7 Speed Reading Software

Proven Help For Struggling Readers

October 3, 2012

Because one of the best ways to increase reading speed is to increase the time spent reading, it’s important that you enjoy reading, so that you’ll do more of it. The more you read, the better you’ll be at it, and you’ll also increase your vocabulary and your knowledge on a range of topics. If you’re enjoying the act of reading, you’ll be less likely to get bored and give it up. A love of reading is something that needs to be emphasized as early as possible in a person’s life, which is why it’s so important that children are encouraged to read, and why children who have problems reading need to get help immediately. Education Northwest, a student- and teacher-focused organization in the United States, has been evaluating the Read Right program which helps schoolchildren with their reading skills, and concluded that it provides essential services for students who are having problems with reading comprehension.

As you know – especially if you’ve been using the 7 Speed Reading system – reading comprehension is a crucial part of speed reading. It’s not enough to just skim your eyes over text on a page, you need to understand what you’ve read, and remember it. The Read Right program helps students integrate all aspects of reading, rather than focusing on phonics or pronunciation or word-by-word definition recognition, and helps move them to the next level of reading, where they’re able to absorb text while processing the information contained in that text. Education Northwest followed a group of over 400 students who were using the Read Right program, and found that not only did their reading skills improve, but that the students were more likely to read for fun, all on their own. And if children are choosing to read, you know that their speed reading skills will improve at the same time as well, giving them an even better ability to succeed at school and in their future careers.

Is the Read Right system being used at your child’s school? What results have you seen?

How to Keep a Healthy Balance in Your Life

September 22, 2012

Today is the equinox, when the sun is directly over the earth’s equator, and the nighttime and daylight hours are equally balanced. It’s the time of the changing of the seasons, and a good time to think about changing your routines as well if you’re not feeling like you’re making progress towards your speed reading goals. Sometimes it’s something as simple as changing the type of texts that you choose to read. If you’re always reading the same type of book, whether that’s technical literature, science fiction, or romance, you’ll get bored after a while. It’s like eating nothing but brown rice, tofu, and broccoli day after day. It might be good for you, but you’ll soon crave a change in diet. You can spice up your reading list by looking for books on subjects you’ve never heard of, or follow your curiosity to a different section of the library. The challenge of reading something new will also challenge you to keep your speed reading skills sharp. Even if you’re required by your work or school situation to read mostly texts on the same topics, adding a different flavor now and then will make sure you always have an appetite for reading.

It’s important to balance work and play, too. If you’re getting bored with some of the more technical exercises that improve reading speed, try playing a game instead. The game doesn’t even have to be related to speed reading. If you’ve been doing the computer-based eye training exercises in the 7 Speed Reading program, you’ll be used to eye strengthening techniques that are similar to the experience of watching a tennis match and moving your eyes back and forth to follow the ball instead of your head. Go down to the local club and watch a game or two in the sun (but wear your sunglasses!), or find a community center with ping-pong tables for an even faster eye exercise.

It’s even important to balance the way you read. While you need to focus on improving your reading speed by practicing chunking, scanning, and widening your focus, keep in mind that reading should be a pleasurable activity that you enjoy, and that there are books and poems that benefit from a slower reading speed. Learn to relax and appreciate the author’s skill at description or the poet’s ability to combine words in ways that create complex mental images. You’ll finish the book or poem refreshed and ready to move forward in your speed reading program in the months to come.

How To Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking

September 18, 2012

Did you know that “fear of speaking in public” is usually listed as one of the top ten things that people fear the most, and often rates higher than snakes, heights, being trapped, or even dying? Imagine, feeling as if you’d rather be dead than get up in front of ten or twenty or a hundred people to give a speech or presentation. If that’s your top fear, then rather than going to that extreme, why don’t you try one of these techniques to become a better speaker?

Improve your memory. When people have nightmares about speaking in public, they generally imagine getting up on stage and then completely forgetting what they were going to say. If you’ve trained your memory well, you won’t need to worry about that. You’ll be able to effortlessly deliver the speech you’ve prepared. What’s more, you’ll have in your brain all of the information you need to answer any impromptu questions from the audience. When you can rely on your memory, you’ll have the confidence you need to get over your fear of public speaking.

