Program |first=Stanley D. |last=Frank |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1994 |page=40 |isbn=978-1-56619-402-0}}</ref> |
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===Skimming and scanning=== |
===Skimming and scanning=== |
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'''Skimming''' is a process of speed reading that involves visually searching the sentences of a page for clues to the main idea or when reading an essay, it can mean reading the beginning and ending for summary information, then optionally the [[Topic sentence |first sentence of each paragraph]] to quickly determine whether to seek still more detail, as determined by the [[SQ3R#Process|questions]] or purpose of the reading.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdu.edu.au/study-skills/study-strategies/reading-and-researching |title=Study Skills – Effective reading strategies |website=[[Charles Darwin University]] |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to read an academic article – part 7 |url=http://www.lenmholmes.org.uk/students/how2read/how2read_g.htm |website=Len M Holmes.org.uk |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to read an academic article – part 1 |url=http://www.lenmholmes.org.uk/students/how2read/how2read_a.htm |website=Len M Holmes.org.uk |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to Read a Paper |url=http://blizzard.cs.uwaterloo.ca/keshav/home/Papers/data/07/paper-reading.pdf |date=February 17, 2016 |first=S. |last=Keshav |website=[[University of Waterloo]] |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Paragraphs and Topic Sentences |url=https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/paragraphs-and-topic-sentences.html |website=[[Indiana University]] |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref> 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 (activity)|reading]] for comprehension (around 200–230 wpm), and results in lower comprehension rates,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://works.bepress.com/marcel_just_cmu/84/ |last1=Just |first1=Marcel Adam |last2=Carpenter |first2=Patricia A. |title=Speedreading: The Psychology of Reading and Language Comprehension |date=1987 |location=Newton, MA |publisher=Allyn & Bacon |isbn=978-0-20508-760-0 |access-date=2016-05-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417011221/https://works.bepress.com/marcel_just_cmu/84/ |archive-date=April 17, 2015}}</ref> especially with information-rich reading material. |
'''Skimming''' is a process of speed reading that involves visually searching the sentences of a page for clues to the main idea or when reading an essay, it can mean reading the beginning and ending for summary information, then optionally the [[Topic sentence |first sentence of each paragraph]] to quickly determine whether to seek still more detail, as determined by the [[SQ3R#Process|questions]] or purpose of the reading.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdu.edu.au/study-skills/study-strategies/reading-and-researching |title=Study Skills – Effective reading strategies |website=[[Charles Darwin University]] |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to read an academic article – part 7 |url=http://www.lenmholmes.org.uk/students/how2read/how2read_g.htm |website=Len M Holmes.org.uk |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to read an academic article – part 1 |url=http://www.lenmholmes.org.uk/students/how2read/how2read_a.htm |website=Len M Holmes.org.uk |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to Read a Paper |url=http://blizzard.cs.uwaterloo.ca/keshav/home/Papers/data/07/paper-reading.pdf |date=February 17, 2016 |first=S. |last=Keshav |website=[[University of Waterloo]] |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Paragraphs and Topic Sentences |url=https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/paragraphs-and-topic-sentences.html |website=[[Indiana University]] |access-date=2017-08-11}}</ref> 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 (activity)|reading]] for comprehension (around 200–230 wpm), and results in lower comprehension rates,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://works.bepress.com/marcel_just_cmu/84/ |last1=Just |first1=Marcel Adam |last2=Carpenter |first2=Patricia A. |title=Speedreading: The Psychology of Reading and Language Comprehension |date=1987 |location=Newton, MA |publisher=Allyn & Bacon |isbn=978-0-20508-760-0 |access-date=2016-05-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417011221/https://works.bepress.com/marcel_just_cmu/84/ |archive-date=April 17, 2015}}</ref> especially with information-rich reading material.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fitzsimmons |first1=Gemma |last2=Jayes |first2=Lewis T. |last3=Weal |first3=Mark J. |last4=Drieghe |first4=Denis |date=2020-09-17 |title=The impact of skim reading and navigation when reading hyperlinks on the web |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=15 |issue=9 |pages=e0239134 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0239134 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=7497986 |pmid=32941471|bibcode=2020PLoSO..1539134F }}</ref> |
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⚫ | '''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.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} These techniques are used by meta-guiding |
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⚫ | '''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.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} These techniques are used by meta-guiding the eyes. Scanning includes the main point as well as headings and important information. |
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=== Meta guidinvg === |
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'''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 [[Saccade|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.{{clarify|date=February 2016}} |
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===Finger tracing=== |
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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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.getacademichelp.com/blog/method-to-improve-reading-speed |title=Method to Improve Reading Speed |first=Emily |last=Brown |date=23 June 2017 |website=GetAcademicHelp.com}}</ref> 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.{{clarify|date=February 2016}} |
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With '''finger tracing''' or '''meta-guiding''', readers point to specific lines or areas (with their fingers), to help [[attention|focus]] on the sentences being read (or paragraphs being skimmed), reduce [[cognitive load]], and increase [[Memory and retention in learning|retention]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Claudia|last=Hammond|title=The tricks that can turn you into a speed reader|date=2 December 2019|magazine=BBC Future|publisher=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191129-how-to-learn-to-speed-read}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ginns |first1=Paul |last2=King |first2=Victoria |title=Pointing and tracing enhance computer-based learning |journal=Educational Technology Research and Development |date=1 June 2021 |volume=69 |issue=3 |pages=1387–1403 |doi=10.1007/s11423-021-09997-0 |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11423-021-09997-0 |language=en |issn=1556-6501}}</ref><ref name=frank-everything></ref> |
