Patent Application
20160133150
Those of skill in the art have long sought improved apparatus and methodologies to improve reading skills. As used herein, reading skills include comprehension, retention, recall and the speed at which an individual reads.
It would be highly desirable to provide an improved system to improve reading skills.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved system to advance reading skills.
This, and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skill in the art from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, provided is an improved system to improve reading speed in preparation for taking a standardized test. The system comprises a system to identify words by frequency of use; a system to identify supplemental relevant standardized test-related words; a housing; a computer mounted in the housing; a display operatively associated with the computer; and, a computer program product in a storage medium readable by the computer. The computer program product comprises program code for preparatory reading exercises that is shown on the display and utilizes vocabulary including selected ones of the most frequently used prime words, and selected ones of standardized test-related words each different from each of the selected ones of the most frequently used prime words.
In another embodiment of the invention, provided is an improved system to improve reading speed in preparation for taking a standardized test. The system comprises a system to identify words by frequency of use; a system to identify supplemental relevant standardized test-related words; a housing; a computer mounted in the housing; a display operatively associated with the computer; a computer program product in a storage medium readable by the computer. The computer program product comprises program code for preparatory reading exercises shown on the display. The reading exercises utilize vocabulary including at least 100 of the 2000 most frequently used prime words, and 100 standardized test-related words each different from each of the 100 of the 2000 most frequently used prime words. The reading exercises also display the most frequently used prime words and the standardized test-related words in formats requiring reading two or more words in a single eye fixation.
In a further embodiment of the invention, provided is an improved system to improve the reading speed of an individual in preparation for taking a standardized test. The improved system comprises a system to identify words by frequency of use; a system to identify supplemental relevant standardized test-related words; a housing; a computer mounted in the housing; a display operatively associated with the computer; and, a computer program product in a storage medium readable by the computer. The computer program product comprises program code for preparatory reading exercises shown on the display and utilizing vocabulary including at least 100 of the 2000 most frequently used prime words, and 100 standardized test-related words each different from each of the 100 of the 2000 most frequently used prime words. The reading exercises also display the prime words and the standardized test-related words in formats requiring reading two or more words in a single eye fixation. The reading exercises also include a word grouping exercise in at least one of the “Lines” mode and the “Clumps” mode.
As used herein, a standardized test is an assessment that (1) is intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in any other topics, and (2) is administered and scored in a consistent manner. Some kinds of standardized tests include college entrance tests (SAT, ACT, LSAT, etc.); high school evaluation tests; tests related to various professions including, for example, medicine, law, real estate, and securities; and, federal, state, and municipal assessment tests.
As used herein, prime words are words that are immediately recognizable by most people, that do not require decoding, and that do not require an eye fixation.
As would be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a word is “immediately recognizable” when an individual is familiar with the word, has seen it before, and recognizes the word. By that standard, most of the words in this patent application are immediately recognizable words.
A word is immediately recognizable by “most people” when the majority of people for whom the language being read is their native language immediately recognize the word. A majority of people immediately recognize a word when 51% or more of the population recognizes the word. Again, by that standard, most of the words in this patent application are immediately recognizable by most people.
Decoding is required when an individual can not assign, and determine, a meaning to a word and when the individual is not certain how to pronounce a word and must use his or her knowledge of letter patterns and of letter-sound relationships to determine how to pronounce a word. A word does not “require decoding” when an individual automatically and instantly assigns a meaning to the word and does not have to determine what the word means, and when the individual immediately and instantly knows how to pronounce the word and does not have to use his or her knowledge to determine how to pronounce the word. By these standards, most of the words in this patent application are words that do not require decoding.
An eye fixation occurs when the eyes, while reading, stop moving. Practically speaking, if the eyes are trying to see a word or something else that is not moving, the only time the eyes can see the word is when the eyes are not moving. That is why a series of eye fixations is what occurs during reading.
The system of the invention requires a analytical system to identify words by frequency of use in written language, i.e., in written publications like books, magazines, Internet articles, newspapers, court decisions, and publications prepared by various businesses. The particular analytical system currently utilized in accordance with the invention uses the books comprising Project Gutenberg as representative of the English written language. Project Gutenberg comprises more than 13,000 public domain books. The entire content of Project Gutenberg was analyzed to determine the frequency with which each unique word appeared in the 13,000+ public domain books. Tables I, II, and III below summarizes the results of this analysis.
A unique word is a word that is spelled differently than any other word.
The particular system utilized to determine the frequency with which words appear in written documents can vary as desired. A tally can, for example, be made by hand, although this is unlikely due to the time that would be required. The publications chosen can also vary. In view of the great number of words in the Gutenberg Project, it is believed that the frequency word count determined likely is reasonably accurate, with some exceptions likely occurring in view of new present day vocabulary like “Google” and “Bing”. Present day vocabulary can, if desired, be assessed by analyzing publications on the Internet to determine additional frequently used words which do not appear per Project Guttenberg to be frequently utilized. Frequently utilized present day vocabulary can be added to the 1599 words comprising 75% of the Project Gutenberg publications. As indicated by Table I above, approximately 1,599 words from the Gutenberg Collection represent about 75% of all the words one will read in the English language. At any rate, preparing an assessment setting forth frequently used words is an important part of the invention, regardless of the particular model and/or publications used to make such a determination, and regardless of whether the word frequency list which is developed matches exactly with the results noted above with respect to Project Guttenberg. The goal of such an assessment is to identify frequently utilized prime words so that this vocabulary can be incorporated in the system of the invention. The 2,000 most frequently used words are prime words. The next 8,000 most frequently used words (words 2,001 to 10,000) on the frequently used word list are also likely prime words. The 2,000 most frequently used words are prime words simply by virtue of the frequency with which they appear in written language, as are the 5,000 most frequently used words similarly are prime words.
