Exercises
Start each exercise by clicking the Start button. The exercise window will open and the text will display after a short countdown. Press either the Next Phrase (or Next Page) button to continue. You can also use your keyboard to advance, by pressing either the Right-Arrow, Left-Arrow key or the Space Bar.
Lessons 1 thru 8 also measure your level of concentration. This is your Concentration Score and is shown below your reading speed. This represents an approximate percentage rating of how much you were concentrating and visualizing each phrase.
The Concentration Score is also indicated in the progress chart. Each bar in the progress chart with less than a 100% score will have a shaded portion at the top. The unshaded portion at the bottom represents the Concentration Score. For example, if you had a concentration score of 75%, the top 25% of the bar would be shaded and the bottom 75% would be unshaded.
Net WPM: The unshaded portion of each bar in lessons 1 thru 8 is your "Net Words per Minute" which is WPM x Concentration Score. Hover your mouse over the bars to see Net WPM for each segment.
Note that the color-coding represents the results in thirds.
Lessons 1 thru 8 also measure your level of concentration. This is your Concentration Score and is shown below your reading speed. This represents an approximate percentage rating of how much you were concentrating and visualizing each phrase.
The Concentration Score is also indicated in the progress chart. Each bar in the progress chart with less than a 100% score will have a shaded portion at the top. The unshaded portion at the bottom represents the Concentration Score. For example, if you had a concentration score of 75%, the top 25% of the bar would be shaded and the bottom 75% would be unshaded.
Net WPM: The unshaded portion of each bar in lessons 1 thru 8 is your "Net Words per Minute" which is WPM x Concentration Score. Hover your mouse over the bars to see Net WPM for each segment.
Note that the color-coding represents the results in thirds.
Changing Lessons
You can preview lessons at any time, but each lesson will be unlocked after completing 15 exercises in the previous lesson.
Lessons 1-4: Stationary Phrase
The goal of these lessons is to introduce you to the skill of visualizing phrases, with the phrases displayed one at a time.
To begin reading, click the 'START' button. The text will appear and the reading timer will start.
As you visualize each phrase, click the 'NEXT PHRASE' button (or press the SPACE BAR or RIGHT-ARROW button) to display the next phrase.
These are the easiest lessons, where you only need to watch one spot as each phrase is displayed. You will probably notice an immediate increase in your reading speed with these lessons.
Lesson 1: This lesson displays each phrase on its own, using a larger font and a blue background.
Lesson 2: This lesson removes the blue background and slightly reduces the text size.
Lesson 3: This lesson shows the surrounding phrases in light gray, and the text size is further reduced.
Lesson 4: This lesson is identical to lesson 3, but each segment is presented TWICE. The first time, it displays automatically at a speed 20% above the average of your last 3 reading speeds. Try to keep up with the auto display as well as you can, and when the auto display is done, re-read the same text again, controlling the speed manually.
To begin reading, click the 'START' button. The text will appear and the reading timer will start.
As you visualize each phrase, click the 'NEXT PHRASE' button (or press the SPACE BAR or RIGHT-ARROW button) to display the next phrase.
These are the easiest lessons, where you only need to watch one spot as each phrase is displayed. You will probably notice an immediate increase in your reading speed with these lessons.
Lesson 1: This lesson displays each phrase on its own, using a larger font and a blue background.
Lesson 2: This lesson removes the blue background and slightly reduces the text size.
Lesson 3: This lesson shows the surrounding phrases in light gray, and the text size is further reduced.
Lesson 4: This lesson is identical to lesson 3, but each segment is presented TWICE. The first time, it displays automatically at a speed 20% above the average of your last 3 reading speeds. Try to keep up with the auto display as well as you can, and when the auto display is done, re-read the same text again, controlling the speed manually.
Lessons 5-8: Horizontal Scanning
The goal of these lessons is to read phrases in a normal side to side scanning motion, as a highlight moves from phrase to phrase.
To begin reading, click the 'START' button. The text will appear and the reading timer will start.
As you visualize each phrase, click the 'NEXT PHRASE' button (or press the SPACE BAR or RIGHT-ARROW key) to highlight the next phrase. After reading the last phrase of a page, the highlight will move to the top of the next page.
In these lessons, each phrase will appear completely on one line, without wrapping to the next.
Lesson 5: This lesson highlights each phrases with a blue background.
Lesson 6: This lesson removes the blue background and slightly reduces the text size.
Lesson 7: This lesson further reduces the text size.
Lesson 8: This lesson is identical to lesson 7, but each segment is presented TWICE. The first time, it displays automatically at a speed 20% above the average of your last 3 reading speeds. Try to keep up with the auto display as well as you can, and when the auto display is done, re-read the same text again, controlling the speed manually.
To begin reading, click the 'START' button. The text will appear and the reading timer will start.
As you visualize each phrase, click the 'NEXT PHRASE' button (or press the SPACE BAR or RIGHT-ARROW key) to highlight the next phrase. After reading the last phrase of a page, the highlight will move to the top of the next page.
In these lessons, each phrase will appear completely on one line, without wrapping to the next.
Lesson 5: This lesson highlights each phrases with a blue background.
Lesson 6: This lesson removes the blue background and slightly reduces the text size.
Lesson 7: This lesson further reduces the text size.
Lesson 8: This lesson is identical to lesson 7, but each segment is presented TWICE. The first time, it displays automatically at a speed 20% above the average of your last 3 reading speeds. Try to keep up with the auto display as well as you can, and when the auto display is done, re-read the same text again, controlling the speed manually.
Lessons 9-12: Black & Gray Text
The goal of these lessons is to read phrases without the help of a moving highlight, and control your speed with eye movement alone. These are the most realistic lessons, where you read across lines of text with only the black-and-gray phrase-highlighting as your guide.
To begin reading, click the 'START' button. The text will appear and the reading timer will start.
Lesson 9: This lesson shows phrases in alternating black & gray text.
Lesson 10: This lesson uses Focus Dots© to guide your eyes to practice peripheral reading.
Lesson 11: This lesson allows phrases to wrap between lines.
Lesson 12: This lesson is identical to lesson 11, but each segment is presented TWICE. The first time, it displays automatically at a speed 20% above the average of your last 3 reading speeds. Try to keep up with the auto display as well as you can, and when the auto display is done, re-read the same text again, controlling the speed manually.
To begin reading, click the 'START' button. The text will appear and the reading timer will start.
Lesson 9: This lesson shows phrases in alternating black & gray text.
Lesson 10: This lesson uses Focus Dots© to guide your eyes to practice peripheral reading.
Lesson 11: This lesson allows phrases to wrap between lines.
Lesson 12: This lesson is identical to lesson 11, but each segment is presented TWICE. The first time, it displays automatically at a speed 20% above the average of your last 3 reading speeds. Try to keep up with the auto display as well as you can, and when the auto display is done, re-read the same text again, controlling the speed manually.
Concentration Scores
If you're here, then you're probably wondering how this strange Concentration Score thing works, or else you want to know why you got such an unfair score. Or you're just one of the weird people like me, who likes to read instructions.
WHY IT WORKS
To understand how the Concentration Score works, it’s important to first understand why it works. The reason is that speed depends on comprehension, which in turn depends largely on concentration.
Reading speed depends on comprehension speed because you can only truly read what you understand. "Reading" does not mean merely recognizing or saying the words. Instead, real reading means understanding what is actually being said.
Although comprehension depends on many things, one important factor is your concentration level. The more you focus your attention on the meaning of what you are reading, the easier and faster you will comprehend it.
Therefore, to get higher Concentration Scores, you must actively think about, and possibly visualize what each phrase means. This doesn’t mean to labor over each phrase, but at least try to quickly imagine what the phrase means to you.
HOW IT WORKS
A simplified explanation of how the Concentration Score works, is that it compares the time spent on each phrase to the length of the phrase. The more you concentrate on meaning, the more closely the time will match the length.
When your concentration weakens and your mind wanders, the timing of each phrase will tend to become more mechanical, like a metronome or a clock, with each phrase lasting the same time.
The time differences are way too small to even perceive, let alone consciously control, so you won’t be able to fool the score by trying to match the timing to the phrase lengths. The only way to really increase your score therefore, is to actually focus, concentrate, and visualize ideas as you read.