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== Types of reading == |
== Types of reading == |
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There are three types of reading: |
There are three types of reading: |
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# [[Subvocalization]]: sounding out each word internally, as reading to |
# [[Subvocalization]]: sounding out each word internally, as reading to oneself. This is the slowest form of reading. |
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# Auditory reading: hearing out the read words. This is a faster process. |
# Auditory reading: hearing out the read words. This is a faster process. |
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# Visual reading: understanding the meaning of the word, rather than sounding or hearing. This is the fastest process. |
# Visual reading: understanding the meaning of the word, rather than sounding or hearing. This is the fastest process. |
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== Effect on comprehension == |
== Effect on comprehension == |
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Skimming is mainly used for researching and getting an overall idea of a text, especially when time is limited. 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Duggan |first1=G.B. |last2=Payne |first2=S.J. |title=Text skimming: the process and effectiveness of foraging through text under time pressure |journal=[[J Exp Psychol Appl]] |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=228–242 |date=September 2009 |doi=10.1037/a0016995 |pmid=19751073 |url=http://opus.bath.ac.uk/16373/1/Duggan_Payne_JEPA_2009.pdf}}</ref> Skimming or skipping over text can also aid in comprehension when layered reading, a process of strategic rereading, is employed.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Doug |last1=Lemov |first2=Colleen |last2=Driggs |first3=Erica |last3=Woolway |title=Reading Reconsidered: A Practical Guide to Rigorous Literacy Instruction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u5YvCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA63 |year=2016 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-11910-424-7 |page=63}}</ref> Further findings suggest that trained speed readers have a slight advantage in both comprehension and speed to untrained skimmers. It is thus suggested by experts that speed-reading is most useful to those who need "to skim a large amount of material or need to improve their study skills" and less useful to those who read "highly technical material that requires careful study of each sentence"<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vanderlinde |first1=William |title=Speed Reading: Fact or Fiction? |journal=[[Skeptical Inquirer]] |year=2018 |volume=42 |issue=4 |pages=47–49}}</ref> |
Skimming is mainly used for researching and getting an overall idea of a text, especially when time is limited. 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Duggan |first1=G.B. |last2=Payne |first2=S.J. |title=Text skimming: the process and effectiveness of foraging through text under time pressure |journal=[[J Exp Psychol Appl]] |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=228–242 |date=September 2009 |doi=10.1037/a0016995 |pmid=19751073 |url=http://opus.bath.ac.uk/16373/1/Duggan_Payne_JEPA_2009.pdf}}</ref> Skimming or skipping over text can also aid in comprehension when layered reading, a process of strategic rereading, is employed.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Doug |last1=Lemov |first2=Colleen |last2=Driggs |first3=Erica |last3=Woolway |title=Reading Reconsidered: A Practical Guide to Rigorous Literacy Instruction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u5YvCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA63 |year=2016 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-11910-424-7 |page=63}}</ref> Further findings suggest that trained speed readers have a slight advantage in both comprehension and speed to untrained skimmers. It is thus suggested by experts that speed-reading is most useful to those who need "to skim a large amount of material or need to improve their study skills" and less useful to those who read "highly technical material that requires careful study of each sentence".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vanderlinde |first1=William |title=Speed Reading: Fact or Fiction? |journal=[[Skeptical Inquirer]] |year=2018 |volume=42 |issue=4 |pages=47–49}}</ref> |
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== Software == |
== Software == |
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== Controversies in speed reading == |
== Controversies in speed reading == |
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Common controversies in speed reading are between its intent and nature with traditional concepts like comprehension |
Common controversies in speed reading are between its intent and nature with traditional concepts like comprehension versus speed, reading versus skimming, and popular psychology versus [[Evidence-based practice|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.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Reading Rate: Theory, Research, and Practical Implications |first=Ronald P.|last=Carver |date=1992 |journal=Journal of Reading |volume=36 |number=2 |pages=84–95}}</ref> Advocates claim that speed reading is a great success and that it is a demonstration of good comprehension for many purposes.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Buzan |first=Tony |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HpvjGZ_Ff60C |title=The Speed Reading Book |date=2006 |location=Harlow |publisher=BBC Active |isbn=978-1-4066-1021-5}}</ref> 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 misunderstanding due to low comprehension, and the benefits associated with getting through the material quickly and gaining information at the actual rate is to be obtained. [[Mark Seidenberg]] considers claims like reading 25,000 words per minute "cannot be true given basic facts about eyes and texts". He goes on to say that "people are as likely to read thousands of words per minute as they are to run faster than the speed of light". [[Marshall McLuhan]] was initially a convert to speed reading, however later concluded it was only useful for tasks like "scanning junk mail".<ref>{{cite book |first=Mark |last=Seidenberg |title=Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can't, and What Can Be Done About It |pages=70–84 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xTBnAgAAQBAJ |year=2017 |location=New York City |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-46508-065-6}}</ref> |
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[[File:Reading Fixations Saccades.jpg|thumb|A plot of the eye movements of a speed reader]] |
[[File:Reading Fixations Saccades.jpg|thumb|A plot of the eye movements of a speed reader]] |