In presently preferred embodiments of the invention, once a word frequency list is generated, unique prime words making up a selected portion of written language—as defined by the word frequency list—are utilized. In one embodiment of the invention, the number of unique words so utilized currently is in the range of 40% to 95% of the words which make up the written language and which are most frequently used in the written language, preferably 50% to 90% of the words which make up the written language and which are most frequently used, more preferably 60% to 85% of the words which make up the written language and which are most frequently used, and most preferably 70 to 80% of the words which make up the written language and which are most frequently used. In another embodiment of the invention, the number of words so utilized is at least 100 of the 2000 most frequently used words in the written language, preferably at least 250 of the 2000 most frequently used words in the written language, more preferably at least 500 of the 2000 most frequently used words in the written language, and most preferably at least 1000 of the 2000 most frequently used words in the written language.
In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention the words making up about 75% of written language are utilized. This group of words consists of the 1599 prime words is set forth in Tables I and III as comprising 75% of the written language in Project Guttenberg. Added to this group of words making up 75% of written language is an additional group of supplemental relevant standardized test-related prime words, which typically number in the range of 300 to 500 words, although this to can vary and preferably comprises a group of at least 100 prime words. The supplemental relevant standardized test-related words can, for example, comprise prime words from a list of vocabulary words which are recommended for a test taker to know. It is a common practice for the organization giving a standardized test to provide such a list. Such a list is, for example, provided in conjunction with SAT tests and many other, if not most or all, standardized tests. Or, the supplemental relevant standardized test-related words can, for example, comprise a list of vocabulary words commonly associated with a particular vocation (e.g., metallurgical engineer, bus driver, accountant, pilot, etc.) or other subject (biology, archery, gardening, etc.). In the event the company giving a standardized test does not provide a list of recommended supplemental relevant standardized test-related words, any method can be utilized to generate a list of supplemental relevant standardized test-related prime words. Lists of vocabulary words associated with particular vocations are common. In accordance with the invention, supplemental relevant standardized test-related words are not found in the earlier noted list of prime words representing about 75% of the written language.
In one embodiment of the invention, the supplemental relevant standardized test-related words need not be prime words, or may only consist in part of prime words.
When the supplemental relevant standardized test-related prime words are combined with the words representing about 75% of the prime words used in written language, a master word list is produced in which approximately 90% of all the words in a particular standardized test are represented. This greatly facilitates teaching efficient reading skills in preparation for the standardized test. The master word list typically includes about 2000 prime words. The master word list can, as noted, include a greater or lesser number of words than 2000 words. However, as the number of words utilized increases beyond 2000 words, the length of reading exercises required begins to become more burdensome. And, psychologically, informing a student that he will be learning about 2000 words is more appealing than suggesting a greater number of words is required. Finally, knowledge of 90% of what is being read ordinarily enables an individual to read with reasonable comprehension.
Once a master word list for a particular standardized test is produced, reading exercises are developed and incorporated into a computer program. The reading exercises utilize words from the master list, as well as other words. The computer program is embodied in program code and stored on a medium readable by a computer. For example, the medium can comprise a CD, computer punch cards, or any other medium readable by a computer. The reading exercises preferably, although not necessarily, concern subject matter of interest to an individual using the computer program. Using subject matter of interest to the individual using the computer program can be particularly important in providing motivation for the individual to read the material.
One feature of the reading exercises is that they utilize prime words from the master list to produce phrases that are two to eight words long. The program can display each phrase for a period of time selected by the user, and the user can also select the number of words utilized in each phrase. When the user views the phrase he is to read, if possible, the phrase with a single eye fixation, instead of reading the phrase word by word and moving the eyes from word to word. An eye fixation occurs when the eyes are not moving and the user is looking at a specific point on a page or computer screen. The user begins with two word phrases, then advances to three word phrases, four words phrases etc. up to phrases eight words long. The object is to learn to view each phrase with a single eye fixation, or with at least fewer eye fixations than the number of words in the phrase.
During a first “Horizontal Exercise”, prime words appear along a horizontal line in random order. As used herein, when words appear in random order they do not appear as a phrase, i.e., the words do not form a sense unit. For example, the following words appear in random order and do not form a sense unit:
A user is asked to say the random words out loud while they are visible on a display screen. The user is not able to verbalize the words at a rate any faster than about 160 to 220 WPM
In the second “Horizontal Exercise”, prime words appear on the screen along a line as a phrase. For example, the following words comprise a phrase and form a sense unit:
The use of the second “Horizontal Exercise” in which prime words are presented in phrases is an important feature of the invention because it encourages a user to read two or more words during each eye fixation. The user begins with phrases comprising two words and increases, preferably gradually, the number of words in a phrase until phrases containing a selected number of words are reached. The use of prime words in both the first and second “Horizontal Exercises” is critical because a student need not concern himself or herself with recognizing or decoding a primary word and because prime words do not each require an individual eye fixation while reading; an individual can read simultaneously two or more prime words during a single eye fixation.
