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Hi,
Can't help you with the specifics of the 'at home' course, but
years ago I took the "Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics" course, with,
from my opinion, very mixed results. I loved to read and looked
forward to reading huge amounts of great stuff!
On the 'positive' side, I was 'tested' before and after for an
increase in reading speed (with increase in comprehension score)
by a factor of more than ten. Something on the order of:
before = 600 words/per/minute; after = 10,000 words/per/minute.
They insisted I could have finished with about a 20,000 words-per-minute
score if I had put in more time practicing during the weeks of the course.
However, a side effect developed, which was that I stopped reading
for pleasure after I took the class!
That is, reading a such a fast rate I lost so much enjoyment
that I stopped reading for pleasure.
I could, and did, read things like newspapers very fast, and would
suggest that for one who HAS TO "review" huge amounts of written
information that it would be useful. But, as one who one enjoyed the
word-craft and artistry of good writing, this "speed reading" pretty
much eliminated that. And certainly for things like mathematics and
physics and chemistry it was of no real help.
So, as a "tool" to "get a job done" fine -- but as a "something to get
more enjoyment by doing more reading" - no.
As usual, "your results may vary" and if one is reading at only 100
words/per/minute or something such a course may be necessary to help
one read what is required for school, job, etc.
A note: much of the course was really on learing to RECALL,
as much as on READING. That is, you cram the stuff in really fast,
but then you have to train your brain to recall it. And, in my
experience, "recall" does not equal "understanding", which takes some
thinking time!
But... I can read 'notes' real fast! As long as they're not too
humorous! :-)
Dennis
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| Thanks for all of the replies and info entered here. I ended up
ordering the mega-speed reading home study course and have been real
pleased with it. I'm nowhere near 20,000 words like one of the
previous entries, but I have about tripled ( roughl 1500 wpm). This is
in a 5 hour period, not a long extended course. It has some
exercises to help you keep improving which I was doing pretty regularly
until I had to go off to active duty for a couple of weeks. I haven't
gotten the routine back, but I am still reading fast yet still enjoying
it.
Ernie
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