Good reading speed – Many people claim that reading is fast, but what is a good reading speed?

The two presidents of the United States, John F Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, were excellent speed readers. Over the years, some people have claimed to be able to read 10,000 words per minute, even 25,000 words per minute. The question is: does reading at this rate still allow the reader to understand the information or do you lose important data?

Through research, it is definitively established that a faster reading speed improves comprehension. When reading slowly, word for word, the brain concentrates on each individual word, and when reading in this way, it is difficult to grasp the relationship between the sentences and the general concepts that the writing is trying to convey. By reading larger groups of words simultaneously, as speed readers do, the brain can process the information together and understand its meaning. This is good, but is there an optimal reading speed for perfect comprehension and can there be a speed that is actually too fast for comprehension purposes?

In the World Championship Speed ​​Reading Competition, the best contestants read approximately 1,000 to 2,000 words per minute. However, his level of understanding is only 50%. Some educators review 50% comprehension as unusable, while other readers find this level quite acceptable and good for many purposes. When reading quickly, always first determine the purpose of the reading and the type of information to be read. A good speed reader should be able to identify when it is necessary to adjust the speed. To understand difficult, technical and unfamiliar information, it is not possible to rush the work. To facilitate writing, the reading rate can be increased. Also decide if a lot of detailed information is needed to learn or if only a general idea is required.

On the other hand, Howard Stephen Berg reads at 25,000 words per minute and claims to be the fastest reader in the world. He has appeared on various television shows, including ‘Cleveland’s Morning Exchange’ and ‘On Live with Regis and Kathie Lee’, to demonstrate his reading skills. On television he was able to read a 1,100-page book and, when the information was evaluated, he was able to answer all the questions without difficulty. Three years after reading that book, it was tested again and once again got a perfect memory. Amazing!

These skills can benefit many people with different job descriptions. You don’t need to read 10,000 words per minute or even 2,000 words per minute. A small increase in speed will help you complete the required work. Obviously, students will benefit greatly from speed reading, but they will also have advantages in professions such as law and public relations. People in these and other professions must read vast amounts of information. For example, an attorney will need to examine files and files to prepare for court hearings. Someone who loves to read but is short on time would enjoy being able to read quickly. However, some professions are not suitable for speed reading. Editors and proofreaders should carefully examine writing for grammatical and spelling errors. Speed ​​reading would definitely make you miss out on some of the mistakes!

In general, a person should choose the speed reading technique that is suitable for their purposes, as well as the best speed for their material. Enjoy the speed that works well for you and avoid rating yourself on the achievement claims of others.