What Speed Readers Won't Tell You

Summary

This video script debunks the myth of speed reading, scrutinizing techniques like minimizing eye movement and backtracking. It argues that these methods don't align with how reading comprehension functions. Research indicates that speed reading sacrifices understanding, as demonstrated by tests showing that speed readers perform poorly on comprehension tasks. The script concludes that reading efficiency comes from language skill development and practice, not from quick-fix speed reading methods.

Takeaways

• 📚 Speed reading techniques often involve minimizing eye movements, which is a misconception because eye movements are essential for comprehension.
• 👀 The idea of reducing fixation points and regressions is based on an outdated understanding of how reading works.
• ✍️ Tim Ferriss' speed reading method involves drawing lines on pages to guide the eyes and minimize eye movement, but this doesn't improve comprehension.
• 🔍 Apps that present one word at a time to eliminate eye movement entirely are based on the same flawed principle of speed reading.
• 🧠 Reading comprehension is not about the speed of eye movement across the page, but about creating meaning from words and sentences.
• 📉 Studies have shown that when people are prevented from backtracking while reading, their comprehension suffers.
• 📈 Reading speed is influenced by language skills, prior knowledge, and the complexity of the material, rather than eye movement techniques.
• 📚 Actual tests of speed readers have demonstrated that their comprehension is significantly lower than that of normal readers.
• 🚫 Pushing reading speeds beyond 250-300 words per minute often results in a loss of comprehension.
• 💡 The belief that speed reading works may stem from the feeling of moving eyes quickly over text and picking up some information, even if it's superficial.
• 📘 Deep and thorough reading is more efficient and satisfying than speed reading, as it allows for a true understanding of complex information.

Q & A

What is the main claim of speed reading programs?

The main claim of speed reading programs is that they can help individuals read faster without sacrificing comprehension or with minimal loss of reading comprehension.

What are the two-step processes discussed in the video to analyze the claims of speed readers?

The two-step processes are: 1) Discussing the specific techniques that speed readers use, such as minimizing eye movement or backtracking, and 2) Looking at rates of reading comprehension for speed readers through various research methods.

What does Tim Ferriss suggest as a method to improve reading speed?

Tim Ferriss suggests drawing lines down the sides of the page to create a narrower reading path, which encourages the reader to start and end at these lines, zigzagging across the lines with fewer fixation points, thus reducing eye movement.

Why do normal readers fixate on complex or unfamiliar words while reading?

Normal readers fixate on complex or unfamiliar words because it takes them a moment to understand the meaning of the word in its context, which is crucial for comprehension.

What happens when normal readers pause briefly at the end of a sentence?

The brief pause at the end of a sentence is the brain's way of chunking and understanding the unit of meaning that the sentence represents.

What is the effect on reading comprehension when people are prevented from backtracking while reading?

When people are prevented from backtracking, their reading comprehension suffers because backtracking helps in understanding the material by revisiting complex parts.

What is the common misunderstanding about the relationship between eye movements and reading speed?

The common misunderstanding is that faster eye movements across the page lead to faster reading speeds, ignoring the fact that reading is about creating meaning from words and sentences.

What were the results of the 1980s study involving self-described speed readers?

The self-described speed readers achieved speeds of about 15,000 to 30,000 words per minute but failed to pass a 20-question multiple choice test even after reading the material three times, indicating poor comprehension.

What is the estimated maximum reading speed for a good reader without significant loss of comprehension?

A good reader can read at a maximum of about 250 to 300 words per minute, with some studies suggesting slightly higher rates.

Why do some people believe that speed reading techniques are helping them?

People may believe speed reading techniques are helping because they notice they can move their eyes more quickly over the words and still pick up some information, giving the illusion of increased reading speed and comprehension.

What is the most efficient and satisfying way to read according to the video?

