Speed Reading for Success

A CD program by Jane Smith of WordSmiths
Reviewed by Kellie Fowler

Given the amount of information we are expected to read and retain, speed-reading is getting lots of attention. Because of this, a multitude of speed-reading products have hit the market, making it difficult for the consumer who is seeking proven techniques that will increase reading speed to choose exactly what is both practical and effective.

We think we’ve found the answer for you, and it lies in Jane Smith’s easy to understand CD course, Speed Reading for Success. Initially we were not convinced that the products claims to be able to increase reading speed up to two or three times faster than the user’s current reading speed. And, because I am already somewhat of a speed-reader (it comes with the job), I must admit, I was even more skeptical than most.

However, I could not have been more wrong.

Now, I have not yet had enough time to honestly say if my memory has improved or if I am communicating better (most of my communications are Web-based), both of which the product claims to help. But I can tell you that I am reading faster and that was the point, right?

What’s more, this nifty CD course comes with a reading progress chart (so I know I am not kidding myself), an action plan that I will utilize more in the coming days, and clear, concise overviews of the tracks (chapters, so to speak) that I found particularly useful. It also comes with exercises that serve to reiterate the important points, while ensuring your reading speed is indeed getting faster and you are retaining more.

Broken down into 11 tracks, the course starts with an introduction by the program’s developer, Jane Smith. (I should also tell you now that the music used as the backdrop for Smith’s narration is quite pleasing.)

After the introduction, Smith details how listeners can “harness that huge reserve capacity of their mind,” allowing users to better manage the lengthy reports, research papers, emails and more that flood our desks. For, as Smith points out, we cannot function in this world without knowledge; knowledge in our field of expertise and beyond, and speed-reading allows us to take in and retain more of that knowledge, while allowing us to simultaneously take control over the “unmanageable proportions” that are piling up on our desks, in our email inboxes, etc.

So, if you’re ready to get your head above water again, you can rely on what Smith terms “simple mathematics,” which, translated means the obvious: Once able to get through more material faster, you also expand the capacity of your brain, allowing you to learn more. Talk about a nice perk!

Now, you will have to continue practicing Smith’s techniques “in a structured way” if you want to achieve long-term results, but I have to tell you, this truly small amount of work and effort truly pays off!

Are You an Average Reader?

The average person reads about 240 words per minute. With diligence and practice, you can achieve up to around 1,000 words per minute using this CD course.

Just think, you can finally tackle all your notes, all your projects and have time left to leisurely read the newspaper or a novel.

The course thoroughly covers speed-reading theories and practical approaches, and then explains the techniques needed to being about the most change. I particularly liked the timed exercises because I had the chance to use the watch timer on my Timex Ironman, the one that I previously only used for timing my runs and swims. Boy, was it starting to collect dust!

Anyway, you certainly don’t have to do the course all in one go. I did it track by track, listening to the entire CD first in my car and then in tracks on the treadmill at the gym.

In doing so, I learned about my eyes, the role they play in speed reading (which is more than just “seeing” the words), how to use a pointer to increase my reading speed and comprehension, even how to monitor my performances (Read at normal speed for one minute, then count the words. Next, record the speed, which is the average number of words on a line multiplied by the number of lines read).

I also learned that poor reading speeds and good reading speeds are differentiated by:

1. Subvocalization – speaking the words in your mind as you read (you may do this aloud in your head). Nonetheless, this is very distracting and dramatically slows your reading down.
   

2. Regression – re-reading the material just read. Obviously, interrupts the flow and takes up time.


3. Reading every word, which is boring and may cause you to lose sight of what the material is all about. (If you’re like me, you may be convinced that the more you stare at the words on the page, the more you retain. Once again, I couldn’t have been more wrong.)

On Track 4, Smith discusses techniques for speed-reading, utilizing the “clues” she provided in Track 3 (making your eyes take in groups of words, taking shorter fixations, keeping the eye on the page and moving forward).

All of the tracks are short and to the point, easy to understand and provide practical and invaluable information, making this a product you don’t want to be without. But, as Smith cautions, long-term results are obtainable only if you continue to practice what she preaches, which I am happy to say I am still doing.

Happy reading!

"Speed Reading for Success" by Jane Smith is available at Amazon.co.uk.

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