If the user wishes, after a phrase appears for a selected period of time and then disappears, the user can take a multiple choice test to see if the user saw and remembers the entire phrase. Importantly, the user controls, as noted, the number of words in the phrase to be displayed, determines the length of time that the phrase is visible on a computer display screen, and determines whether he or she wishes to take the multiple choice test.
As used herein, a phrase comprises a group of two or more words that form a sense unit expressing a thought. The sense unit can be expresses fragmentarily with a complete predication, as in “Good for you!” The sense unit or thought can be with a weakened form of predication, as in “God willing”. The sense unit can be expressed as a sentence element not containing a predication but having the force of a single part of speech, as in “could have been found”. The sense unit can be expressed as a sentence element having a modifying relation, as in “faithful dog”. The sense unit can be expressed as a sentence element having a coordinate or multiple relation, as in “dogs and cats”. The sense unit can be expressed as a sentence element having a composite relationship as in “might have been found”. The sense unit can be expressed as a sentence having a subject and verb as in “The horse ate hay.”
Another feature of the computer program is that a table of contents or navigation flow chart can be continuously displayed on a portion of the display screen so that a user can at all times see where he or she is in the program.
People learn visually, orally and kinesthetically. The computer program of the invention permits a user to employ any of these three approaches. The program has a feedback mechanism comprising a genie or other character that, when the user selects the genie, talks to the user and delivers messages and/or feedback to a user. The user can disable the genie at any time. The continuously visible table of contents provides visual input. The use of multiple choice questions provides kinesthetic feedback by validating that the user saw what he or she thought he or she read on the computer screen. When the program gives the user a multiple choice question to determine if the user read an entire phrase, if the user gets it wrong, the user gets another chance. This unique feature of the invention demonstrates that the invention preferably focuses on teaching, rather than testing. The invention is user controlled, rather than comprising a program which automatically increases reading speed when a user has a correct answer and which marks an error does not increase reading speed in the event a wrong answer is provided. If the user gets the question wrong a second time, the computer program gives the correct answer because the computer program “teaches” and does not test. The computer keeps track of the number of correct answers and at selected times feeds this information kinesthetically back to the user. The user can, if desired, disable the test questions so that the user does not have to view or answer such questions.
The dimensions of a window on the display screen is adjustable. Words, phrases or sentences are displayed in the window. The user can, for example, elongate the window (or elongate the spacing between words) to spread out words and to exercise the peripheral vision used by an user when he or she is attempting to read words or phrases or sentences.
The reading exercises provided in the computer program are arranged in a suggested sequential order. The first recommended exercise is the first “Horizontal Exercise” set forth above. The second recommended exercise is the second “Horizontal Exercise”, also set forth above. One purpose of these exercises is to demonstrate to a user that the user can read three to five times faster if the user doesn't speak the words while reading the words. Each of the exercises following the first and second “Horizontal Exercises” uses complete reading selections, e.g., reading selections comprised of complete sentences. One of the primary purposes of the exercises following the first and second “Horizontal Exercises” is to reduce and them eliminate a user's vocalizing words (either out loud or subliminally) while reading.
The second recommended exercise has the user read phrases extending over multiple “vertically stacked” horizontal lines. Each phrase is comprised of two to eight prime words from the master list. One purpose of this exercise is also to demonstrate to a user that the user can read faster scanning down a page if the user does not speak the words while reading the words. The user can adjust the spacing between the stacked horizontal lines.
The third recommended exercise, the “marquee exercise”, has the user read sentences from a selected literary work as the sentences scroll across the screen on a horizontal line. This exercise begins to eliminate the tendency of a user to attempt to speak what he or she is reading. The speed at which words scroll across the screen is adjusted by the user.
The third recommended exercise also has the user read sentences as they scroll from a first horizontal line down to a second horizontal line. The speed at which the words scroll from a first horizontal line to a second line is adjusted by the user.
The fourth recommend exercise, the “highlight exercise”, displays a narrative paragraph and has multiple words highlight in a particular color, say yellow. For example, the first five words of the paragraph are initially highlighted. After a few seconds, words two to six are highlighted. Then after a few more second, words three to seven are highlighted. Accordingly, the highlighting indexes or “travels” through the paragraph. The highlight exercise, like the marquee exercise, begins to eliminate the tendency of a user to attempt to speak when he or she is reading the sentences comprising the paragraph.
The fifth recommended exercise, the “word group exercise” also utilizes narratives, i.e., portions of a book, articles, etc. The computer program contains a list of narratives from which a user can select a desired narrative. The user can also import various narratives. Chapter 1 from the book The Time Machine is an example of a narrative.
The word group exercise has a “Lines” mode and a “Clumps” mode.
In the word group exercise, the user selects one to four lines to be shown on the display screen, and selects from one to eight words per line. As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the maximum number of words per line which is permitted can be two or more. A maximum of eight words per line is presently preferred in the practice of the invention. The user also selects the reading speed he or she wishes to use. When the exercise begins, the first part of the narrative is displayed on the screen for a selected period of time corresponding to the reading speed selected by the user. After the selected period of time, the first part of the narrative disappears from the screen and is replaced by the second part of the narrative, again for a selected period of time corresponding to the reading speed selected by the user. After the selected period time expires, the second part of the narrative disappears from the screen and is replaced by the third part of the narrative, again for a selected period of time, and so on. In this manner the user reads the entire narrative.