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Similarly, in evaluating a claim that a similar reading strategy known as PhotoReading could increase reading rates to 25,000 words per minute, McNamara published a preliminary analysis funded by NASA to evaluate whether this strategy could improve reading speed, comprehension, and information gathering efficiency. When identical versions of five reading samples and accompanying reading comprehension tests were administered to a trainee and an expert in this reading strategy, there was no advantage in overall reading time or comprehension. This strategy may also cause overestimation of one's knowledge, as demonstrated by the following case in McNamara's preliminary analysis, showing evidence of the [[Dunning-Kruger effect]]:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20000011599.pdf |title=Preliminary Analysis of PhotoReading |last=McNamara |first=Danielle S. |date=30 September 1999 |website=NASA Technical Reports Server |access-date=13 December 2018}}</ref> |
Similarly, in evaluating a claim that a similar reading strategy known as PhotoReading could increase reading rates to 25,000 words per minute, McNamara published a preliminary analysis funded by NASA to evaluate whether this strategy could improve reading speed, comprehension, and information gathering efficiency. When identical versions of five reading samples and accompanying reading comprehension tests were administered to a trainee and an expert in this reading strategy, there was no advantage in overall reading time or comprehension. This strategy may also cause overestimation of one's knowledge, as demonstrated by the following case in McNamara's preliminary analysis, showing evidence of the [[Dunning-Kruger effect]]:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20000011599.pdf |title=Preliminary Analysis of PhotoReading |last=McNamara |first=Danielle S. |date=30 September 1999 |website=NASA Technical Reports Server |access-date=13 December 2018}}</ref> |
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⚫ | {{quote|The final task given to the PhotoReading expert was to read the three chapters from the textbook on Physiology in order to take an exam from a course that used that textbook. The question was simply: Would she pass the exam? The expert took 73 minutes to PhotoRead and read the three chapters of the textbook required for the test (i.e., 361 [[words per minute]]). She PhotoRead for 9 minutes the night before taking the test. The following morning, she read the text using various rapid reading and activation techniques. She then answered the questions. She completed the 6 true/false and 30 multiple choice questions, but did not attempt to answer the fill-in-the-blank or short-answer questions. Hence, comprehension performance on the conceptual questions was 0 percent. She answered 2 of 7 multiple-choice prior knowledge questions correctly (29%). Of the text relevant questions, she answered 4 of 6 true/false questions correctly (67%), and 8 of 23 multiple-choice question correctly (35%). This performance is extremely low and only slightly above chance level performance for these types of questions (i.e., 50% and 25%, respectively). In sum, she did not pass the exam. |
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{{quote| |
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⚫ | The final task given to the PhotoReading expert was to read the three chapters from the textbook on Physiology in order to take an exam from a course that used that textbook. The question was simply: Would she pass the exam? The expert took 73 minutes to PhotoRead and read the three chapters of the textbook required for the test (i.e., 361 [[words per minute]]). She PhotoRead for 9 minutes the night before taking the test. The following morning, she read the text using various rapid reading and activation techniques. She then answered the questions. She completed the 6 true/false and 30 multiple choice questions, but did not attempt to answer the fill-in-the-blank or short-answer questions. Hence, comprehension performance on the conceptual questions was 0 percent. She answered 2 of 7 multiple-choice prior knowledge questions correctly (29%). Of the text relevant questions, she answered 4 of 6 true/false questions correctly (67%), and 8 of 23 multiple-choice question correctly (35%). This performance is extremely low and only slightly above chance level performance for these types of questions (i.e., 50% and 25%, respectively). In sum, she did not pass the exam. |
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It is important to note that after PhotoReading the text (but before taking the test), she rated her understanding of the material as 4.5 on a 5-point scale (5 representing a good understanding). Moreover, she estimated that she would remember approximately 68 percent of the material for the test, with a grade of C+. This high level of confidence in terms of her text comprehension would have remained unshattered had she not then taken the test – after which she rated her comprehension much lower (i.e., 2) |
It is important to note that after PhotoReading the text (but before taking the test), she rated her understanding of the material as 4.5 on a 5-point scale (5 representing a good understanding). Moreover, she estimated that she would remember approximately 68 percent of the material for the test, with a grade of C+. This high level of confidence in terms of her text comprehension would have remained unshattered had she not then taken the test – after which she rated her comprehension much lower (i.e., 2) |
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[[File:Amy Carter and Jimmy Carter participate in a speed reading course at the White House. - NARA - 173797.jpg|[[Jimmy Carter]] and his daughter [[Amy Carter|Amy]] participate in a speed reading course. |
[[File:Amy Carter and Jimmy Carter participate in a speed reading course at the White House. - NARA - 173797.jpg|thumb|[[Jimmy Carter]] and his daughter [[Amy Carter|Amy]] participate in a speed reading course.]] |
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In a 2016 article<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rayner |first1=Keith |last2=Schotter |first2=Elizabeth R. |last3=Masson |first3=Michael E. J. |last4=Potter |first4=Mary C. |last5=Treiman |first5=Rebecca |date=2016-01-14 |title=So Much to Read, So Little Time |journal=Psychological Science in the Public Interest |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=4–34 |doi=10.1177/1529100615623267 |pmid=26769745 |issn=1529-1006 |doi-access=free}}</ref> published in the journal of 'Psychological Science in the Public Interest', the authors conclude there is no |
In a 2016 article<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rayner |first1=Keith |last2=Schotter |first2=Elizabeth R. |last3=Masson |first3=Michael E. J. |last4=Potter |first4=Mary C. |last5=Treiman |first5=Rebecca |date=2016-01-14 |title=So Much to Read, So Little Time |journal=Psychological Science in the Public Interest |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=4–34 |doi=10.1177/1529100615623267 |pmid=26769745 |issn=1529-1006 |doi-access=free}}</ref> published in the journal of ''Psychological Science in the Public Interest'', the authors conclude there is no "magic bullet" for reading more quickly while maintaining comprehension other than to practice reading and to become a more skilled language user (e.g. through increased vocabulary). The authors proceed with debunking common speed reading techniques such as eliminating sub-vocalization, reading more than one word at a time a.k.a. grouping, using [[Rapid serial visual presentation|RSVP]] (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation), increasing [[Vision span|peripheral vision]], alternating colors for each line of text. |
