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Revision as of 04:59, 21 December 2004 by 144.214.54.82 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Speed reading is a confusion of reading and skimming. Skimming involves processing and comprehending select portions of text at a high rate.
Reading and skimming comprehension are measured in different ways using different textual material. As reading rate is increased by a reader, their reading comprehension will decrease. However, promoters of speed reading use skimming comprehension as a measure of general reading ability.
On the average, a person with a college-level education reads at around 300 words per minute, assuming that the material is not of a technical nature. On the other hand, the fastest skimmers can skim more than a thousand words per minute.
A competent reader will know when to skim and when to read.
In general, reading employs various skills depending on the level of text and the intent behind the action. For example, if reading to obtain a general overview of a piece of text we might skim, or alternatively, if searching for an important quote or piece of technical information (where full understanding isn't important) we might scan.
See also
External links
- Suggestions for improving reading speed
- SpeedReader - a free speed reading software
- RocketReader - commercial speed reading software - 14 day free trial
- speedreading.com - RocketReader-affiliated speed reading resources