For example, the user selects from the list of narratives Chapter 1 of the book The Time Machine. That chapter begins
The word group exercise also has, as noted, a clumps mode in which multiple groups simultaneously appear on the display screen. The number of groups which can appear on the display screen depends on the size of the display screen, on the size of font selected by the user, on the number of lines in each group, and the number of words on each line. The user selects two or more group and, in the same manner as described above for the “Lines” mode, selects the number of lines and number of words per line. For example, the user selects two groups, and selects two lines and three words for each line. The user also initially selects a slow reading speed of 50 wpm. When the user clicks on the “Start” button on the display screen, the first part of Chapter 1 of The Time Machine appears on the display screen in two groups. The user attempts to read the two groups in the selected period of time.
The user reads the group on the left first, and then reads the group on the right. After the selected period of time, the two groups disappear from the screen and two more groups appear on the display screen. The two new groups comprise the second part of Chapter 1. The two new groups appear, as did the first two groups, for the selected period of time. Once again, the user attempts to read the two groups in the selected period of time.
The user again reads the group on the left first, and then reads the group on the right. After the selected period of time, the groups disappear from the screen and two new groups appear. The two new groups comprise the third part of Chapter 1. And so on.
The word group exercise, in either the “Lines” mode or the “Clumps” mode, is a critical feature of the system of the invention because it produces a surprising, unexpected result. Namely, it effectively prevents or “breaks” a user from attempting to verbalize what he reads. The marquee exercise and the highlight exercise are effective to a certain extent in this respect, but the word group mode eliminates vocalizing attempts by a user.
The next exercise in the program is reading continuous text. For example, the first page of The Time Machine is shown on the display screen, then the second page, then the third page, and so on. The reading speed is again selected by the user.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the supplemental relevant standardized test-related words are not provided with an original reading program constructed in accordance with the invention. The original reading program instead includes the various reading exercises set forth below, and includes the more frequently utilized prime words in a language, such as, for example the 1599 prime words set forth in Table I above. The original reading program is, however, configured to import and utilize the supplemental relevant standardized test-related prime words for any particular vocation, standardized test, or other subject, and to use those words when preparing reading exercises, particularly when preparing the first and second “Horizontal Exercises” set forth above. The supplemental relevant standardized test-related words for a particular vocation, standardized test, etc. are digitized and stored on a computer readable medium (for example a CD, or in the memory or as a file in a computer accessible via the Internet)) such that after the original reading program of the invention is installed on a computer, the original reading program can import the standardized test-related words from the computer readable medium into the original reading program. The original reading program can import and utilize the standardized test related words for any particular vocation, standardized test, or subject. This embodiment of the invention provides more flexibility in using a reading program constructed in accordance with the invention, as well as enabling CD or other computer readable mediums to be marketed separately from the original reading program.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the supplemental relevant standardized test-related words for a particular vocation, standardized test, or other subject are, once again, not provided with an original reading program constructed in accordance with the invention. Instead, the supplemental relevant standardized test-related prime words are offered in a book, CD, or other media which can be purchased separately from the original reading program and studied.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a program for improving the ability of an individual to work or be successful in a particular vocation includes the steps of offering supplemental relevant standardized test-related words for that vocation in a book, CD, or other media which can be purchased, and of studying the words in said media.
Importantly, it is preferred not to utilize only the speed, in words per minute, to evaluate the reading ability of an individual. Rather, the evaluation tool developed in accordance with the invention is the Effective Reading Rate (ERR). The ERR is the product of words per minute and the results of a comprehension test (which implies a retention and recall metric). For example, 200 words per minutes and a score of 80% on a comprehension test yields an ERR of 200×0.8=an ERR of 160 words per minute.
A more complete example of a reading improvement system constructed in accordance with the invention, and titled “The Reader's Edge (Windows Edition)”, is illustrated below.
Lessons 1 to 17 are set forth below for use in conjunction with the Reader's Edge program. These lessons are titled:
In addition to the above-noted Lessons, supplemental descriptions of what appears on a computer display screen at various points in the Reader's Edge program are found below after the conclusion of the Lessons, e.g., are found below after Lesson 17.
There are 16 such supplemental descriptions that each are shown below after Lesson 17.
The supplemental descriptions are titled:
Each of the supplemental descriptions 1 through 16 includes one or more illustrations of what appears on the computer display screen during the Reader's Edge program. For example, the description titled 1. Opening Screen, includes a screen illustration titled
If under “My Progress” on the opening screen illustrated in
Welcome to The Reader's Edge!
As you move through the program, we recommend you sequentially read through and follow Lessons 1 to 22. Each of the lessons will assist you to become a more effective and efficient speed reader by providing step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process of learning the necessary methods and techniques to become a better reader.
In today's information-based society, our reading ability is one of the most important skills. With the average reading rate for a typical adult of 160-220 words per minute, the same rate at which we speak, we can frequently feel overwhelmed by the amount we have to read. Many factors contribute to this slow reading speed constant sub-vocalization, limited vocabulary, frequent re-reading and most importantly the lack of proper training. That's where The Reader's Edge comes in! With The Reader's Edge, you will learn how to eliminate your bad reading habits and learn to read effective and efficiently.
To ensure success, we employ a three-step teaching approach to ensure you are encouraged to push yourself to achieve a new level of reading skills.
If you click on “Lessons: 0 to 22” on the opening screen illustrated in
Some of the lessons are teaching related and provide text-based instructions and other lessons instruct you to proceed to an exercise. To make this process as easy as possible we have included an Open Section button at the bottom of lessons that are associated with a particular program section. This button allows you to immediately open The Reader's Edge program to the applicable section/exercise.