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U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]] was a proponent of speed reading,<ref>{{cite web |title=John F. Kennedy on Leadership |url=http://www.presidentialexpert.com/leadership_john_f_kennedy.html |first=Philip Ernest |last=Schoenberg |date=2000 |website=The Presidential Expert |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224041824/http://presidentialexpert.com/leadership_john_f_kennedy.html |archive-date=2009-02-24}}</ref> encouraging his staff to take lessons, and he suggested in an interview that he had a reading speed of 1,200 words per minute.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/sidebars/2000/02/jfk_speedreader.html |title=JFK, Speed-Reader |first=Timothy |last=Noah |date=18 February 2000 |website=Slate |access-date=13 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210100351/http://www.slate.com/sidebars/2000/02/jfk_speedreader.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-10}}</ref> U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]], and his wife [[Rosalynn Carter|Rosalynn]], were both avid readers and enrolled in a speed-reading course at the White House,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/gallery/gal_carter_09.html |title=American Experience |date=2002 |website=[[PBS]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050908024921/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/gallery/gal_carter_09.html |archive-date=September 8, 2005}}</ref> along with several staff members. |
U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]] was a proponent of speed reading,<ref>{{cite web |title=John F. Kennedy on Leadership |url=http://www.presidentialexpert.com/leadership_john_f_kennedy.html |first=Philip Ernest |last=Schoenberg |date=2000 |website=The Presidential Expert |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224041824/http://presidentialexpert.com/leadership_john_f_kennedy.html |archive-date=2009-02-24}}</ref> encouraging his staff to take lessons, and he suggested in an interview that he had a reading speed of 1,200 words per minute.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/sidebars/2000/02/jfk_speedreader.html |title=JFK, Speed-Reader |first=Timothy |last=Noah |date=18 February 2000 |website=Slate |access-date=13 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210100351/http://www.slate.com/sidebars/2000/02/jfk_speedreader.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-10}}</ref> U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]], and his wife [[Rosalynn Carter|Rosalynn]], were both avid readers and enrolled in a speed-reading course at the White House,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/gallery/gal_carter_09.html |title=American Experience |date=2002 |website=[[PBS]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050908024921/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/gallery/gal_carter_09.html |archive-date=September 8, 2005}}</ref> along with several staff members. |
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Ronald Carver, a professor of education research and psychology, claims that the fastest college graduate readers can read only about 600 words per minute, at most twice as fast as their slowest counterparts, and suggests that Kennedy's claimed reading speed was more a measure of how fast he could skim a piece of text.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/articles/2000/02/the_1000word_dash.html |title=The 1,000-Word Dash |first=Timothy |last=Noah |author-link=Timothy Noah |date=18 February 2000 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]}}</ref> Other critics have suggested that speed reading is actually skimming, not reading.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://skepdic.com/speedreading.html |title=Speed-reading |first=Robert T. |last=Carroll |date=26 October 2015 |website=The Skeptic's Dictionary}}</ref> |
Ronald Carver, a professor of education research and psychology, claims that the fastest college graduate readers can read only about 600 words per minute, at most twice as fast as their slowest counterparts, and suggests that Kennedy's claimed reading speed was more a measure of how fast he could skim a piece of text.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/articles/2000/02/the_1000word_dash.html |title=The 1,000-Word Dash |first=Timothy |last=Noah |author-link=Timothy Noah |date=18 February 2000 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]}}</ref> Other critics have suggested that speed reading is actually skimming, not reading.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://skepdic.com/speedreading.html |title=Speed-reading |first=Robert T. |last=Carroll |date=26 October 2015 |website=The Skeptic's Dictionary}}</ref> |
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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 |
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 4200 wpm with previous exposure to the material and 67% comprehension. The recorded number of words the eye can see in single [[Fixation (visual)|fixation]] is three words.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bremer |first1=Rod |title=The Manual: A Guide to the Ultimate Study Method |publisher=Fons Sapientiae Publishing |isbn=978-0-99349-640-0 |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2vkBywAACAAJ |year=2011}}</ref> |
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"Speed Reading World Record" claims have been controversial. Howard Stephen Berg from the United States has claimed to be the [[Guinness World Record]] holder for fast reading with a speed of 25,000 words per minute,<ref>{{cite web |title=Howard Berg "World's Fastest Reader" on Good Day Tampa Bay, Fox 13 Tampa, 02-16-13 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilvoigdxhzo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Ilvoigdxhzo |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|date=17 February 2013 |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and Maria Teresa Calderon from the Philippines claims to have earned the Guinness World Record for World's Fastest Reader at 80,000 words per minute reading speed and 100% comprehension. |
"Speed Reading World Record" claims have been controversial. Howard Stephen Berg from the United States has claimed to be the [[Guinness World Record]] holder for fast reading with a speed of 25,000 words per minute,<ref>{{cite web |title=Howard Berg "World's Fastest Reader" on Good Day Tampa Bay, Fox 13 Tampa, 02-16-13 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilvoigdxhzo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Ilvoigdxhzo |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|date=17 February 2013 |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and Maria Teresa Calderon from the Philippines claims to have earned the Guinness World Record for World's Fastest Reader at 80,000 words per minute reading speed and 100% comprehension.