The most efficient and satisfying way to read is to read deeply and understand the material in all its complexity, rather than superficially skimming through text.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Debunking Speed Reading Techniques

This paragraph examines the validity of speed reading techniques, questioning their effectiveness in improving reading comprehension. It discusses specific strategies like minimizing eye movement and reducing backtracking, which are claimed to speed up reading. The speaker argues that these techniques are not only outdated but also counterproductive, as they interfere with the natural process of understanding text. The paragraph also highlights that reading comprehension is not merely about the speed of eye movement but involves creating meaning from words and sentences, which is influenced by language skills, prior knowledge, and text complexity.

05:02

🔍 The Reality of Speed Reading Claims

The second paragraph delves into empirical studies that have tested the claims of speed readers, revealing that their comprehension levels are significantly lower than those of regular readers. It recounts an experiment where self-proclaimed speed readers failed to demonstrate comprehension despite reading at high speeds. The paragraph also addresses the misconception that speed reading can be achieved without loss of understanding, emphasizing that reading efficiency is more about the depth of comprehension rather than the pace at which one reads. It concludes by suggesting that genuine reading improvement comes from enhancing language skills and practice, rather than relying on speed reading techniques.

Keywords

💡Speed Reading

Speed reading refers to the practice of reading text at a rate faster than traditional reading methods. It is often marketed as a technique that allows individuals to consume information rapidly without sacrificing comprehension. In the video, the speaker critically examines the validity of speed reading, questioning whether the techniques used actually improve reading efficiency or simply create the illusion of faster reading.

💡Eye Movement

Eye movement in reading refers to the physical act of moving one's eyes across a text. It includes saccades (jumps between fixation points) and fixations (moments when the eye stops to process information). The video discusses how minimizing eye movements, as suggested by speed reading techniques, may not necessarily lead to better comprehension, as normal eye movements are integral to understanding the text.

💡Backtracking

Backtracking is the act of moving one's eyes back to previously read text during the reading process. It is a natural part of reading that helps in understanding complex material. The video script mentions that preventing backtracking, as some speed reading methods advocate, can negatively impact comprehension because it disrupts the brain's natural processing of information.

💡Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret written material. It is a key outcome variable in assessing the effectiveness of reading methods. The video explores how speed reading techniques might affect comprehension, with studies suggesting that speed reading often leads to a decrease in understanding when compared to normal reading.

💡Fixation Points

Fixation points are the locations where the eye rests momentarily to process information during reading. The video discusses how speed reading techniques aim to reduce the number of fixation points, suggesting that this could lead to faster reading. However, the speaker argues that fewer fixation points might hinder the brain's ability to process and understand the text fully.

💡Optical Perception

Optical perception is the process by which the eye interprets visual information. The video mentions that understanding optical perception is important for optimizing reading techniques. However, the speaker implies that speed reading programs may oversimplify this concept, neglecting the cognitive processes involved in comprehension.

💡Language Skills

Language skills encompass the ability to understand and use language effectively. The video argues that improving language skills, rather than relying on speed reading techniques, is a more effective way to enhance reading speed and comprehension. It suggests that a strong vocabulary and familiarity with sentence structures contribute to better reading.

💡Self-Described Speed Readers

Self-described speed readers are individuals who claim to be able to read at exceptionally high speeds. The video discusses studies that compare the reading comprehension of self-described speed readers to that of average readers, often finding that the former perform worse on comprehension tests, challenging the effectiveness of their claimed reading methods.

💡Reading Efficiency

Reading efficiency refers to the effectiveness with which one reads and comprehends text. The video critiques the notion that speed reading is a more efficient way to read, arguing that a deeper, more thoughtful approach to reading is actually more efficient in terms of understanding and retaining information.

💡Learning Myths

Learning myths are misconceptions or false beliefs about how learning occurs. The video touches on the topic of learning myths, suggesting that the idea of speed reading as an effective learning technique is one such myth. It encourages viewers to question such myths and consider the importance of evidence-based approaches to learning.

Highlights

Speed reading techniques often involve minimizing eye movements and reducing backtracking, which are claimed to increase reading speed.

