1. Family with Two Dyslexic Children Being Home Schooled

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:59:02 -0400

2. Highly Educated and Motivated PHD Candidate, Wanting to Improve His Speed and Comprehension

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:08:38 -0400

A Speed Reading Course Review
By Warren Seetahal, MBA, BSc, MCSE, DIP PI

I scanned the Internet some months ago searching for a program, a lecture, a self-help course, or some simple advice, that would improve my reading. I wanted to increase my reading speed while preserving my retention rate because I wanted to speed up my reading and learning for my PhD in
Strategy and Finance that had an enormous reading list.

My experiences with Speed Reading

I never believed in the speed reading idea as I tried a course at the age of 11 – in 1983 – and I tried another (Eye Q) in 2002; but, I did not experience any notable change in speed or retention.

At times, I scoured the Internet searching for a program that would improve my reading ability but most sites made unrealistic promises such as learning to read at 20,000 words a minute and so on. Other sites made reasonable promises; however, a few were expensive and traveling for a speed- reading seminar was not an alternative for me.

After I searched and reviewed various sites on speed reading, I discovered several facts such as:
 Faster readers have greater retention
 Each person’s reading speed will vary depending on the material’s difficulty
 Subvocalization and rereading are the two major problems of normal readers
 Subvocalization is usually necessary when covering new and difficult material
 The average reader progresses through ‘regular’ material at 250 words a minute
 A good reader progresses through ‘regular’ material at 400 words a minute or higher
 Even the best readers begin to lose their grasp after about 1200 words a minute; but, most readers cannot surpass 800 words a minute without losing understanding

The ‘John Adams’ Program

After I searched for a few more days I stumbled on Mr. John Adams’ program at http://www.helpmyreading.com. There were free training materials, free instructional videos, and free informative articles and studies on that site.

I thought the information was useful and I decided to e-mail Mr. Adams to set up a short teleconference that was free. Mr. Adams spent 30 minutes on the phone discussing my goals and diagnosing any poor reading habits. He provided immediate recommendations for improvement and
suggested I buy his software and his services as a speed reading coach.

I completed some exercises he suggested and I decided to buy the software and use his services. He provided practical insights, effective exercises, and reasonable objectives. He over-delivered both on service and on results.

I completed several tests on the Internet to measure my reading speed and
understanding at the start of my program and I performed similar tests one month later. Note that I ensured all tests had similar difficulty and length.

Personal Qualities

To estimate your gains, it may be useful to understand some of my qualities.
Base Reading Speed before starting the program: 400 words a minute
Retention rate at base reading speed: 80 per cent
Age: 37
IQ: 152
Education Level: PhD Candidate
Marital Status: Married
Children in Home: 4
General Health: Excellent
Vision: Wears reading glasses at times but vision is good
Myers Briggs Type: EITJ
Time spent reading each day: 3-6 hours

Gains and Other Experiences

After I used the software and his coaching for a month I experienced the following improvements:
Reading Speed: 550 words a minute
Retention Rate: 100 per cent
After undergoing John’s training, my ‘reading stamina’ increased. In other words, I was able to remain properly focused for longer periods of time.
Note that I used the software for about an hour a day and I spent about an hour a week on the phone with Mr. Adams.

To obtain the adjusted reading speed I multiplied retention rate (or comprehension rate) by reading speed

I also learned:
 The 18 bad habits of poor readers
 A larger vocabulary increases speed and understanding
 A good reader notes text on either side of the punctuation mark
 A reader should pause at larger words to improve understanding
 Readers should use peripheral vision to absorb more text quicker
 A good reader usually pauses at intervals (or thoughts) for that improves understanding
 A coach improves your chances of success by crafting a program to your specific needs
 Ideas and theories from great books that I imported into the program

Apart from the wonderful gains I also gained a wonderful tool. The software program serves as a wonderful productivity tool that can perform the following:
 Read aloud papers or material I write so I can ‘proof-hear’ instead of proof-read
 Import lengthy material in the software and use special features that center and flash words on the screen so I can read for longer periods
 Teach my younger kids to read and pronounce words correctly

Going Forward

Overall, I am pleased I bought the program (software and services). I am now able to use my skills for reading printed material and I can also practice – and continue improving – my new skills on printed books and papers.

I have also benefited from a ‘book holder’ that positions a book in a
comfortable position for reading and making notes.

My children will also receive significant benefits from the software.

You may contact me at warrens_tt@yahoo.com if you wish.

3. College Undergraduate from Nigeria, Wanting to Improve His English Pronunciation and Reading Speed

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:07:23 -0400

I found this reading software very helpful. It makes reading so easy and very comprehensible, and overall it accelerates the speed of reading and increases understanding. The stress of worrying about exams was alleviated for me by this reading program. It increased my confidence.

This software, along with consultation from Mr. Adams, also helped me with my difficulty in proper English pronunciation. Even though I was a good student academically, I was not up to my potential in speaking. I was always afraid to read out loud for fear of being laughed at. I wanted to be confident in my pronunciation and be able to speak properly to my nursing patients and peers.

Mr. Adams taught me how to properly decode many English sounds and where to pause when speaking. I found the “Reading Tool” particularly helpful in learning the basic sounds and decoding new or difficult words.

This instruction also helped me better understand what I read. Now I only need to go through the material once, instead of numerous times. This increased my reading speed significantly.

Thank you,
Raymond