<ref>{{cite web |title=World's fastest reader (80,000 words per minute) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6ZLsyXYJWE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/S6ZLsyXYJWE |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|date=11 September 2013 |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Critics point out that it is possible to beat some speed reading world records by reading a pre-read or pre-memorized text, flipping the pages as fast as possible without reading it. The Guinness Speed Reading World Record Standards are not known and they have terminated{{when|date=March 2019}} adding speed readers to its honor list. In 2015, ''Memoriad'', the World Mental Sports Federation, set the rules for "Speed Reading World Record Standards" in order to prevent unclear claims.<ref>{{cite web |title=Speed Reading World Record Standards |website=Memoriad.com |url=http://www.memoriad.com/index.asp?s=kategoriler&b=kategori-detay&kategoriid=22dcbcd854eaa633da9a3df588bdb010&lang=EN#a39a8d291a0e2db349fe3fc32aa201b6}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Speed Reading World Record Standards - Memoriad |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8tHsrVvFBc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/L8tHsrVvFBc |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|date=9 July 2016 |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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* [[Pareto principle]] |
* [[Pareto principle]] |
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* [[Slow reading]] − intentional reduction in the speed of reading |
* [[Slow reading]] − intentional reduction in the speed of reading |
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* [[ |
* [[Too long; didn't read|TL;DR]] an abbreviation for "Too Long; Didn't Read" |
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== References == |
== References == |
||
⚫ | |||
{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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== Further reading == |
== Further reading == |
||
{{Refbegin|}} |
{{Refbegin|}} |
||
*{{cite book |first=Ronald P. |last=Carver |date=1990 |title=Reading Rate: A Review of Research and Theory |location=San Diego |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12162-420-0}} |
* {{cite book |first=Ronald P. |last=Carver |date=1990 |title=Reading Rate: A Review of Research and Theory |location=San Diego |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12162-420-0}} |
||
*{{cite book |first1=A. E. |last1=Cunningham |first2=K. E. |last2=Stanovich |first3=M. R. |last3=Wilson |editor-first1=Thomas H. |editor-last1=Carr |editor-first2=Betty Ann |editor-last2=Levy |date=1990 |chapter=Cognitive Variation in Adult College Students Differing in Reading Ability |title=Reading and its Development: Component Skills Approaches |location=New York City |publisher=Academic Press |pages=129–159 |isbn=978-0-12160-645-9}} |
* {{cite book |first1=A. E. |last1=Cunningham |first2=K. E. |last2=Stanovich |first3=M. R. |last3=Wilson |editor-first1=Thomas H. |editor-last1=Carr |editor-first2=Betty Ann |editor-last2=Levy |date=1990 |chapter=Cognitive Variation in Adult College Students Differing in Reading Ability |title=Reading and its Development: Component Skills Approaches |location=New York City |publisher=Academic Press |pages=129–159 |isbn=978-0-12160-645-9}} |
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*{{cite report |url=https://cdn.acereader.com/pdf/ERIA_Review_of_ACEREADER_Research.pdf |date=2006 |title=A Review of the Research on the Instructional Effectiveness of AceReader. Report No. 258. |publisher=Educational Research Institute of America}} |
* {{cite report |url=https://cdn.acereader.com/pdf/ERIA_Review_of_ACEREADER_Research.pdf |date=2006 |title=A Review of the Research on the Instructional Effectiveness of AceReader. Report No. 258. |publisher=Educational Research Institute of America}} |
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*{{cite web |url=http://www.quackwatch.org/02ConsumerProtection/FTCActions/trudeau.html |date=July 23, 2000 |title=FTC Action against Kevin Trudeau |website=Quackwatch.org}} |
* {{cite web |url=http://www.quackwatch.org/02ConsumerProtection/FTCActions/trudeau.html |date=July 23, 2000 |title=FTC Action against Kevin Trudeau |website=Quackwatch.org}} |
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*{{cite web |url=http://www.ftc.gov/os/1998/01/berg.pkg.htm |title=Announced Actions for June 19, 1998 |date=June 19, 1998 |website=[[Federal Trade Commission]]}} |
* {{cite web |url=http://www.ftc.gov/os/1998/01/berg.pkg.htm |title=Announced Actions for June 19, 1998 |date=June 19, 1998 |website=[[Federal Trade Commission]]}} |
||
*{{cite book |first1=Albert J. |last1=Harris |first2=Edward R. |last2=Sipay |date=1990 |title=How to Increase Reading Ability |edition=9th |location=New York City |publisher=Longman |isbn=978-0-80130-246-6}} |
* {{cite book |first1=Albert J. |last1=Harris |first2=Edward R. |last2=Sipay |date=1990 |title=How to Increase Reading Ability |edition=9th |location=New York City |publisher=Longman |isbn=978-0-80130-246-6}} |
||
*{{cite journal |title=An assessment of two |
* {{cite journal |title=An assessment of two 'extraordinary' speed-readers |first=Donald |last=Homa |date=1983 |journal=Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society |volume=21 |number=2 |pages=123–126 |doi=10.3758/BF03329973|doi-access=free }} |
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*{{cite book |last1=Just |first1=Marcel Adam |last2=Carpenter |first2=Patricia A. |title=Speedreading: The Psychology of Reading and Language Comprehension |date=1987 |location=Boston, MA |publisher=Allyn & Bacon |isbn=978-0-20508-760-0}} |
* {{cite book |last1=Just |first1=Marcel Adam |last2=Carpenter |first2=Patricia A. |title=Speedreading: The Psychology of Reading and Language Comprehension |date=1987 |location=Boston, MA |publisher=Allyn & Bacon |isbn=978-0-20508-760-0}} |
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*{{cite book |first=Vearl G. |last=McBride |date=1973 |title=Damn the School System{{snd}}Full Speed Ahead! |location=New York City |publisher=Exposition Press |isbn=978-0-68247-695-9}} |
* {{cite book |first=Vearl G. |last=McBride |date=1973 |title=Damn the School System{{snd}}Full Speed Ahead! |location=New York City |publisher=Exposition Press |isbn=978-0-68247-695-9}} |
||
*{{cite report |url=https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf |date=2000 |chapter=Chapter 3: Fluency |title=Teaching Children To Read : An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and its Implications for Reading Instruction : Reports of the Subgroups |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=[[National Reading Panel]] |page=3-1}} |
* {{cite report |chapter-url=https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf |date=2000 |chapter=Chapter 3: Fluency |title=Teaching Children To Read : An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and its Implications for Reading Instruction : Reports of the Subgroups |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=[[National Reading Panel]] |page=3-1}} |
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*{{cite journal |title=The Psychology of Reading for Pleasure. Needs and Gratifications |first=Victor |last=Nell |date=1988 |journal=Reading Research Quarterly |volume=23 |number=1 |pages= |
* {{cite journal |title=The Psychology of Reading for Pleasure. Needs and Gratifications |first=Victor |last=Nell |date=1988 |journal=Reading Research Quarterly |volume=23 |number=1 |pages=6–50 |doi=10.2307/747903|jstor=747903 }} |
