Why Speed-Reading Apps Don't Work

sciencehabit writes: "Does reading faster mean reading better? That's what speed-reading apps claim, promising to boost not just the number of words you read per minute, but also how well you understand a text. There's just one problem: The same thing that speeds up reading actually gets in the way of comprehension, according to a new study (abstract). Apps like Spritz or the aptly-named Speed Read are built around the idea that these eye movements, called saccades, are a redundant waste of time. It's more efficient, their designers claim, to present words one at a time in a fixed spot on a screen, discouraging saccades and helping you get through a text more quickly. But that's not what researchers have found."

Comments

sorry, i didn't get that

[turkeydance]

the first time i read it

appropriate

[mwvdlee]

tl;dr

Re:Simple

[TechyImmigrant]

16 words a second? That's three times faster than a 300 baud modem.