When ready, go ahead and checkmark this lesson as complete and move onto the next lesson!
Let's go over some of the basic concepts about speed reading and The Reader's Edge to ensure you have the proper objectives in mind.
In today's information-based society, reading ability is one of our most important skills. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount we have to read when a typical adult's average reading rate is limited to only 160-220 words-per-minute, about the same rate at which we speak. That's too slow for today's demands.
One of the most important things to remember is that “speed reading” alone is meaningless without simultaneously considering comprehension. The goal of The Reader's Edge is to teach you to unlearn the habits of inefficient readers and learn the habits and skills of efficient readers. Efficient Readers are effective and efficient speed readers. They read better and faster with improved comprehension, retention, and recall. You will be able to apply the new skills you learn with The Reader's Edge to your everyday reading of newspapers, emails, magazines and books, not just while working on the computer. Your newly learned skills will become as permanent as the skill of riding a bike.
An important step to becoming an Efficient Reader is to understand the difference between Efficient and Inefficient reading skills. When learning to read, we were taught Learn To Read skills, i.e., to read one word at a time, aloud to a teacher or parent.
After that point, we moved into a world of silent reading, which requires a new set of skills. These new silent reading skills are the opposite of those required for reading one word at a time out loud. Silent reading skills are the Read To Learn skills that have never been taught in regular reading curriculums. This is where The Reader's Edge comes in. It teaches the silent reading skills necessary for individuals of all ages to become Efficient Readers. Let's look at the important differences between Inefficient Readers and Efficient Readers:
Once you understand the differences between the two types of readers, the benefits of becoming an Efficient Reader are obvious.
When ready, move onto the next lesson and start working with the program.
This lesson will take about ten minutes to complete and will measure and record your Effective Reading Rate. Your Effective Reading Rate works as an indicator of your actual reading abilities.
Similar to other self-improvement activities, you need to establish a starting point to successfully measure your improvements.
We do this by first measuring your reading speed in Words per Minute (WPM). Then we measure your ability to comprehend the text you just read by taking a comprehension test. When finished, your Effective Reading Rate will be determined by multiplying your reading speed (WPM score) by the percentage of comprehension questions you answered correctly.
To proceed, click on the “Tests and Progress Reports” section or button. This section is shown on the left hand side of the opening screen illustrated in
We recommend you take 2-3 different comprehension tests so the Effective Reading Rate you achieve will be an accurate representation of your current reading skills.
When finished with this lesson, mark it as complete and move on to the next lesson.
Now that you have obtained an Effective Reading Rate that is an accurate representation of your current level of reading skills, let's configure the program to an achievable reading goal.
When you select Lesson 4, menu buttons extending horizontally across the top of the screen from left to right. One of the menu buttons is “My Settings”. Click on “My Settings”, read the tips and set your Target WPM. When finished, press the “Apply Changes” button to save your settings.
Congratulations, you have set the program to your reading goal! Go ahead, mark this lesson complete, and move onto the next lesson to get a brief overview of the exercises.
Recognition Training is the first exercise in The Reader's Edge. It is intended to be used as a warm-up tool. Just as athletes warm-up their muscles before entering a competition, so must a reader warm-up his/her brain and eyes before rigorously beginning a reading exercise.
Since the Recognition Training and Motility Training exercises are as warm-up exercises, you only need to spend a few minutes each day practicing with one or the other. You don't need to work on both each day.
The purpose of this exercise is to train you to accurately see, read, process and recall visual objects faster. Your goal is to accurately recognize words and numbers at the highest rate, with 80% accuracy. Be sure to read all of the instructions before proceeding to the exercise.
As discussed in the Program Objective lesson, one of the biggest problems slow readers must overcome is vocalization. This habit was formed when learning to read by orally pronouncing words to assist in the learning process. As you practice with this exercise you'll learn to recognize numbers and words faster and more accurately without saying them in your head.
Use the following techniques to recall numbers accurately:
Keeping in mind this exercise is simply a “Warm-up” exercise, you'll only practice with it for a few minutes a day prior to working with the Visual exercises.
Did you know? This exercise is the result of extensive research conducted by the Athletic Perception Institute. Professional athletes in baseball, football, basketball and soccer use it to increase their visual acuity. The Athletic Perception Institute's research confirms that people who mastered the skills taught in this exercise improve the speed of recognizing objects 25% to 150% faster. This improvement results in enhanced eye-hand coordination, increased comprehension and improved short-term memory; all of which are vital to improving one's reading skills.
When ready, mark this lesson as complete and move onto the next lesson.
The objective of this exercise is, as was the case in Recognition Training, to help improve your ability to quickly process information. It's designed to train your eyes to move faster and more accurately from place to place, while remembering how many times you've seen the pre-chosen image. The more “looks” you can make while reading, the faster you will read.
The purpose of this exercise is to train you to see and recall how many times a pre-chosen image is flashed on the screen during each exercise session.
Your goal is to train your eyes to move faster and more accurately from place to place by gradually increasing the rate images are displayed.
We recommend that you spend a few minutes working with this exercise before moving on to the Visual exercises to ensure you maintain your new skills and get yourself ready to read.