Improve your vocabulary. Another common nightmare about public speaking is stammering, stuttering, fumbling over words, rather than being able to smoothly deliver a polished presentation. If you’ve got a great vocabulary, then you’ll never lack the words you need to express yourself fluently and eloquently. In addition, you’ll be able to tailor your speech to that specific audience in front of you so that you achieve the best possible communication. When you can rely on a powerful vocabulary skill, you’ll know you can give a speech with ease.

Learn to speed read. A large part of giving a speech or presentation is preparing for it in advance, and that requires research and knowledge. If you’re an excellent speed reader then you’ll be able to go through all the materials more quickly, leaving you more time to prepare and polish the speech itself. If you can save even half an hour by your skill at speed reading, that’s an extra half an hour you’ll have to put the final touches on your speech. Better yet, you can use that half an hour to relax before your presentation – and that will help calm any last fears you might have.

Just Keep Reading, Just Keep Reading

September 11, 2012

Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body. As by the one, health is preserved, strengthened, and invigorated: by the other, virtue (which is the health of the mind) is kept alive, cherished, and confirmed.
– Joseph Addison (1710)

You can learn as much as you want about saccades and clumping, eye strength and field span, and all of the other rules and tools of speed reading, but if you don’t put what you learn into practice, it won’t do you any good at all. Just as you can’t learn to play the piano by simply memorizing the keyboard, you can’t be a top speed reader if you don’t spend as much time as possible actually reading. In fact, it’s just as important that you read for the sake of reading as it is to read while practicing speed reading. There are several reasons for this, and the first one is illustrated by the quote above. Regular exercise of your mind will keep it in top shape, and you’ll be better able to comprehend and absorb text while also improving your reading speed.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.
– Charles W. Eliot (1896)

The second reason for reading as much as you can, as often as you can, and from as many sources as you can find, is that the more you know, the better you are at speed reading. That’s because you won’t have to stop to look up unfamiliar terms and concepts. You won’t have to try to figure out references the author makes to other works, because you will have read them, too. You’ll have the breadth of knowledge that you need to understand any topic, and that will ensure that you can remember the information later so that you can put it to use.

He that loves reading, has everything within his reach. He has but to desire, and he may possess himself of every species of wisdom to judge and power to perform.
– William Godwin (1797)

A love of reading is important for both adults and children. If you’re a parent, encourage your child to read book rather than watch television after school. Read to and with younger children to show them the fun they can find in a story, and give gift cards for bookstores to older children. Look for your local library, and make sure your child has a library card and knows where to find the books that interest them. Get your own library card as well, and take advantage of the resources available to you in both print and on-line books. Keep reading, and you’ll have everything you need to succeed as a speed reader.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
– Cicero (46BC)

Is Your Workplace Hurting Your Mental Abilities?

September 7, 2012

We know several people who choose to go to work very early in the morning, before most of their coworkers arrive, just so they can have a quiet place to concentrate on their projects. After all, if you don’t have the sound of office chatter, telephones ringing, copiers and fax machines beeping and buzzing, and the clickety-clack of a hundred keyboards surrounding you, you’ll be able to focus on your work and increase your productivity, right? That’s the theory, anyway, but in fact there are hidden noises in our workplace environments that sap our energy and concentration skills, making it harder to focus on what we’re reading, and on remembering it later.

Researchers at Göteborg University and the University of Gävle in Sweden did a study that looked at the effect of low-level noises such as those produced by a ventilation or heating system – buzzing and humming noises that we don’t consciously notice – on people’s ability to concentrate on a task. When they studied participants who needed to focus on details, such as in a proofreading exercise, they found that when the noises were played in the background, the participants in the study had a more difficult time at their tasks. Even though their conscious attention wasn’t being distracted by something like a phone conversation in the next cubicle, the droning hum of the simulated HVAC operation resulted in more errors.

Depending on where you work, you might be able to change some of your office environment to get rid of the low-frequency noises that reduce your ability to read and remember. See if you can shut off the heating system and instead use an open window for cooling and a sweater for warmth. Make sure that buzzing fluorescent light bulbs are replaced with noise-free LED versions. Check to see that any office machines like printers with a “power saver” option have it turned on, so that idle machines shut themselves down when they’re not being used. If your job doesn’t involve being on the telephone constantly, you might consider purchasing some sound-blocking headphones, or ones where you can listen to music that helps you concentrate.

If you’re not sure whether there are any of these concentration-destroying noises in your work environment, make a point of going to work early (or staying late) to eliminate the everyday noises of the office, and see if you can identify the sounds that can reduce your mental strength – when you need it the most.

