I read somewhere that a woman named Evelyn Wood invented speed reading some 50 years ago and now I’m wondering whether her techniques actually work. The basic concept is that you read slow because you read subvocally but you can still push your WPM up to 900 if you pace yourself with your finger. To break this WPM barrier one is supposed to start reading vertically, which means as much as taking a more visual approach to reading. I haven’t really gotten into this yet as I’m not sure whether these techniques work. What do you guys know?
I’v read Tony Buzans’s Speed reading and from exprience have discovered that using a pen under the words improved my wpm tremendosly.
When we read we tend to absorb words. Some people absorb 1-2 words and then move on in this type of pattern. What speed reading trys to do is to get you to absorb more words at the same time. So that you start absorbing 4-6 words even whole lines at one point from a single glance. And the pen also keeps the reading flowing so that you don’t regress and re-read any words.
I would definitly recommend Speed Reading by Tony Buzan. I think its a great book and not only will it give you techniques on how to speed read but it also disscusses in great detail how and why speed reading and regular reading works.
I might have to get that book. I’d like to know how to speed read. I have noticed that the smaller the text on the page, the faster I read it, which seems to imply that I read at a pace relative to the length of line, rather than the number of words in it.
I’m pretty curious about photo-reading; I’ve heard some pretty crazy stuff about that.
Indeed, it relies on some weird gaze you have to attain. It reminded me of these pictures that show you a 3D figure hidden within when you look hard enough. In photo reading, you have to try to lock into that gaze to make the words leap of the page into your brain.
But for now, I’m gonna try that book TheUndergroundMan has recommended because progress is more noticeable and my eyes still hurt from trying to attain that gaze for an hour last night.
That was me, forgot to log in.
hello
I’m gonna duck in here and register skepticism about the “photo reading” stuff as well as any method of increasing one’s speed based on what sounds to me like gimmicks.
“Reading vertically” smacks of a gimmick.
No matter how you may approach the attempt to read faster, English prose is still English prose and progresses logically from left to right.
Subvocal (whispering to yourself or moving your lips) pacing is part of it; constantly glancing back to re-read is another bad habit. Actually, these are the “things to avoid” part. 
The methodology of increasing rate–which I do believe possible–is based upon training oneself to take in ideas, phrases - ever larger chunks per line. This requires self-training and practice. Pretty much anything approaching 600 wpm with real comprehension (and let’s don’t forget about enjoyment!) is a rarity for your average John Schmoe.
So don’t expect speed and comprehension to miraculously soar overnight, be prepared to work at it, and you’re off to a good start.
penn and… finger? 
The pen/finger thing is most definitely optional. In fact, there are some teachers who discourage this as an artificial way of pacing oneself. Me? I’m not sure. But I can understand their dislike of the practice. If you were to actually follow a pen or finger moving smoothly across a page with your eyes, reading would be impossible because everything is a blur! The whole idea behind picking up your speed is to take in ever larger chunks per line at a time. One-two-three, one-two-three - like that. (Or one-two-three-four. Whatever you’re able to do, but the fewer pauses, the faster you go.) So really, when you see self-styled “speed-readers” doing this, they’re just helping to pace themselves. The practice is completely dispensible.
If you speed read though do you rember less then if you read subvocally? I read subvocally and tend to remember more than most people.
Pfft. Now how would you know something like that. 
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To answer your question, retention and comprehension vary according to the speed-reader’s skill level. But the general answer is no. Speed-reading does not cause one to remember less.
One of my closest friends is a speed reading instructor and swears by it. I haven’t taken her course, but apparently it does work…