Did you know? Research conducted by the Athletic Perception Institute indicates that improving your ocular control (eye muscles) allows you to read faster. All readers make very short involuntary right-to-left movements while reading. These are called regressions. These habits were developed while learning to read. Readers search with their eyes continually, thereby developing this habit. For example, names, places and dates may require a return look. Regressions are a very small movement that slow down your reading rate and hinder good comprehension. Working with this exercise will dramatically reduce the tendency to regress while reading.
When ready, mark this lesson as complete and move onto the next lesson.
Did you know? The only time one can “see” anything, is when the eye is not moving. When the eye stops moving to see, or read something, it's called an eye fixation.
In this lesson, we discuss “fixations” and how they affect your reading speed. Most people's eyes fixate (stop and pause) 4 to 6 times or more per line while reading. An Efficient Reader can read the same amount of text in only three fixations. Fixations are one of the main factors that determine your reading rate. It's a basic fact: the more stops you make while reading, the slower you read and the more your comprehension is reduced.
Training your eyes to reduce the number of fixations per line allows you to read multiple words at time, helping you to read faster. Why? Because when you read more than one word at a time, you're reading units of meaning and you become the recipient of the range of benefits that accrue to Efficient Readers. The reason for this is it's easier to understand the meaning of text by reading groups of words rather than reading one word at a time. One of the best ways to do this is by practicing seeing and reading words at high rates of speed, which we'll practice in the next exercise.
Now that you have a good understanding of how the eye works and how it affects your reading speed, let's move on to the Horizontal Span exercise and start working with words and phrases.
Mark this lesson as complete and move onto the next lesson.
By now, you should have a solid understanding of The Reader's Edge goals and teaching philosophy. It's to teach you to see and read groups of words, in a single glance, without vocalizing, i.e., to read silently! Let's start working with the Horizontal Span exercise. The Horizontal Span is a great exercise to learn how to overcome some of the common habits of slow readers. In this exercise, you'll work with words from The Reader's Edge Prime Words collection (discussed in the next lesson).
The purpose of this exercise is to teach you: (1) the limitations of slow readers who vocalize words as they read and (2) to gain confidence that you have the capability to see, read and process groups of words, without vocalizing, 3 to 5 times faster than if you vocalize words as they are read.
This exercise has multiple practice modes, but we're going to focus on the Words and Phrases sections. The Words section demonstrates that when you vocalize, your maximum reading rate is restricted to the rate at which you speak. The Phrases section is helpful because it trains you to see and read word groups rather than seeing and reading word by word. Reading groups of words helps expand your peripheral vision and gets you in the habit of reading more than one word at a time.
You can change the “Confirmation” selection to “Enter Answer” or “No Confirmation”. “Enter Answer” is a true test of your memory skills, as it forces you to recall the displayed information.
With “No Confirmation”, the program automatically cycles through the phrases, which allows you to automate the process and practice at your own pace.
To further enhance your training you can set the font alignment to Justified text. Working with Justified text forces the text to use the entire horizontal display area and displays the outer most objects in red which assists your eyes in expanding your horizontal vision.
When you have successfully completed the Words and Phrases sections of this exercise at your Target WPM rate, you are ready to move onto the next exercise.
When ready, mark this lesson as completed and move onto the next lesson.
When you work with the Horizontal Span exercise, you work with Prime Words. Prime Words are the most frequently used words in the English language.
Prime Words have three important characteristics:
We created the Prime Words by compiling more than 500 million words and then sorting them by frequency of use. We found that 2,100 words make up approximately 75% of all words used in the English language today. Within those 2,100 words, the first 300 represent 50% of all English words in print and the top 15 encompass 25% of all English words in print.
The Reader's Edge helps you to make these words an integral part of your vocabulary. Mastering these words will be a major help for you to make you an Efficient Reader. You will soon be able to seamlessly read groups of words, in a single glance, without vocalizing. Reading will become less of a chore and more of a pleasure.
Now that we've covered the importance of working with Prime Words, proceed to the next lesson to continue your training.
The Vertical Span exercise is a two-part exercise that displays 2- to 8-word phrases, in and out of sequence. In the first part, “In Sequence” phrases are displayed representing a single coherent thought. In the second part, “Out of Sequence” phrases are displayed with the words jumbled, to purposely make it difficult to vocalize as you read.
The purpose of this exercise is to teach you to expand your horizontal and vertical eye span, while decreasing the tendency to vocalize.
The purpose of the “Out of Sequence” format is to assist in decreasing any tendency you have to vocalize words. Why? A group of random jumbled words is difficult to understand and even more difficult to vocalize. Your task is to see, read and process the words as a group, then re-arrange them in your mind, so that the group of random words becomes an understandable and logical phrase.
There are two ways to use of this exercise:
Your goal is to be able to display and identify phrases containing four or more words at your Target wpm rate, with at least 80% accuracy.
When ready, mark this lesson as complete and move onto the next lesson.
One of the biggest myths surrounding speed reading is the perception that your comprehension will suffer if you try to read faster. The opposite is true!
To improve your comprehension it's helpful to understand the three elements that are the building blocks of good comprehension. With this knowledge, you'll better understand how and why the new reading skills you're learning with The Reader's Edge will improve your comprehension, retention and recall.
The three elements are:
This means reading at the right speed. If you read too slowly, it's like watching a movie in slow motion. It's hard to concentrate when things are happening slower than the speed of your thoughts. Learning to read at the right speed is essential to help your comprehension, as you will be reading in units of meaning rather than one word at a time. Not only will your comprehension improve, but if you run across a word you do not know, reading in groups of words will help you deduce the meaning from the context; something you cannot do by reading inefficiently one word at a time.