Reference: Evaluations of effects due to low-frequency noise in a low demanding work situation. J. Bengtsson, K. Persson Waye, A. Kjellberg

Cross-posted at the Ultimate Memory blog.

How Safe Are Your Sunglasses? 3 Tips to Save Your Eyes

August 29, 2012

Everyone knows the importance of protecting the skin from too much sun, and we’ve all been warned of the possibility of skin cancer if we neglect to use sunscreen or long-sleeved shirts, or get sunburned too often. However, we don’t often think about the effect of the sun on our eyes, except to pick out a cheap pair of sunglasses or maybe a wide-brimmed hat before we go to the beach. Most people get annoyed by the glare of bright sunlight, but aren’t aware of the more significant eye problems that can come from too much exposure to sunlight – or more specifically, to UV radiation.

UV (or “ultraviolet”) radiation isn’t something that you can see or feel, but its effects can cause lasting health problems. Overexposure to UV radiation, whether it’s a natural part of sunlight or from an artificial source like a tanning bed, can lead to skin cancer, and that might mean the skin of your face or eyelids, which would put your eyes at risk. In addition, the UV energy has been shown to lead to early development of certain types of cataracts (a discoloration of the lens of the eye that blocks vision). UV radiation can also damage other parts of the eye, like the cornea.

To protect your eyes against UV rays, it’s important to choose the right pair of sunglasses. Keep these three tips in mind when you’re shopping:

Get the right kind of protection. Of the three types of ultraviolet radiation, the “A” type is what causes the most problems because it’s not blocked at all by the Earth’s atmosphere. The “B” type is partially blocked, and the “C” type completely blocked. Look for information on your sunglasses to confirm that they block 100% of the UVA and UVB radiation.

Know the vocabulary. You’ll see “polarizing” sunglasses or ones with mirrored lenses on the racks, but while they might be advertised as protective, unless they’ve been coated with a UVA/UVB coating, they’ll only help cut down on glare and visible light. It is important to reduce glare, which can lead to eye fatigue, but it’s also crucial to keep the long-term effects of UV radiation to a minimum.

Choose practical over pretty (unless you can get both). Shopping for sunglasses is the wrong time to think fashion. You need to make sure that you pick a pair of glasses with larger lenses to protect more of your eyes, and the wraparound style of glasses is an even better choice. Even if your preferred style of reading glasses is the minimalist frame-free rectangle, do your eyes a favor and buy the largest protective pair you can find.

Increase Your Reading Speed by … Reading More Slowly?

August 23, 2012

“… in the midst of an age of ‘work,’ that is to say, of hurry, of indecent and perspiring haste, which wants to ‘get everything done’ at once, including every old or new book: – this art does not so easily get anything done, it teaches to read well, that is to say, to read slowly, deeply, looking cautiously before and aft, with reservations, with doors left open, with delicate eyes and fingers … this book desires for itself only perfect readers and philologists: learn to read me well!” – Frederich Nietzsche, “The Dawn” (1886), translation by M. Clark and B. Leiter

Over a century ago, people were already complaining about the too-fast pace of the world, and advocating a return to a slower and more deliberate way of looking at things in order to fully appreciate them. We still have a desire to “stop and smell the roses” even as we feel pressured to accomplish more in less time, to multi-task, and to balance work and family life while still staying sane and healthy. The Slow Food movement encourages people to take the time to cook healthy food from fresh ingredients, in order to get the most nutrition and the most enjoyment out of the process. There’s also a Slow Reading movement that’s promoting the practice of deep focus and concentration on texts so that the reader gets as much information, nuance, and material for reflection out of them as possible.

So how can Slow Reading help you with Speed Reading? On the surface, they seem to be working towards completely different goals. Speed reading techniques that help you take in large groups of words at once, or that help you learn to skip over words that are less essential to the overall meaning of a phrase, are designed to let you extract the information you need from what you’re reading as quickly as possible. Slow reading instructions include paying attention to each word individually as well as how they connect in phrases. Speed reading says “no subvocalization” while slow reading says “enjoy the sound of beautiful words by saying them out loud as you read.” If you’re a good speed reader, you’ve learned to always keep moving forward without regression, but a good slow reader might go back over a particular passage several times in order to fully appreciate the skill of the writer or the mental images the words create.

