1. Doesn't my reading comprehension suffer when I read faster?
  2. Will I skip text in order to read faster with this method?
  3. Some experts say you can't read faster than 400 words per minute. How do you respond to that?
  4. How long does it take to become a speed reader?
  5. Is speed reading difficult to learn?
  6. Once I learn to speed read, do I have to speed read all the time?
  7. Is speed reading appropriate for my child?
  8. Will the results stay with me in the future?
  9. Will this work for difficult as well as easy reading?
  10. I'm a very, very slow reader. Will this still work for me?
  11. Does your program help dyslexics?

 

QUESTION #1: Doesn't my reading comprehension suffer when I read faster?

Most of us still believe that the slower we read, the better our comprehension.

If that is the way things work, then tell me this: Why is the biggest problem for most readers their inability to understand and comprehend what they are reading? They go at a snail’s pace, but they’re still having problems.

All speed reading research of the past fifty years shows that the way 9 out of 10 adults read creates fatigue, boredom and causes them to lose the context of the text. They lose their place and have to re-read words, sentences, paragraphs, even whole pages... and... that slows them down even more.

We also know from decades of experience that our schools produce lousy readers, starting in third grade with an average of only 215 words per minute and approximately 65% comprehension. When these kids are tested for reading speed in high-school, college and graduate school, their rate hasn’t increased to more than 240 words per minute on average. And, comprehension hasn’t improved at all.

In fact, when this person graduates from college and steps into the professional world he reads so slowly that...

He forgets 75% of what he has read within 60 minutes!

Here is a profound scientific fact: The slower we read, the WORSE our comprehension... and... the faster we read a page, the GREATER our concentration and long-term memory.

In Speed Reading Secrets we use specific strategies to increase reading speed and comprehension together. It is our main goal to boost understanding and memory levels so they are not undermined by newly attained reading rates.


QUESTION #2: Will I skip text in order to read faster with this method?

No you won’t. You will attain the speeds discussed by reading every word and every sentence. If you didn’t, you would be skimming rather than reading. When we use the term “speed reading” we refer to normal reading, only a faster version than the one you’re used to.


QUESTION #3: Some experts say you can't read faster than 400 words per minute. How do you respond to that?

There are a large number of people across the globe that can read at rates of several thousand words per minute and get good comprehension. There are also many who read quite slowly and have bad comprehension. And, of course, there are fast readers with poor comprehension. Or slow readers with superb comprehension.

Every now and then some reading “expert” enters the stage and claims no one can read faster than such-and-such rate. Some say we can’t go beyond 400 wpm. Others admit to even 1,200. Still, most teachers of effective reading agree that you can read from two to three times faster. Even instances of five to eight times beginning rates are quite common.

People who set the bar at 400 wpm make a serious mistake when they refer to reading as a “term”. They are stuck in theories about reading that prevailed in schools over 100 years ago – when we believed reading meant the following:

“Reading one word at a time
and vocalizing it to yourself”

Agree with this definition, and anything over 400 wpm is impossible. However, when a speed reader breezes through a book at rates around 1,000 wpm, she is able to do so... because... she sacrifices looking at one or two words at a time and saying each word to herself.

The fact is that the mind can get comprehension from looking at three, four or more words with each fixation, just as easily as looking at a single word. And vocalizing the words to ourselves isn’t necessary for comprehension either. The mind is perfectly capable of soaking up text visually; getting meaning from words just by looking at them. It is all a matter of practice.

And that is exactly what we do in Speed Reading Secrets. We teach you to read without mentally saying each word to yourself. Instead of reading one word at a time, you’ll learn to read groups of words.

To see how natural this is, look at the dot over the line in bold type.

You immediately see all three words. Now look at the dot between the next two lines of type.

With training, you’ll be able to use your innate ability to see groups of words. In fact, it is physically possible for the human eye to take in text 18 to 35 letters wide – 3 to 6 words at each eye fixation, instead of the standard reading width of just 6 letters wide (one-word-at-a-time).

That is why, as a Speed Reading Secrets graduate, you’ll be able to read between 600 and 1,200 words per minute. Up to 5 times faster than you’re reading right now, with no comprehension loss.


QUESTION #4: How long does it take to become a speed reader?

It takes approximately 30 hours to become a speed reader the way we define it. But, you will start getting results within the first 2 hours of practice and can apply what you learn to the reading you do in school or at work, right away.

Very early on in your training – sometimes in as little as a day or two – you will have doubled your reading speed. This means that your daily reading can suddenly be done in half the time.

So, viewed in this perspective you probably won’t spend, all in all, more than 10-15 hours to complete the course. Most people do it in 2 to 3 weeks. A comfortable pace is to work for 1 hour per day; maybe the first hour in the morning. That way you’ll be finished in 30 days. You set the pace – you can go as fast or as slow as you want.

Important note: Maybe you have heard of speed reading programs that claim you can triple or quadruple your rate in a few minutes or an hour. I'm sorry to shatter your hopes, but these are nothing but scams ...