Vocabulary is important for comprehension because if you do not know the “dictionary meaning” of a specific word, it may be difficult to get an understanding of what message or information the writer wants to convey. When you come across a word you do not know, it's best to first try to deduce its meaning from the context in which it is used. You can then continue reading with improved comprehension.
Knowledge base is all about what your life experience, interests and vocabulary level contribute to, or by their omission, act as obstacles to comprehension. Research indicates that 90% of your vocabulary comes from what you have read since the 4th grade. So the more you read, the more your knowledge base will grow—making you a better reader!
A good example of the significance of Knowledge Base is if you know nothing about baseball and you read the terms “sacrifice fly”, “third base” or “fly ball.” These words would have no meaning. Even if you were given a page or two to explain what they mean, it would still leave you with no real knowledge and understanding of the terms.
Another example would be if you read the phrase, “the Great Lakes.” Depending on your knowledge base, these three words will either immediately conjure up the image of the five great lakes and their names, or these words will mean nothing and you will not have gained any comprehension of what the author wanted to convey from those three words.
You can now understand that the more you read the more your knowledge base will expand. The key to becoming an Efficient Reader is to expand your vocabulary, make reading a lifelong commitment to expand your knowledge base, and learn to read fluently at the right speed.
When ready, mark this lesson as complete and move onto the next lesson.
In this lesson, we'll work with the Words Groups exercise. Here, we transition from working with individual groups of words to working with complete narratives. This exercise teaches you to increase your reading speed by leaps and bounds by reading, at a single glance, word groups at the speed with which you read single words.
The purpose of this exercise is to teach you to see and read in groups of words without vocalizing, helping you to become an Efficient Reader.
You can use this exercise in “Manual” or “Automatic Mode”. Working with “Manual Mode” helps you get familiar with seeing and reading groups of words displayed in multi-line fashion at a rate you control. To use this mode, click the “Display Next Group” button to display new groups of words as quickly as you can read them. “Automatic Mode” challenges you to increase your horizontal and vertical vision, by testing your ability to see and read larger groups of words with each eye fixation at a rate controlled by the WPM setting.
Continue to practice with this exercise until you are able to read at or near your Target WPM Rate and are satisfied with your progress.
When ready, mark this lesson as complete and move onto the next lesson.
This lesson builds on the skills taught in the previous exercises while introducing the use of an eye-pacer in the Continuous Text exercise to assist you in learning how to pace yourself properly when reading.
This exercise included four different pacer modes: No Pacer mode allows you to move the selection at your own pace, without the help of a pacer. Analog mode displays a pacer moving in a fluid consistent movement. In Digital mode the pacer moves line-by-line, much like the stepped motion of the second hand in a digital clock. Manual mode allows you to control the speed of the selected pacer.
The purpose of this exercise is to teach you to read text in formats you see daily on your computer screen, in newspapers, magazines and books. Your goal is to read text at or above your Target WPM rate while working with the exercise in single and two-column display modes.
To expand your practice with this exercise you can change the “Mode” setting. When set to “Digital”, the pacer jumps line by line in a digital fashion. The “No Pacer” mode does not display a pacer at all and you control the speed by pressing the “Page Down” or “Space Bar” or clicking the “Turn Page” button when you're ready. “Manual” mode is very similar to the “No Pacer” mode except that you still use a pacer while reading and pressing the “Down” key or “Space Bar” to move the pacer down to the next line.
As you practice with this exercise, your goal is to select a less and less obtrusive Eye-Pacer to help you overcome the need to rely on the pacer to pace your reading. When you are able to read at or above your Target WPM rate in both single and two column display, you are ready to move to the next lesson.
There is a famous management mantra that if you cannot measure it you cannot manage it. A successful self-improvement program requires that you be able to measure your progress. With The Reader's Edge you have the ability to generate and print reports of your day-to-day improvements.
The goal of this lesson is to ensure you are able to measure your newly learned and improving reading skills.
In the Effective Reading Rate lesson, we outlined the importance of properly setting your Target WPM to ensure you're working towards a goal that is both realistic and attainable. When working with the exercises in this program, the goal is to achieve a reading rate at or beyond the Target WPM you set. Hopefully, you have been able to reach that goal.
As you continue to work with the program, we recommend you frequently re-take comprehension tests to ensure your Target WPM is set correctly based on your current abilities. When done, you can open the Progress section and generate and print progress reports.
It's very important to understand that learning new reading skills is not an overnight event. Practice and motivation are important. Even a little improvement in your reading skills will have a dramatic impact.
Imagine the benefit of even a small increase of 100 words per minute in your reading speed. If when you begin the program you are able to read at 175 WPM, increasing your reading speed 100 words per minute to 275 WPM means you could read the same amount of material in 40% less time. This is equivalent to reading an average of 31 more 250-page books a year!
When ready, mark this lesson as complete and move onto the next lesson.
One of the best ways to read faster is to time your practice. This two-part exercise teaches you how to read more text in less time. By becoming “familiar” with the text you read, you will be able to read a larger amount of text in a shorter time.
The purpose of the Push Up-Push Down exercise is to demonstrate the dramatic benefits that you will experience when you're familiar with the material being read. An additional benefit of being familiar with the material being read is that it aids in reducing the tendency to vocalize as you read.
