Speed reading

Speed reading is a collection of specific skills or mental processes that are designed to help people read and process text more quickly than the average reader while still maintaining high comprehension rates. Examples of particular skills include Evelyn Wood’s finger pointing technique, chunking, or by eliminating the habit of subvocalizing. The use and practice of these particular skills is considered “speed reading”.

Speed readers can typically read at an average of over 800 words per minute (WPM). By contrast, an average reader typically reads at around 300 WPM. While there are claims made by the World Championship Speed Reading Competition that people can reach speeds of 10,000 or even 20,000 WPM, these claims are largely irrelevant because of the fact that the reading is often at a 50% comprehension level.

Former presidents John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter were both proponents of speed reading, and had taken courses to help improve their reading speed both in, and out of the White House.