THEORY

Faster reading requires good habits:
1. A minimum number of eye fixations 
2. Wide eye span to grasp phrases at each eye movement
3. No lip movements or vocalization 
4. No returns over material just read 

Number, letter and word recognition exercises develop efficient eye
movements. The recognition span exercise prepares the reader to visualize
in his or her mind entire phrases at each glance.

In addition to visual habits comprehension can be improve. Words are
recognized through their appearance. One must be confident in the
difference between words with a similar appearance such as road and roar
or though and thought. Word meaning can be established from memorized
definitions, from the context, from prefixes, suffixes and roots. The
ability to use those hints in the reading process improves with the word
meaning exercise or synonym recognition.

When walking the eyes don't normally focus; one looks anywhere. When 
running, most people concentrate on what comes directly ahead. For
speed reading, at the beginning, one has to concentrate as if running
looking about one foot beyond the screen or the book to obtain the
necessary recognition span.

Each sentence expresses a complete idea. Each phrase within a sentence
covers necessary information about one aspect of that idea. When eye
movement and recognition span are combined to extract the information of
each phrase to decipher the idea of the sentence, reading abilities adjust
to the efforts made by the writer.

Paragraphs group sentences to express main ideas about the authors central
theme. Mind mapping uses the specialized abilities of each hemisphere of
the brain to assemble ideas. In the mind map only single words are used
with simple pictures link by lines. The center of the mind map or imagined
drawing must be the central theme. Numbers are used to depict the
hierarchy  among words and objects. Hence, the logical and problem solving
abilities of one hemisphere are combined with the forms, dimensions and
space representation abilities of the other hemisphere.

Since concentration must be devoted to the assembly of ideas, reading
skills must be used unconsciously. Exercises undergone playfully will have
the desired result. Read at 100 words per minute then at 200 words per
minute and finally at 300 words per minute. You will find that you do not
have to isolate each word to understand what the author meant. First
understand and then make notes. Consider the number of books you have to
read and the time you have to read them and figure out the necessary
reading speed.

You will find time to formulate your own ideas. Reading will not be a race
to grasp ideas. In fact, reading is usually an enjoyable activity. We hope
you will increase your enjoyment easily with the computer exercises. 
Perhaps one day we will have a more fruitful exchange of ideas from 
improved reading.

To perfect one's speed reading skills, the recognition span is improved
until one letter at both ends of the screen is recognized, the eyes being
fixed on the letter in the center. Then number recognition from the left
is practised until the number repeated is detected without moving the
eyes. Letter recognition follows number recognition.

Word recognition is the crucial step which combines recognition span and
letter recognition skills to read. When one is efficient in the
recognition of words, the recognition of synonyms begin to work the
ability to extract information from symbols.

Information extracted from string of characters must be organized in one's
mind. Mind imaging improves the ability to extract information until the
brain rebuilds the world described by the writer.

These skills become automatic until the reader concentrates on meaning
and what should be remembered. This is where speed reading stops and
literary interpretation, science or note taking begins.

This program has been written knowing that almost everyone has been
gifted with the ability to think. When people become efficient, they
never go back to learning basic skills again. Speed reading will stay
within you and save time, improve communications and the ability to
detect what is useful in your environment. If we ever meet, you will
have well defined productive ideas to influence me with.

Reading newspapers, magazines, contracts, textbooks, instruction manuals,
income tax and other business forms for only 2 hours per week, with an
improvement of comprehension of only 10%, implies
      2 hours x .1 x 50 wks/year x 20 years = 200 hours saved
at minimum wage, you have enough to buy a computer of the next generation.

In the main menu, pressing PGDN triggers the score board. In the set-up
you can select the reader under which the scores will be updated. You
can monitor each exercise as you improve to see which skill hold your
speed down. With the initial settings, reader 3 shows the scores of a
good speed reader. The mind imaging score is the score of the last mind
imaging exercise, easy or hard.

If you have a VGA/TV converter, record your sessions to find patterns
in missed selections.

Use ReadFlex to warm up before extensive reading.

References 
There are many books on speed reading, most of the will cover the tools
used in this program. Here are 2 books among many others:

    Improving Reading Ability: A Manual for College Students
    James B. Stroud, Robert B. Ammons, Henry A. Bamman
    Appleton Century Crofts, New York 
    1956

    Speed Reading 
    Tony Buzan 
    Penguin Books USA Inc.
    1991

The graphics packages from COREL Corporation, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,
have been used with permission to publish according to the guidelines
outlined in COREL Draw 6.