As you might imagine, slow reading is designed for people who are reading for pleasure. As we’ve frequently noted in this blog, it’s important to learn to read at the best speed for the type of text you’re reading, in order to get the results you want. But it’s also true that learning to focus on content and comprehension is a valuable speed reading skill. As you increase your reading speed, you need to make sure that your comprehension rate stays high. By practicing slow reading techniques, you can actually improve your comprehension skills so that when you use the speed reading techniques you’re learning, your comprehension won’t suffer.

Learn to read slow,
all other graces
Will follow in their proper places.
– William Walker, The Art of Reading (c. 1660)

Top Books for Teens

August 12, 2012

There might not be much left of summer, but you can still encourage your teenagers (whether they’re daughters, sons, nieces or nephews, or the neighborhood children) to spend some of it reading. Studies have shown that one of the best ways to improve reading speed is to become more adept at the process of reading, and like any other skill, that’s something that improves with practice. To put it simply, the more you read, the better you’ll be at reading, and that means you’ll start to read faster. It’s important to keep this in mind if you’re a parent, because you’ll be able to help your children learn to speed read just by helping them pick out interesting books. Libraries are open all year, and many often have summer reading programs that offer games and prizes for kids who participate. At the very least, there’s usually a free t-shirt – but if nothing else, children of all ages will expand their reading horizons and increase their reading speed, and their love of reading, by taking the time to find new and interesting material to read.

National Public Radio, the public broadcasting system in the United States, did a survey of their readers and asked for suggestions for books for teenagers. We’ve got the full list here from the more than 70,000 responses to the survey. Teenagers, young adults, and even grownups will find books that will intrigue them on this list, which includes perennial favorites like Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy as well as newer hit series like Rowling’s “Harry Potter” stories and Susan Collins’ “Hunger Games” (recently made into a movie).

Speaking of movies, if you know a child who’s not interested in reading but who really likes going to the cinema, you can get them involved in reading something like the “Hunger Games” series by taking them to the first movie. If they enjoy the movie, they’ll probably be interested in reading the second and third books of the series, which haven’t been made into movies yet. Get them interested in one set of books, and soon they’ll be looking for others of the same genre, which will lead them to searching out new material for a change of pace, and soon they’ll be reading books all the time!

We’re putting Sherman Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” Kristin Cashore’s “Graceling” series, and Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street” on our must-read list for August. What are your favorite teen novels?

11 Reading Habits That Will Trip You Up

August 6, 2012

Often it’s the things that we don’t see that cause us the most trouble. In the winter, the phenomenon called “black ice” may form on roadways, a sheet of ultra-slippery pavement invisible to drivers that can lead to traffic accidents. When we’re hiking on a leaf-covered trail, rocks and branches hidden under the leaves may cause us to stumble and fall. Even the medical field contains references to unseen problems we need to be wary of, like plaque in our arteries. It’s only by becoming – and remaining – aware of these potential problems that we’re able to avoid or cure them. There are hidden issues you might not be aware of in your reading practice as well, and they might be causing problems that you don’t even realize exist. Take a look at these 11 reading habits below; if you recognize any of them in you, you’ve got a good starting point for taking steps to fix them so that your speed reading practice moves forward as quickly as possible.

1. Trying to remember it all. If you think you have to remember every single word on the page, you’ll slow down. It’s concepts and key facts you need, not the exact order of words in a sentence.

2. Reading word for word. This childhood habit can be corrected by learning to “clump” words into phrases.

3. Spending time on unnecessary material. If you’re trying to learn how to bake bread, you don’t need to read through the sections of the cookbook on sauces, roasts, or salads. Learn to focus on locating the information you really need and setting aside the rest.

4. Not understanding the words. This is an easy one to correct, once you realize that a good vocabulary is directly linked to fast reading speed. Improve your vocabulary and you’ll improve your speed reading skills.

5. Thinking that you’re a slow reader. There’s a difference between “being a slow reader” and “reading slowly.” If you read slowly, that’s something you can change. Don’t label yourself as a slow reader – you’ll get discouraged.

6. Reading out loud. Subvocalization is another habit many people learn in childhood. Make sure you’re not moving your lips or even “narrating” in your head as you read.

7. Wandering over the page. Learn to use steady forward eye movements to keep yourself visually focused on the page, rather than jumping around from place to place.

8. Doubting the power of your brain. Even if you don’t consciously realize it, your brain is processing all of the words your eyes take in. If you have the habit of going back to re-read material because you’re afraid you didn’t see it the first time, learn to trust your mind and keep moving forward.