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*{{cite book |first=Charles A. |last=Perfetti |date=1985 |title=Reading Ability |location=New York City |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19503-501-8}} |
* {{cite book |first=Charles A. |last=Perfetti |date=1985 |title=Reading Ability |location=New York City |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19503-501-8}} |
||
*{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Roesler |date=2021 |title=Principles of Speed Reading |url=http://www.speed-reading-teacher.com/Principles_of_Speed_Reading_Roesler_2021.pdf |location=Duesseldorf, Germany |publisher=exclam |isbn=978-3-943736-12-0}} |
* {{cite book |first=Peter |last=Roesler |date=2021 |title=Principles of Speed Reading |url=http://www.speed-reading-teacher.com/Principles_of_Speed_Reading_Roesler_2021.pdf |location=Duesseldorf, Germany |publisher=exclam |isbn=978-3-943736-12-0}} |
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*{{cite book |first=Wolfgang |last=Schmitz |date=2013 |title=Schneller lesen – besser verstehen |trans-title=Reading faster – understanding better |language=de |location=Hamburg |publisher=[[Rowohlt Verlag|Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag]] |isbn=978-3-49963-045-3}} |
* {{cite book |first=Wolfgang |last=Schmitz |date=2013 |title=Schneller lesen – besser verstehen |trans-title=Reading faster – understanding better |language=de |location=Hamburg |publisher=[[Rowohlt Verlag|Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag]] |isbn=978-3-49963-045-3}} |
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*{{cite book |first=Paul R. |last=Scheele |date=1996 |title=The PhotoReading Whole Mind System |edition=2nd |location=Wayzata, Minn |publisher=Learning Strategies Corp |isbn=978-0-92548-052-1}} |
* {{cite book |first=Paul R. |last=Scheele |date=1996 |title=The PhotoReading Whole Mind System |edition=2nd |location=Wayzata, Minn |publisher=Learning Strategies Corp |isbn=978-0-92548-052-1}} |
||
*{{cite book |first=George D. |last=Stancliffe |date=2003 |title=Speed Reading 4 Kids |edition=3rd |location=Point Roberts, WA |publisher=The American Speed Reading Project |isbn=978-0-97141-762-5}} |
* {{cite book |first=George D. |last=Stancliffe |date=2003 |title=Speed Reading 4 Kids |edition=3rd |location=Point Roberts, WA |publisher=The American Speed Reading Project |isbn=978-0-97141-762-5}} |
||
*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l0w_AAAAYAAJ |first1=Evelyn Nielsen |last1=Wood |first2=Marjorie Wescott |last2=Barrows |date=1958 |title=Reading Skills |location=New York City |publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston}} |
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l0w_AAAAYAAJ |first1=Evelyn Nielsen |last1=Wood |first2=Marjorie Wescott |last2=Barrows |date=1958 |title=Reading Skills |location=New York City |publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston}} |
||
*{{cite book |first=Zach |last=Davis |date=2009 |title=PoweReading. Informationswelle nutzen, Zeit sparen, Effektivität steigern |trans-title=PoweReading. Use the information wave, save time, increase effectiveness |language=de |location=Munich |publisher=Peoplebuilding Verlag |isbn=978-3-98095-360-3}} |
* {{cite book |first=Zach |last=Davis |date=2009 |title=PoweReading. Informationswelle nutzen, Zeit sparen, Effektivität steigern |trans-title=PoweReading. Use the information wave, save time, increase effectiveness |language=de |location=Munich |publisher=Peoplebuilding Verlag |isbn=978-3-98095-360-3}} |
||
*{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/skillswise/skimming-and-scanning/zd39f4j |title=Reading: Skimming and scanning | |
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/skillswise/skimming-and-scanning/zd39f4j |title=Reading: Skimming and scanning |publisher=[[BBC]] Skillswise |access-date=13 August 2019}} |
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{{Refend}} |
{{Refend}} |
||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
{{wikibooks|Speed Reading}} |
{{wikibooks|Speed Reading}} |
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*[https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-resolution-read-speed-reading-wont-help/ Sorry, But Speed Reading |
* [https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-resolution-read-speed-reading-wont-help/ Sorry, But Speed Reading Won't Help You Read More] |
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*{{cite web |url=https://medium.com/readlax/how-to-read-3x-faster-some-advice-from-readlax-51088911d67c |title=How To Read 3x Faster: Some Advice from Readlax |first=Aleksandr |last=Golovatyi |date=July 5, 2019 |website=[[Medium.com]]}} |
* {{cite web |url=https://medium.com/readlax/how-to-read-3x-faster-some-advice-from-readlax-51088911d67c |title=How To Read 3x Faster: Some Advice from Readlax |first=Aleksandr |last=Golovatyi |date=July 5, 2019 |website=[[Medium.com]]}} |
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*{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-ferriss/speed-reading_b_5317784.html |first=Tim |last=Ferriss |title=How I Learned to Read 300 Percent Faster in 20 Minutes |date=May 13, 2014 |website=[[Huffington Post]]}} |
* {{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-ferriss/speed-reading_b_5317784.html |first=Tim |last=Ferriss |title=How I Learned to Read 300 Percent Faster in 20 Minutes |date=May 13, 2014 |website=[[Huffington Post]]}} |
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*{{Skeptoid |id= 4229 |number=229 |title=Speed Reading |date=26 October 2010}} |
* {{Skeptoid |id= 4229 |number=229 |title=Speed Reading |date=26 October 2010}} |
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⚫ | |||
[[Category:Learning to read]] |
[[Category:Learning to read]] |
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⚫ |
Latest revision as of 23:17, 13 November 2024
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (October 2012) |
Part of a series on |
Reading |
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Speed reading is any of many techniques claiming to improve one's ability to read quickly. Speed-reading methods include chunking and minimizing subvocalization. The many available speed-reading training programs may utilize books, videos, software, and seminars. There is little scientific evidence regarding speed reading, and as a result its value seems uncertain. Cognitive neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene says that claims of reading up to 1,000 words per minute "must be viewed with skepticism".[1]
History
[edit]The term "speed reading" is thought to have been coined in the late 1950s by Evelyn Wood, a schoolteacher. She was reportedly curious why some people were naturally faster at reading, so tried to force herself to read very quickly. In 1958, while brushing off the pages of a book she had thrown, she noticed 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.[2]
Methods and principles
[edit]Skimming and scanning
[edit]Skimming is a process of speed reading that involves visually searching the sentences of a page for clues to the main idea 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.[3][4][5][6][7] 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,[8] especially with information-rich reading material.[9]
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.[citation needed] These techniques are used by meta-guiding the eyes. Scanning includes the main point as well as headings and important information.