Research on speed reading has shown that these techniques do not improve reading comprehension and may actually hinder understanding.

Eye movements are essential for comprehension as they help process complex words and sentence structures.

Normal readers pause briefly at the end of sentences, which is a natural part of understanding the text.

Backtracking while reading is beneficial for comprehension, contrary to speed reading techniques that discourage it.

Studies have shown that when people are prevented from backtracking, their reading comprehension decreases.

The idea that reading speed is tied to eye movement speed is a misconception; reading is about creating meaning from text.

Reading speed is influenced by language skills, prior knowledge, and the complexity of the material being read.

Popular speed reading techniques have been debunked as ineffective for maintaining comprehension.

Tests with self-described speed readers have shown they cannot pass comprehension tests even at much slower speeds than claimed.

Training in speed reading has consistently resulted in a significant drop in reading comprehension.

The maximum effective reading speed for comprehension is estimated to be around 250-300 words per minute.

Reading speed varies depending on the complexity of the material and the reader's familiarity with the subject matter.

Improving reading speed is best achieved through enhancing language skills and practice, not through speed reading techniques.

Many people believe speed reading works because they feel they are processing information faster, even if it's superficial.

The illusion of increased reading speed can lead to a false sense of comprehension and satisfaction.

Deep and thorough reading is more efficient and satisfying than attempting to speed read complex material.

Transcripts

At some point in your life, someone is going to  tell you that they can speed read. And this person  

may try to sell you his speed reading program, so  that you, too, can consume information extremely  

fast. But what does the research say about speed  reading? In this video, I want to take a two-step  

process to analyze the claims of speed readers.  First, I want to discuss the specific techniques  

that speed readers advise people to use, like  minimizing eye movement or backtracking. When  

you're reading, do these techniques actually  make sense given what we know about how reading  

works? The second is to look at rates of reading  comprehension for speed readers. Researchers do  

this in a couple of different ways. One way is  to teach someone a speed reading technique and  

then compare their reading comprehension under  speed reading versus normal reading. Another way  

is to bring in self-described speed readers and  compare their speed and reading comprehension to  

normal everyday readers. In either case, you have  people answer a series of reading comprehension  

questions or summarize what they've read as one of  the main outcome variables. But first, let's talk  

about the techniques themselves. Here is how Tim  Ferriss describes his speed reading technique. "We  

were taught to read we read word-by-word, so we go  from the furthermost left word to the furthermost  

right word. The problem with that is, you're  not using any of this space or the margins...."  

"And the way that you then remedy that is by  drawing lines on some pages. So now you have  

lines going down either side of the page. And  instead of starting all the way to the left,  

you're going to start at this line and then  you're going to end at that line. You're now  

going to be zigzagging just as you would normally  but the parameters or the boundaries have been  

moved in by a word. When you're looking at  a given page your eye isn't moving smoothly  

across each line, it's fixation,  fixation, fixation. So the less  

that we can regress - meaning bounce back or  bounce up, you want to stay on that reliable  

forward path - and the fewer fixation points  we have, it's just a math problem, the less  

time we're going to spend reading each page. Now  you're actually going to track with your finger,  

trace underneath the line like so and try to think  of two fixation points per line for your eye. This  

will keep you from bouncing up to previously read  material. We've all had the experience of being  

really sleepy..." "So it's just understanding  the mechanics of the eye, a little bit about  

optical perception, and then recognizing how  you can optimize that for the printed page." 