9. Thinking that “slow and steady” always means perfect comprehension. While your teachers may have told you to slow down while reading “so that you won’t miss anything,” once you’ve learned the proper speed reading techniques, your comprehension won’t suffer as you increase your speed.

10. Getting bored with what you’re reading. One of the main reasons people get bored is because it takes them so long to read things. There will always be less-than-interesting text you’re required to read, but you can minimize the boredom by maximizing your speed.

11. Not having the habit of reading. Like any skill, reading requires practice. The more you read, the easier it will be and the faster your speed will increase.

Are You Reading More Because of E-Books – Or Less?

July 25, 2012

A 2010 study that focused on reading speed compared the reading rates of people using a printed text, an e-reader, and a PC. All of the participants read the same short stories, and were tested on three things: how long it took them to read the material, how much they remembered and understood, and whether or not they liked the medium they were using. Although one of the main aspects of the study was to compare the usability of the two e-readers in use at the time (the iPad and the Kindle), it was significant to learn that the people using e-readers consistently read slower on average than the people using printed texts.

It’s hard to say what factors might have played into the testing and results. There are physical aspects that may make printed books easier to use; for example, flipping over a page is instinctive, but looking for and pressing a button might not be. In addition, early e-readers had text-to-background contrast issues, and so it may have been more difficult for the study participants to focus on the resolution, especially when compared with the clean black and white of a printed page. However, there was one definite conclusion, and that was the fact that people reading the texts on a PC screen both read the slowest and had the least favorable impression of the device.

Today’s e-readers have improved in quality, but do they really help you improve your speed reading techniques? Again, there are pros and cons to each format. If you have an e-reader, you have thousands of books available at a moment’s notice, and that might encourage you to read more. On the other hand, printed books are still relatively inexpensive, portable, disposable, and available everywhere. When you learn to speed read, some of the techniques we recommend are easier to do with printed text (if you’re not using the 7 Speed Reading software, that is). It’s nice to have a page you can mark up, draw lines on, take notes in, and not worry about.

As we mentioned in the last post, modern technology can be both helpful and harmful. Learn to use the tools you have to make the most of your speed reading practice, and reading will always be a pleasure.

E-books, on-line texts, or a trip to the used book store: which do you prefer, and why?

speedreadingtechniques.org

On the pro side it has easy-to-use interface, video tutorials, multiple user accounts, well-structured course system for beginners & advanced students plus the ability to exercise with any digital text.

Elbert Zeigler

"I found 7 Speed reading. Doing eye exercises, warm-ups before reading, and how to look at words in groups instead of one at a time improved my reading and comprehension. I recommend 7 Speed Reading for you."

courselounge.com

7 Speed Reading is a decent speed reading software with an innovative approach. The customizable features are quite appealing since it allows you organize your speed reading training effectively.

Daniel Walters

"I have always struggled with reading slowly. Once I started using 7 Speed Reading, I did notice an improvement from approx. 200 wpm to 300 wpm."

winningspirit.com

If you want to learn how to speed read so that you can read everything faster, your best option is to get the self-paced speed reading course called 7 Speed Reading. It is designed to be the world’s most powerful speed-reading training program.

bestadvisor.com

From learning how to read and comprehend faster to how to keep your eyes healthy, everything is covered in this course for almost any age, and a team of professionals will help you master it.

Stephen L. (Reviewer)

I liked the accessibility of it. It helps, because users are able to easily maneuver throughout the software to varying levels and practice their reading at varying speeds.

Devad Goud

After having used this software, I learned techniques and skills such as eliminating my subvocalization, which not only greatly enhanced my speed reading, but also allowed me to get more engagement in what I read.

Reinard Mortlock

The biggest problem I had was sub-vocalization, 7 Speed Reading helped a lot with techniques to improve this and substantially improve my reading speed. The application is easy to use with loads of books to read to improve your reading skills.

Adel Serag

When I seriously exercise using the app, in no time, my reading speed goes from less than 400 to 600 and my target is 900 plus.

Nik Roglich

The pace trainer is great for getting my eyes focused and sharp. Also the word search exercise is very important, gets me searching for specific text.

Jose Godinez

I have improved my speed reading and comprehension since I started using 7 Speed Reading, I enjoy using it and I will continue to use it in the future.