Chris Tilling has asked what we think of speed reading and if we have any tips. I am afraid that I am not very helpful. I have a copy of Evelyn Wood’s Speed Reading but I never finished it…. Hand on my heart, that is true.
Doing a quick Google search, btw, I came across this article which says, “Slow down: speed reading is bunk, studies say.”
Eyes’ visual span allows for up to only 300 words a minute
When you read, your eyes act like spotlights on a stage. The construction of your eyes allows them only to focus on one small area on the page at a time, so the idea of speed reading is bunk, according to several studies published in the Journal of Vision this month.
Of course I would be willing to be that my speed of reading speed is more like 150 so there is probably a fair amount of room for improvement. That being said, TIlling claims an amazing 370-560 wpm already! Harumph. That’s probably in German anyway so what good is that?
Hey Chris,
I really didn’t think 370-560 wpm was all that amazing – epsecially compared with the 2,000 word per minute claims. But I must say that I find the article you link to of some comfort in light of such claims.
Having said that, I find it hard to believe that 300 wpm is the max.
I would be more like 60 wpm in German, btw!