Both of these techniques are essentially about  minimizing eye movements and this idea that  

minimizing eye movements can make people read  faster has been around for a long time. These  

are almost the exact same techniques that speed  readers were advocating for 70 years ago and  

there are apps that take this basic principle  of minimizing eye movements even further. They  

present one word of a text at a time to you in  rapid succession, so you don't have to move your  

eyes at all. You just have to sit there and take  in the words as they're coming at you. Keep in  

mind, here, that the whole point of speed reading  programs is to help people read faster "without  

sacrificing comprehension" or, at least, without  significant loss of reading comprehension. Here's  

the thing: eye movements help you to understand  what you are reading. They do not impair reading  

comprehension. When people are reading something  they fixate on complex, unfamiliar words. Why do  

they do that? Because it takes them a moment or  two to understand what that word means in that  

context. Normal readers also pause very briefly  at the end of a sentence. Why do they do that?  

Because a sentence is a unit of meaning and that  split-second pause is the brain's way of chunking  

and understanding that unit of meaning. Our eyes  normally backtrack when we are reading, especially  

when we're reading complex material. Why? Because  it helps us to understand what we are reading.  

If you stop people from backtracking, like in  this study here, reading comprehension suffers. 

The idea that reading speed has something to do  with how fast your eyes can move across the page  

is a complete misunderstanding of what reading  is. Reading is about how you create meaning from  

words and sentences. The rate at which you can  read something depends upon your language skills,  

it depends upon what you know beforehand, and it  depends on the complexity of what you're reading.  

So the most popular techniques that speed readers  claim to use don't make any sense. What about  

actual tests of reading comprehension? In the  1980s, a researcher tested the speed and reading  

comprehension of a couple of speed readers who  claim to read upwards of a hundred thousand words  

per minute. Now they were able to achieve speeds  of about fifteen thousand to thirty thousand words  

per minute, much lower than their estimates, but  still absurdly high. But they couldn't pass a 20  

question multiple choice test, even after reading  the same thing three times times. That doesn't  

seem like a very efficient way to read. What about  training people to speed read and comparing that  

to their normal everyday reading? You see the  same kind of patterns. Reading comprehension  

suffers dramatically. They can probably recognize  some words that they read but ask them any deeper  

conceptual question, ask them to apply anything  that they read to some meaningful context,  

ask them anything about any detail at all, and  they do worse than plain old everyday readers.  

A good reader reads at the maximum of about  250 words per minute or possibly 300 words  

per minute. Some studies estimate that to be  slightly higher. In practice your reading speed  

just depends on what you are reading. If you're  reading something that's dense, with layers of  

meaning using complex sentence structures and  unfamiliar vocabulary words, then you are going  

to read a lot more slowly than if you're reading  something with pretty simple vocabulary, simple  

sentence structures, simple transitions, and no  implied meanings. The only way to get better at  

reading is to grow your language skills and get  practice at reading. If you know more vocabulary,  

if you're used to complex sentence structures,  if you are experienced in parsing the text for  

meaning, then you get faster at reading. But  when you start pushing much beyond 250 words  

or 300 words per minute, your comprehension is  just going to suffer. This still leaves an open  

question though. If you roam through the comments  on a lot of these popular speed reading videos,  

it's clear that people have convinced themselves  that these techniques are really helping them to  

read. I think what's going on is that people  notice that they can move their eyes more  

quickly over the words and they still pick  up some information, they pick up little bits  

of information as they skim the text and so they  think that they have increased their reading speed  

that way. It makes it feel like speed reading  is working for them. And this is especially  

satisfying maybe if you've always thought of  yourself as a slow reader. But what you don't  

realize is all of the things that you have missed  by not actually reading. Reading on your own,  

you can never know what you didn't comprehend.  You can't split yourself into two parts and have  

parallel universes where you read it speed reading  and you read it normally. How would you know that  

you didn't comprehend something correctly because  you never got to the point of comprehending it?  

I mean that's part of the whole reason why we  do research on these questions. People turn to  

speed reading because it seems like it's a more  efficient way of understanding information. But  

that's a mistake. Reading something deeply and  actually understanding it in all its complexity is  

a far more efficient way of reading. It's a more  satisfying way to read as well. If you liked this  

video, check out this video about other learning  myths or if you want to hear more about the ways  

that learning fast can backfire check out this  one. I'll see you later, thanks for watching.