Is Speed Reading Actually Working?
For those of us who love reading, the problem of finding time even for the best books is a real struggle. If you are like me, you probably put “learn speed-reading” in your new year resolutions and maybe even gave it a shot. But is speed reading actually possible?
The average person reads about 200-400 words a minute, excluding the situations of dealing with unfamiliar concepts. Reading is a mechanical process, which is made of “fixation” – looking at a word or several words, and “saccade” – moving your eyes to the next word group. After that, you stop to apprehend the phrase you just looked at.
Speed-readers are claiming their ability to read 1000-1200 words a minute by cutting down on subvocalization– the voice in your head that is reading everything out loud for you and takes extra time from understanding the text.
As a result of cutting this voice, the speed-reading is supposed to reduce regular fixation time of .25 seconds to 0.3-0.5 seconds, says an eye tracking researcher Keith Rayner from the University of California, San Diego.
The idea of speed reading came around in the fifties and several techniques promising you to speed up your reading were developed. Some of the most popular methods are skimming, meta guiding, Rapid Serial Visual Presentation, and others, as Lifehacker.com writes.
For instance, skimming encourages you to concentrate on important parts of the text instead of going through every bit of information. It is convenient for, let’s say, going through your college books, but unfitting for the pastime literature. Also, recent studies found that skimming doesn’t help you to remember the details of the read material afterwards.
Yet, no matter how many methods are available, scientists say speed reading is technically complicated.
“You can probably push yourself to get a little over 500 words per minute, but you’re limited by the eyes and the anatomy of the retina,” says researcher Keith Rayner to Lifehacker.com, “To understand text you need to move your eyes to put the fovea on the part of the text you want to focus. Acuity drops off pretty markedly outside the fovea and you can’t discriminate the words and text far from the fovea. So, that’s the rate limited factor, as is how fast the brain can process information.”
Rayner points out that if you train yourself reading faster, you would probably lose comprehension of the text. That is exactly the issue I came across when I’ve been training myself to read with Tim Ferris’s technique some time ago (Ferris suggests reading several lines at a time which Rayner found no evidence to be working). I increased my speed within a couple of hours, but it felt like I was chasing something and losing pleasure from the wording of the text.
Looking through the data on speed-reading methods, it seems like it is a genie wish which comes with the price – comprehension. Yet, there is no evidence that it is indeed absolutely impossible. Warren Buffet still manages somehow read more than 400 pages a day which I am sure has a speed-reading behind it.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
More The Concordian News Articles
- Hanging up the Planner and Answering the Phone
- Damages Still Unknown: Deepwater Horizon Crisis
- The Colin Kapernick Controversy and Nike's Campaign
- Will Removing the Math Education Program Impact Public Schools?
Recent The Concordian News Articles
Discuss This Article
MOST POPULAR THE CONCORDIAN
"Bohemian Rhapsody" Will Rock You By Laura Buchanan
"Fallout 76": A Small State in a Big Game By Caleb Zopp
"Girl in the Spider's Web": A Must-See for Men and Women By Savannah Cooper
"The Grinch": More Science Than Art By Shannon C. White
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE CONCORDIAN NEWS
- Campus Carry Bill Receives Opposition from College Leaders
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" Will Rock You
- "Fallout 76": A Small State in a Big Game
- "Girl in the Spider's Web": A Must-See for Men and Women
- "The Grinch": More Science Than Art
- Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Spreads on College Campuses
- Concord Senior Oral Frazier Signs Book Deal
RECENT THE CONCORDIAN CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Moving Resources For Military Families
- Historic Agreement Signed By Red Cross and Armed Forces
- Salonpas® Brand Stands the Test of Time
- Tips to “Yard Your Way” This Spring
- Upgraded Upstate Power Grid Will Deliver a Smarter,...
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Moms Kick Back with Mamaritas
- Youth Apprenticeship Week Spotlights Opportunities
- New Expo Showcases AI Innovation
- Self-Care and Mental Health Tips for Caregivers
- Adventure Awaits: Discover the Playset that Brings...
- Need Auto Glass Repair? Don’t Despair
- Pioneering Fast and Affordable Broadband for the Underserved
- 7 Reasons Renting an RV Should Be On Every Family’s S...
- Don’t Let Diabetes Shortchange Your Golden Years
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Guidenar Launches New Career Test for Gen Z
- GotIt! Education Offers MathGPT Free to All State & Community Colleges
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK