How The Eyes Work During Speed Reading
How the Eyes Work During Speed Reading
If you’ve ever been witness to someone speed reading the sight can be remarkable. They turn the pages of a book at breakneck speed and often their hand is skimming the length of the pages very quickly. It’s difficult to imagine that they are absorbing everything that they are reading. After all, a person reading at normal speed can sometimes even have trouble remembering what they just read. However, it is possible to read and retain all of the information in a book or magazine even when you are reading it much faster than a normal person does.
It’s obvious that one of the keys to speed reading is the eyes. It’s the eyes that are scanning the page, and soaking up the information for the brain. The people who are able to speed read don’t have special “bionic” type eyes. Their eyesight is just the same as anyone else’s.
The first step to speed reading is found with the eyes. In order to read properly at all, regardless of speed, a person has to be able to see to the best of their ability. This involves getting a regular eye examination. Once you have a thumbs-up from the eye doctor or a new set of glasses or contact lens, you are all set to learn some of the basics regarding your eyes in relation to speed reading.
It’s easier to read under a dim light than a very bright light. Many people have been led to believe the opposite and have spent years sitting next to a lamp that is almost blinding them, as they read. The eyes adjust better to dimmer light and so if you are going to practice your speed reading techniques, invest in a reading lamp which generally features a softer type light bulb, so that it’s easier on the eyes.
For years it was strongly believed that speed reading was done by using the peripheral vision. When someone refers to peripheral vision, they are referring to the line of sight that you see out of the corner of your eye. The idea was that the eyes scanned the page and the words that were caught in the peripheral vision were the words that stuck. This doesn’t seem to be the case though, as people who read using peripheral vision would ultimately be missing much of the text. This would lead to a misunderstanding of the material.
Instead it’s important when you are attempting to speed read that your eyes scan the entire text. The techniques that are suggested for speed reading utilize this approach. That way the person reading isn’t missing entire words or phrases as they would be with the peripheral vision approach.
Your eyes are essential to your success in speed reading. Having the proper prescription eye wear and using a dim light will give you the foundation you need to begin the process. By using your entire field of view, you can quickly and efficiently absorb the material you are reading.
More Articles
Do Strong Readers Need Speed Reading
Reading Silently Can Help Speed Reading
Speed Read By Scanning The Book
Hand Positions In Speed Reading
Teaching Children To Speed Read
The Best Position For Speed Reading
The Most Important Parts Of Any Book For Speed Reading
Understanding The Basics Of Speed Reading
Related Products And FREE Videos
More Articles
Reading Silently Can Help Speed Reading
... eventually the inclination to silently say the words will disappear. Although adults are more conscious of this behavior, many still do it. They can try those same techniques, the chewing gum or a candy idea. Another idea that works well for adult is if they are alone, they can place their hand over their ...
Do Strong Readers Need Speed Reading
... letter-by-letter reading if you knew how much more you would get out of reading by moving on to word-by-word reading, which is the ability to recognize entire words. So why limit yourself to block-by-block reading that involves short blocks of words when you can increase that enjoyment and understanding ...
The Most Important Parts Of Any Book For Speed Reading
... set the stage for the information that will follow. The same idea works with speed reading. As you read the first chapter carefully you are implanting the main ideas of the book in your mind. This sets the stage for the middle of the book, which you can now read quickly because you will have a strong ...
The Best Position For Speed Reading
... anyone and it s also not something that can be done anywhere. You won t often see a person holding a book in their hand and speed reading as they are sitting on a park bench or riding on a bus. It requires not only a place of concentration but also a manner of positioning yourself and the book for the ...
Hand Positions In Speed Reading
... such as ruler. This keeps the reader s eyes following the text. They aren t tempted to skip ahead and miss words. Their concentration is focused on exactly what they are reading, and as they work through the page, the card or straight edge moves with them. Concentration is one of the most important aspects ...