Finger tracing
[edit]With finger tracing or meta-guiding, readers point to specific lines or areas (with their fingers), to help focus on the sentences being read (or paragraphs being skimmed), reduce cognitive load, and increase retention.[10][11][2]
Types of reading
[edit]There are three types of reading:
- Subvocalization: sounding out each word internally, as reading to oneself. This is the slowest form of reading.
- Auditory reading: hearing out the read words. This is a faster process.
- Visual reading: understanding the meaning of the word, rather than sounding or hearing. This is the fastest process.
Subvocalization readers (Mental readers) generally read at approximately 250 words per minute, auditory readers at approximately 450 words per minute and visual readers at approximately 700 words per minute. Proficient readers are able to read 280–350 wpm without compromising comprehension.[12]
Effect on comprehension
[edit]Skimming is mainly used for researching and getting an overall idea of a text, especially when time is limited. 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] Skimming or skipping over text can also aid in comprehension when layered reading, a process of strategic rereading, is employed.[14] Further findings suggest that trained speed readers have a slight advantage in both comprehension and speed to untrained skimmers. It is thus suggested by experts that speed-reading is most useful to those who need "to skim a large amount of material or need to improve their study skills" and less useful to those who read "highly technical material that requires careful study of each sentence".[15]
Software
[edit]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) that move line by line or bounce 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.
Controversies in speed reading
[edit]Common controversies in speed reading are between its intent and nature with traditional concepts like comprehension versus speed, reading versus skimming, and popular psychology versus 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.[16] Advocates claim that speed reading is a great success and that it is a demonstration of good comprehension for many purposes.[17] 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 misunderstanding due to low comprehension, and the benefits associated with getting through the material quickly and gaining information at the actual rate is to be obtained. Mark Seidenberg considers claims like reading 25,000 words per minute "cannot be true given basic facts about eyes and texts". He goes on to say that "people are as likely to read thousands of words per minute as they are to run faster than the speed of light". Marshall McLuhan was initially a convert to speed reading, however later concluded it was only useful for tasks like "scanning junk mail".[18]
Similarly, in evaluating a claim that a similar reading strategy known as PhotoReading could increase reading rates to 25,000 words per minute, McNamara published a preliminary analysis funded by NASA to evaluate whether this strategy could improve reading speed, comprehension, and information gathering efficiency. When identical versions of five reading samples and accompanying reading comprehension tests were administered to a trainee and an expert in this reading strategy, there was no advantage in overall reading time or comprehension. This strategy may also cause overestimation of one's knowledge, as demonstrated by the following case in McNamara's preliminary analysis, showing evidence of the Dunning-Kruger effect:[19]
The final task given to the PhotoReading expert was to read the three chapters from the textbook on Physiology in order to take an exam from a course that used that textbook. The question was simply: Would she pass the exam? The expert took 73 minutes to PhotoRead and read the three chapters of the textbook required for the test (i.e., 361 words per minute). She PhotoRead for 9 minutes the night before taking the test. The following morning, she read the text using various rapid reading and activation techniques. She then answered the questions. She completed the 6 true/false and 30 multiple choice questions, but did not attempt to answer the fill-in-the-blank or short-answer questions. Hence, comprehension performance on the conceptual questions was 0 percent. She answered 2 of 7 multiple-choice prior knowledge questions correctly (29%). Of the text relevant questions, she answered 4 of 6 true/false questions correctly (67%), and 8 of 23 multiple-choice question correctly (35%). This performance is extremely low and only slightly above chance level performance for these types of questions (i.e., 50% and 25%, respectively). In sum, she did not pass the exam.
It is important to note that after PhotoReading the text (but before taking the test), she rated her understanding of the material as 4.5 on a 5-point scale (5 representing a good understanding). Moreover, she estimated that she would remember approximately 68 percent of the material for the test, with a grade of C+. This high level of confidence in terms of her text comprehension would have remained unshattered had she not then taken the test – after which she rated her comprehension much lower (i.e., 2)
In a 2016 article[20] published in the journal of Psychological Science in the Public Interest, the authors conclude there is no "magic bullet" for reading more quickly while maintaining comprehension other than to practice reading and to become a more skilled language user (e.g. through increased vocabulary). The authors proceed with debunking common speed reading techniques such as eliminating sub-vocalization, reading more than one word at a time a.k.a. grouping, using RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation), increasing peripheral vision, alternating colors for each line of text.
U.S. President John F. Kennedy was a proponent of speed reading,[21] encouraging his staff to take lessons, and he suggested in an interview that he had a reading speed of 1,200 words per minute.[22] U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and his wife Rosalynn, were both avid readers and enrolled in a speed-reading course at the White House,[23] along with several staff members.
Ronald Carver, a professor of education research and psychology, claims that the fastest college graduate readers can read only about 600 words per minute, at most twice as fast as their slowest counterparts, and suggests that Kennedy's claimed reading speed was more a measure of how fast he could skim a piece of text.[24] Other critics have suggested that speed reading is actually skimming, not reading.[25]
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 4200 wpm with previous exposure to the material and 67% comprehension. The recorded number of words the eye can see in single fixation is three words.[26]
"Speed Reading World Record" claims have been controversial. Howard Stephen Berg from the United States has claimed to be the Guinness World Record holder for fast reading with a speed of 25,000 words per minute,[27] and Maria Teresa Calderon from the Philippines claims to have earned the Guinness World Record for World's Fastest Reader at 80,000 words per minute reading speed and 100% comprehension.[28] Critics point out that it is possible to beat some speed reading world records by reading a pre-read or pre-memorized text, flipping the pages as fast as possible without reading it. The Guinness Speed Reading World Record Standards are not known and they have terminated[when?] adding speed readers to its honor list. In 2015, Memoriad, the World Mental Sports Federation, set the rules for "Speed Reading World Record Standards" in order to prevent unclear claims.[29][30]
See also
[edit]- Incremental reading – reading method aimed at long-term memorization
- Learning styles
- Learning to read
- Pareto principle
- Slow reading − intentional reduction in the speed of reading
- TL;DR an abbreviation for "Too Long; Didn't Read"
References
[edit]- ^ Dehaene, Stanislas (26 October 2010). Reading in the Brain. New York: Penguin Books. pp. 17–18. ISBN 978-0-14311-805-3.
