1. There are benefits to faster Reading
2. Reading strategies assist learning
3. Automaticity

First, let's be clear that Timed Reading is an educational tool and not an end in itself. Some students will find it easier to accomplish than others. However, the principal benefit of timed reading is to free up time to study more and to learn how to retain more of what is being read. The ability to concentrate and focus on the subject matter will in turn lead to greater comprehension of the subject matter and the ability to retain the information. Effective timed reading tends to increase potential speed of reading and comprehension. In turn, this will lead to greater enjoyment of reading, which enhances understanding and scholarship.

The most used strategy for faster reading has been speed reading, where the student learns not to read words but to read phrases or other groups of words, by eye fixation on the center of a sentence. The aid for doing this is by flashing groups of words or sentences on a screen in fractions of a second, initially starting at about 2 or 3 second intervals down to 1/10th to 1/20th to 1/100th of a second or faster, in the same manner as a camera lens opening and closing in a fraction of a second. You would be surprised what information can be retained with practice. Scanning a text is another method of speed reading. Our brain is similar to a computer and can absorb information by scanning in like manner. These methods serve to increase speed and comprehension.

Automaticity. This is the development of the ability to reduce brain activity by repetition of skills and performing tasks automatically. There are many things that we do automatically, such as walking, talking, working, playing, etc. There are things we do without thinking, so we can concentrate on more important activities. This same process can be utilized to improve reading, but this concept is less useful or ambitious than speed reading. As students practice timed reading and reading repetition, there will be an improvement in the reading rate. The process will tend to become more automatic and comprehension of reading materials will greatly increase.

In conclusion, timed reading is a tool to help improve reading comprehension and to save time for increased reading. It is an aid to greater learning. But, there has to be realistic goals. Speed reading is the most advantageous method of developing the skills necessary for advanced comprehension of almost any subject matter. To be sure, there may be some subjects which must be learned more slowly, such as in the math sciences. But one of the goals is to create a more automatic response to reading, which controls the reading task and the demands of study and learning so that it does not appear to be overwhelming to the student.

Speed reading can be fun and challenging and can be learned rather quickly. Good luck with fun in timed reading and learning.

Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about timed reading, please visit My Pleasure Reading http://mypleasurereading.info/ for current articles and discussions.