Transcript
Can you actually double your reading speed by using speed reading training apps like this one? Or is it just a waste of your time and money? Lots of studies have tested normal people's reading speed versus comprehension and found that when one goes up, the other goes down. But now researchers actually put one of these training apps to the test. They chose this app that trains people on all the classic speed reading techniques. Increasing concentration, improving eye movements to avoid re-reading, increasing the number of words read at a time, and suppressing that inner speech. But... Over three weeks, participants used the app for 15 minutes per day, days per week. They did before and after tests, which not only looked at reading speed and comprehension, but also tracked their eye movements to see how they read. The results were unexpected and fascinating. Reading speed definitely didn't double, but it did increase a little over 20% without any drop in comprehension, to 237 words per minute up from 195. Still pretty slow. But the eye tracking showed that it wasn't because they were taking in more words at a time. They did spend less time on each word and lowered the rereading amount. The researchers also had a side experiment, the increased speed was greater engagement with the text and the reading process in general. But that means there's probably a pretty clear cap on reading speed once you're fully engaged. But there are other apps and methods that definitely work. I've been experimenting with different ones for over a decade now, so let me know if you want some suggestions.
Additional notes
⁉️ Have you ever used a speed reading app or technique? Which one, and how did it work for you? 🤔 📚 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9817.12417 #science #reading #books #speedreading #learning #booklovers #edutok #booktok