How fast can you read this?
When my friend Steven Johnson was telling me about speed reading recently, I was skeptical. I assumed as conventional wisdom goes, that the faster you read the less you retain. Interestingly, research says the exact opposite. In general, the faster you read the higher your comprehension. This is because we have a limited short-term memory, and words have little meaning in isolation. When you read fast you can better access the full meaning of the sentence or paragraph.
So, I decided to do a speed reading test. I got 240 WPM at 80% comprehension. I’m only slightly above average. “Excellent” readers can read 7 times that speed with the same or better comprehension! Needless to say, I have a ways to go. I’m considering using zealog.com to track my reading speed daily. Improvement takes deliberate, sustained practice. I think measuring progress would help keep me on track. I need to practice perseverance, too, plus I would be learning whatever material I choose to use, so 3 birds with one stone. Perfect!