... For speed reading to work in the long term – attaining stable rates and high-quality comprehension – you need to break down old reading habits and this takes a little time. Speed Reading Secrets takes a quality approach to reading improvement, and that's why we want to give you a realistic estimate of the time investment involved.


QUESTION #5: Is speed reading difficult to learn?

Not at all. It is a step-by-step process that, if just followed, will turn you into an effective reader very quickly.

When people ask me, “But Jim, is there any part of speed reading that is difficult?” My answer is always the same: To break down your old reading habits. The method itself is not difficult. But since humans are creatures of habit, your mind will resist certain things in the beginning, which is normal.

However, this is never a concern once you start your training. I make sure to thoroughly guide you through the early stages so you can change your habits with minimum resistance. Also, I always ask my students to have a little bit of patience in the beginning. Some of the things we do won’t make sense at first, but when you get the “aha” experience and look at your results, you’ll realize the amazing power of this program.

It usually takes about 21 days for your old habits to be fully replaced by new ones. When the new habits are installed in your brain, you will fly through books and soak up words and sentences like a sponge, as if you were a born rapid reader.

In fact, your technique and approach will feel so natural and be so remarkable you will wonder how people can read any other way.

Nothing we do is ever forced; the method is based on how almost all naturally fast readers approach reading materials, whether it’s books, business documents, reports, magazines or newspapers.

Believe it or not, some people do discover this on their own as children.


QUESTION #6: Once I learn to speed read, do I have to speed read all the time?

As a result of the reading drills we do in the course you will produce two neuroconnections; one for slow (normal) reading, and a second for speed reading.

The fast version is for studying, learning, getting updated with news and doing research for writing projects. It’s all about getting maximum results in minimum time. It feels a little different than normal reading because you depend on visual signals to the brain to perceive information.

The slow version is for lecturing, reading dialogue for film or a play, poetry, etc. Here you are “saying” the words to yourself as you look at them the way non-speed readers do.

So, to answer your question: No, you absolutely do not have to speed read all the time. You can still read as a way to relax and enjoy the little nuances in the text the way we do when reading for pleasure. In fact, I personally think that poetry, for example, should always be read slowly.

The great thing about my speed reading method is that it allows you go as fast or as slow as you want. So when you read that novel, you can go fast, or you can go slowly – it is up to you.

That being said, most people find that after they have taken the course, they tend to naturally go faster through all materials – even novels read for relaxation purposes – and enjoy the writing even more.


QUESTION #7: Is speed reading appropriate for my child?

You're probably surprised to hear me say that children can learn speed reading from around 5th grade. Very easily, I might add.

Here is why: By 5th to 6th grade all basic reading training stops for most of us. We are considered "readers," meaning we know the mechanics of reading and have enough vocabulary and skill to make it on our own.

In fact, this is when speed reading SHOULD be introduced. Most children respond well to this kind of training because they haven't yet acquired the "wrong" habits that keep them slow as adults.

The greatest benefit from speed reading comes when your child also practices vocabulary on a regular basis. With a stronger vocabulary comes greater speed in the more advanced books.

During speed reading training, however, light materials normal for the child's grade level should be used. That way he or she will make the quickest progress. Later on when more difficult materials are read, the mechanics of speed reading will automatically transfer over as the new reading habits are already firmly established.


QUESTION #8: Will the results stay with me in the future?

Because we take a quality approach to reading improvement, the results you attain will be very stable. Keep using the techniques, do the occasional practice to keep your skills sharp, and you will be a speed reader for life.


QUESTION #9: Will this work for difficult as well as easy reading?

Yes it will. If you recall from the discussion in my letter, I told you how I read even highly technical materials at four times my initial rate, and how and why you can easily do the same.


QUESTION #10: I'm a very, very slow reader. Will this still work for me?

The path to powerful reading is not an exclusive path only for those people with a special gift for reading and learning. The skills are not based on difficult or arcane principles. They can be learned by anyone regardless of educational background or prior level of achievement in school.

The only real requirement to become a speed reader is that you have enough vocabulary in the language you are reading. Because if you don’t have vocabulary, then you cannot read at any speed.

If you can comfortably read the editorial column of your local newspaper you have all the basic skills you need. The rest is all about being willing to make a relatively modest commitment of time and effort.


QUESTION #11: Does your program help dyslexics?

This is not a remedial course. It is designed for people who can read an average book without stumbling over familiar words. If you are a dyslexic you will be better off seeking help with a reading specialist.

That being said, we have had dyslexics enroll in the program and, although their results weren’t great, they were certainly helped by it. Nothing in Speed Reading Secrets will ever harm dyslexics. It will only be difficult for them to attain good results.

If you suspect you are dyslexic, your first step should be to seek help with a specialist at a local school, university or reading clinic. If you still want to give Speed Reading Secrets a try, you can do so risk-free for 8 full weeks.