Did you know that more information is printed each week than in all of human history through the year 1800! Yet the average person still reads at about 200 words per minute. With the global economy now based upon using information it is no longer an option to read faster it is a necessity. In the time it takes you to read this sentence, I can read an entire page—and another as well. Recognized as the world’s fastest reader, I will share with you three of the most important things to look for to choose the best speed reading course. Let’s get started.
Be wary of any speed reading course that is primarily based upon mechanical techniques like hand motions, and weird eye movements. All speed reading programs require you to learn some mechanics to work, but programs that depend primarily upon mechanics can create serious problems. Mechanical programs increase your speed by conditioning you to view text differently. However, you must always use the technique or you will lose your speed. That’s where the problems begin. Suppose you want to relax with a book, or you need to slow down to learn something new and difficult. If you slow down then you will lose your ability to read quickly again.
Many speed reading programs teach you to photograph the page as if your eye is a camera. This is much better than simply using mechanics, but creates a new set of problems because reading is not the same as learning. Unfortunately most people believe that reading and learning are the same thing. In fact, they measure how well they are learning by looking at how many pages they read, or how much time they spent reading. Neither variable actually matters. Learning is being able to recall and use the information when you need to use it. Simply taking mental snapshots of pages may give you a memory of some of the facts, but it will not provide you with the insight and significance necessary for deeper understanding. So what would the perfect speed reading program offer?
The perfect speed reading program would provide you with brain-based learning strategies combining with speed reading so you can actually comprehend, retain, and recall what you read on the deepest possible level of understanding. When I developed my Maximum Power Reading program, I was more concerned with learning than reading speed. The results have been spectacular. I am the co-founder of an online high school. Many of my students are using my program to complete high school in 2.5 years with 30-45 college credits. You don’t earn that many college credits by speeding through a book. You earn these credits by learning the material. Maurice Thompson Jr, past Chairman of Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics said, “congratulations on your reading program. I believe you have gone past speed reading to speed learning, bringing the discipline into the 21st century.”