The separate, but complimentary, Push Down and Push Up exercises demonstrate and reinforce understanding why familiarity with the subject matter and vocabulary are major factors contributing to efficient reading.
Begin working with the Push Down practice.
During Push Down you'll read a given length of text in 60 seconds and then the same text in sequentially shorter periods.
Push Up practice is designed to have you read a given length of text in 60 seconds and then an additional percentage of new text over what you read in 60 seconds. The new text is to be read in sequentially shorter periods, ranging from 5% to 50% more text than the previous interval.
Continue practicing with the “Push Up” section of this exercise until you are able comfortably to read to the highlighted line at reading rates equal to or greater than your Target WPM rate.
When you're ready mark this lesson as complete and move to the next lesson.
This lesson further reinforces the message of the preceding Push Down-Push Up lesson regarding the importance of familiarity with the material you read. The High Speed Practice exercises teaches you effective and efficient strategies and techniques to assist in becoming familiar with material you intend to read, so that you will whatever you select in the most efficient manner.
The purpose of the High Speed Practice exercise is to teach and demonstrate the following effective and efficient strategies and techniques that will accelerate your ability to become a more efficient reader by teaching you how to quickly become familiar with the material you intend to read:
Reading rates are much like driving a car. You match your driving to road conditions. You may drive on the highway at 90 MPH. In slippery weather you'll drive more carefully. In the city you'll drive slower, etc. So, with reading, you must adjust your reading speed, techniques and strategies to the type of material being read, to the reason for reading the material, and to the information you want to retrieve from what you are reading. Above all, you do not want to commit one of the main errors of inefficient readers, namely, attempting to read everything at the same speed.
Pre-Reading assists in quickly becoming familiar with what is to be read. Pre-Reading allows you to gain some familiarity with the content. As a result, you read faster with improved comprehension, retention and recall. Pre- and Post-Reading involves skimming and scanning skills.
In the case of a book (or a large document), we suggest you read the front and back covers, the introduction, the preface, subtitles, sub-headings and the Table of Contents. Then flip through the book. While skimming, read the bolded chapter headings, and the first sentences (the topic sentences) in each paragraph. It's OK and normal while skimming to occasionally slow down to read a full paragraph of particular interest. By employing this strategy to become familiar with what you intend to read, you will read much more efficiently as compared to just plunging in and trying to read from page one to the end.
Post reading locks in the information you wish to retain from the material you've read.
The High Speed exercise uniquely facilitates learning Pre-Reading and Post-Reading skills. It does so by formatting the first line of every paragraph in bold type. By having the first line of each paragraph presented in bold, you will experience the ease at which you can read these first lines at a comfortable rate of several thousand words per minute.
The basic purpose of skimming is to become familiar with the material you intend to read, and secondarily to determine whether you will even decide to read it. Skimming is done at a minimum speed of 3 to 4 times faster than normal reading. This exercise will teach more targeted methods that will permit you to skim at a rate of several thousand words per minute.
When skimming or scanning, look for the author's use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold-faced, italicized, or in a different font size, style, or color. Sometimes the author will put key ideas in the margin.
The basic purpose of Scanning is to quickly obtain specific information, e.g., a date or a name, when looking up a word in the telephone book or dictionary. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. Often, once you have scanned a document, you might go back and skim it before actually reading it.
Remember: The first goal in all aspects of reading is to know what information you want to get from the material you read. In this exercise, we suggest that your goal is to try to read the first sentence of each paragraph or the first words in the first sentence of each paragraph.
When you're satisfied with your progress, take a Speed and Comprehension Test to confirm your new reading skills, and then move to the final lesson, Skills Maintenance.
Now that you've had a chance to work with The Reader's Edge and each of its unique exercises, let's go over how you can maintain your new skills.
When you first started, we recommended you test your reading rate and set the Target Word-Per-Minute rate to reflect a realistic reading goal. Hopefully you're on your way to achieving that goal. It's important to remember that learning to improve your reading skills is not an overnight event. Practice and patience are keys to your success. It may still be difficult to resist the urge to vocalize, but with time and practice, you'll minimize and eliminate that tendency.
Below is a list with the top-ten reading tips. This list will assist you in improving your reading skills. Try to apply these reading tips to your everyday reading.
Following these reading tips will help you as you improve your reading skills.
Now that you have finished the lessons outlined here, retest your reading skills and adjust your Target Word-Per-Minute setting to reflect your new reading skills. The next step is to continue working with the exercises and practicing these techniques with your everyday reading.
Remember, The Reader's Edge is the tool to help you enhance your skills. You should regularly return to the program to refresh or further enhance your reading abilities.
We welcome program feedback from our users and ask that you provide us with suggestions pertaining to your experience with The Reader's Edge. This helps us continually improve the most effective reading program available.
All body movements are in reaction to what you see.
All body movements are in reaction to what you see
Company's Prime Words which are (1) immediately recognizable, (2) do not need decoding and (30 the eye does not fixate on them.
Words in OUT OF SEQUENCE groups of words, and including phrases composed of Prime Words IN SEQUENCE.
This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/386,263, filed Apr. 15, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/267,016, filed Nov. 3, 2005, which claims priority on provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/625,011, filed Nov. 3, 2004.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60625011 | Nov 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12386263 | Apr 2009 | US |
| Child | 13986169 | US | |
| Parent | 11267016 | Nov 2005 | US |
| Child | 12386263 | US |
