• Metric
  • Jumping backack
  • bigger fixations
  • increase speed
  • speed limits
  • use a guide

Scanning, skimming, skipping, set goals, …

Variable speed


Metric

WPM = words per minute

200 WPM - avg reader 400 WPM - avg graduate / researcher

300 pages ~= 100 000 words

How to estimate your speed? # words in a book = (words over 5 lines / 5) * (lines on a page) * (pages)

(online tests)


Do not jump back

**** Saccade is a quick, simultaneous movement of both eyes between two or more phases of fixation in the same direction.

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140113.1.jpg

__

Sensory memory is the shortest-term element of memory. It is the ability to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimuli have ended.


Bigger fixations

fixation width: # words at once

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140126.jpg

fixation height: # lines at once

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140113.jpg


Increase speed

brain works at 1400 WPM

200 WPM - avg reader -> ==1200 WPM== 400 WPM - avg graduate / researcher -> ==1000 WPM==

==DISTRACTION==


Breaking speed limits

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140140.jpg

3850 WPM - 300 pages in 30 minutes with 100% content remembered

concentrating increases brain’s max WPM

Too difficult? double speed

  • you need half the time, forever

triple speed


Use a guide

Eye tracking

  • finger
  • pen

+ no jumping back + control over reading speed + focus


Eye patterns


Double line sweep

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140236.jpg

variable sweep

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140240.jpg

reverse sweep ./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140248.jpg


ADVANCED

S

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140305.jpg

Zig-zag ./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140309.jpg

Loop ./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140313.jpg

vertical wave

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140318.jpg

double guide

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140338.jpg

lazy s

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140324.jpg


reverse direction does not matter when fixation size is large enough

./resources/speed-reading.resources/img_20161005_140318.1.jpg


Remarks

language matters: native language? complexity matters: long sentences, difficult constructions?

familiarity matters: unknown words?

practice at a higher speed

todo: subvocalisation is a bottleneck?