Of course the score is not perfect, but if you have any doubt about its ability to measure your concentration, you can test it by simply "reading" a segment without concentrating - perhaps even without looking - and you will discover that this will usually result in an appropriately low score.
Don’t worry about low scores at first. We were taught in school, that reading is about recognizing words, but this is something we can learn to do without even thinking. Concentrating on meaning, may not be something you are actually used to doing while you read.
But with practice, you can build up your concentration muscles. The Concentration Score is a feedback to help you as you train your mind to pay more attention. Keeping the score above 50% will indicate that you are focusing on real ideas, versus simply reading words.
WHY IT WORKS
To understand how the Concentration Score works, it’s important to first understand why it works. The reason is that speed depends on comprehension, which in turn depends largely on concentration.
Reading speed depends on comprehension speed because you can only truly read what you understand. "Reading" does not mean merely recognizing or saying the words. Instead, real reading means understanding what is actually being said.
Although comprehension depends on many things, one important factor is your concentration level. The more you focus your attention on the meaning of what you are reading, the easier and faster you will comprehend it.
Therefore, to get higher Concentration Scores, you must actively think about, and possibly visualize what each phrase means. This doesn’t mean to labor over each phrase, but at least try to quickly imagine what the phrase means to you.
HOW IT WORKS
A simplified explanation of how the Concentration Score works, is that it compares the time spent on each phrase to the length of the phrase. The more you concentrate on meaning, the more closely the time will match the length.
When your concentration weakens and your mind wanders, the timing of each phrase will tend to become more mechanical, like a metronome or a clock, with each phrase lasting the same time.
The time differences are way too small to even perceive, let alone consciously control, so you won’t be able to fool the score by trying to match the timing to the phrase lengths. The only way to really increase your score therefore, is to actually focus, concentrate, and visualize ideas as you read.
Of course the score is not perfect, but if you have any doubt about its ability to measure your concentration, you can test it by simply "reading" a segment without concentrating - perhaps even without looking - and you will discover that this will usually result in an appropriately low score.
Don’t worry about low scores at first. We were taught in school, that reading is about recognizing words, but this is something we can learn to do without even thinking. Concentrating on meaning, may not be something you are actually used to doing while you read.
But with practice, you can build up your concentration muscles. The Concentration Score is a feedback to help you as you train your mind to pay more attention. Keeping the score above 50% will indicate that you are focusing on real ideas, versus simply reading words.
No "Comprehension" Tests?
It would certainly be important to know whether or not you understood what you have read. How awful to spend hours reading a book and, only after finishing it, find out that you didn’t understand anything. What a waste of time! But just as when I’m listening to somebody talk, when I’m reading, I generally know if I’m getting it or not—in real time, not after I take some test.
The main problem with comprehension tests is that they are really testing other things besides comprehension—things such as memory and even test-taking skills.
Comprehension tests generally consist of a list of multiple choice or true-false questions at the end of a reading assignment. The problem with such tests is that so much depends on your previous knowledge of the content. And nearly as much depends on your ability to guess which facts you should probably remember for the test.
And not all people would pay attention to the exact same things. For example, an article about 3D printers would be viewed very differently by an engineer, a salesman, and an investor. Each would pay attention to and remember, either, how it works, who would buy one, or what its business growth potential was.
However even though each of us reads for our own reasons, we all know while we are reading whether or not we are grasping the information that’s important to us.
The main problem with comprehension tests is that they are really testing other things besides comprehension—things such as memory and even test-taking skills.
Comprehension tests generally consist of a list of multiple choice or true-false questions at the end of a reading assignment. The problem with such tests is that so much depends on your previous knowledge of the content. And nearly as much depends on your ability to guess which facts you should probably remember for the test.
And not all people would pay attention to the exact same things. For example, an article about 3D printers would be viewed very differently by an engineer, a salesman, and an investor. Each would pay attention to and remember, either, how it works, who would buy one, or what its business growth potential was.
However even though each of us reads for our own reasons, we all know while we are reading whether or not we are grasping the information that’s important to us.