- ^ a b Frank, Stanley D. (1994). Remember Everything You Read: The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and Learning Program. Cambridge University Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-56619-402-0.
- ^ "Study Skills – Effective reading strategies". Charles Darwin University. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "How to read an academic article – part 7". Len M Holmes.org.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "How to read an academic article – part 1". Len M Holmes.org.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ Keshav, S. (17 February 2016). "How to Read a Paper" (PDF). University of Waterloo. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "Paragraphs and Topic Sentences". Indiana University. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ Just, Marcel Adam; Carpenter, Patricia A. (1987). Speedreading: The Psychology of Reading and Language Comprehension. Newton, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 978-0-20508-760-0. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- ^ Fitzsimmons, Gemma; Jayes, Lewis T.; Weal, Mark J.; Drieghe, Denis (17 September 2020). "The impact of skim reading and navigation when reading hyperlinks on the web". PLOS ONE. 15 (9): e0239134. Bibcode:2020PLoSO..1539134F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0239134. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 7497986. PMID 32941471.
- ^ Hammond, Claudia (2 December 2019). "The tricks that can turn you into a speed reader". BBC Future. BBC.
- ^ Ginns, Paul; King, Victoria (1 June 2021). "Pointing and tracing enhance computer-based learning". Educational Technology Research and Development. 69 (3): 1387–1403. doi:10.1007/s11423-021-09997-0. ISSN 1556-6501.
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- ^ Rayner, Keith; Schotter, Elizabeth R.; Masson, Michael E. J.; Potter, Mary C.; Treiman, Rebecca (14 January 2016). "So Much to Read, So Little Time". Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 17 (1): 4–34. doi:10.1177/1529100615623267. ISSN 1529-1006. PMID 26769745.
- ^ Schoenberg, Philip Ernest (2000). "John F. Kennedy on Leadership". The Presidential Expert. Archived from the original on 24 February 2009.
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Further reading
[edit]- Carver, Ronald P. (1990). Reading Rate: A Review of Research and Theory. San Diego: Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12162-420-0.
- Cunningham, A. E.; Stanovich, K. E.; Wilson, M. R. (1990). "Cognitive Variation in Adult College Students Differing in Reading Ability". In Carr, Thomas H.; Levy, Betty Ann (eds.). Reading and its Development: Component Skills Approaches. New York City: Academic Press. pp. 129–159. ISBN 978-0-12160-645-9.
- A Review of the Research on the Instructional Effectiveness of AceReader. Report No. 258 (PDF) (Report). Educational Research Institute of America. 2006.
- "FTC Action against Kevin Trudeau". Quackwatch.org. 23 July 2000.
- "Announced Actions for June 19, 1998". Federal Trade Commission. 19 June 1998.
- Harris, Albert J.; Sipay, Edward R. (1990). How to Increase Reading Ability (9th ed.). New York City: Longman. ISBN 978-0-80130-246-6.
- Homa, Donald (1983). "An assessment of two 'extraordinary' speed-readers". Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society. 21 (2): 123–126. doi:10.3758/BF03329973.
- Just, Marcel Adam; Carpenter, Patricia A. (1987). Speedreading: The Psychology of Reading and Language Comprehension. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 978-0-20508-760-0.
- McBride, Vearl G. (1973). Damn the School System – Full Speed Ahead!. New York City: Exposition Press. ISBN 978-0-68247-695-9.
- "Chapter 3: Fluency" (PDF). Teaching Children To Read : An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and its Implications for Reading Instruction : Reports of the Subgroups (Report). Washington, D.C.: National Reading Panel. 2000. p. 3-1.
- Nell, Victor (1988). "The Psychology of Reading for Pleasure. Needs and Gratifications". Reading Research Quarterly. 23 (1): 6–50. doi:10.2307/747903. JSTOR 747903.
- Perfetti, Charles A. (1985). Reading Ability. New York City: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19503-501-8.
- Roesler, Peter (2021). Principles of Speed Reading (PDF). Duesseldorf, Germany: exclam. ISBN 978-3-943736-12-0.
- Schmitz, Wolfgang (2013). Schneller lesen – besser verstehen [Reading faster – understanding better] (in German). Hamburg: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-49963-045-3.
- Scheele, Paul R. (1996). The PhotoReading Whole Mind System (2nd ed.). Wayzata, Minn: Learning Strategies Corp. ISBN 978-0-92548-052-1.
- Stancliffe, George D. (2003). Speed Reading 4 Kids (3rd ed.). Point Roberts, WA: The American Speed Reading Project. ISBN 978-0-97141-762-5.
- Wood, Evelyn Nielsen; Barrows, Marjorie Wescott (1958). Reading Skills. New York City: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
- Davis, Zach (2009). PoweReading. Informationswelle nutzen, Zeit sparen, Effektivität steigern [PoweReading. Use the information wave, save time, increase effectiveness] (in German). Munich: Peoplebuilding Verlag. ISBN 978-3-98095-360-3.
- "Reading: Skimming and scanning". BBC Skillswise. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
External links
[edit]- Sorry, But Speed Reading Won't Help You Read More
- Golovatyi, Aleksandr (5 July 2019). "How To Read 3x Faster: Some Advice from Readlax". Medium.com.
- Ferriss, Tim (13 May 2014). "How I Learned to Read 300 Percent Faster in 20 Minutes". Huffington Post.
- Dunning, Brian (26 October 2010). "Skeptoid #229: Speed Reading". Skeptoid.