11. Acceleread Intermediate Course Lesson 2, 3, & 4

ACCELEREAD INTERMEDIATE COURSE LESSON 2

While the previous lesson focused on eliminating subvocalization, this one concentrates on discouraging regression.  The introduction notes that the reader will probably not be able to keep up with the story.  That sure was right!  Very fast.  The exercises included Word Flash three times, Columns Highlighter, and Diamond Highlighter.  The final Word Flash went at a rate of 915 WPM by the end!  Super fast.  Still, nearly possible to keep up!  It's a well designed program, meant to take the reader beyond his current limits, like any good training regimen.

ACCELEREAD INTERMEDIATE COURSE LESSON 3

This lesson continues to focus on reducing subvocalization and regression to ensure a strong foundation.  The introduction warns that the exercises will be yet faster than Lesson 2, and advises to view the words at images and silence the inner voice.  The goal is to read for speed to adapt the eye muscles to the task.

The initial Word Flash went from the 850s into the 900 WPM range, but was not too bad.  I read Jefferon's letters at that speed now.  But Columns Highlighter, although starting only at 650 and ending in the 700s, was too fast!  And yet, I'm reading The Three Musketeers at 800 WPM or more no problem with the same Columns Highlighter tool, with five columns and five-word chunk sizes. The issue I am having with this and last lesson's Columns Highlighter exercise is that the work chunks are rather small.  Thus, even at a lower WPM rate, the my eyes have to flick so fast that I don't have time (or sufficient training, I should say) to see the middle columns' words at all.  This no doubt is to cause the reader to adapt; and rather than keep the same format for higher speeds, I predict that the word chunks will increase in size, and thus increase WPM rate; but the hard work of the major eye movement training will be over.  Quite ingenious, it seems.  I resolve then to practice this style of word chunk size and rate, with three columns, and familiar text, in order to adapt.

ACCELEREAD INTERMEDIATE COURSE LESSON 4

For Lesson 4, the goal is to learn rapid refocus and to decrease fixation intervals.  As the introduction mentions, it was quite hard to keep up in comprehension; I did my best just to practice for speed, as advised.  The exercises were much the same as what has come before, just faster.

I have noticed that I apply the techniques that I've been training with very automatically now to most reading.  If I'm reading to relax, I tend not to put the full weight of concentration behind it, and default to slow reading.  But speeding up over more inconsequential material is now much easier.  Very vital skills!

10. Acceleread Intermediate Course Lesson 1

Immediately after my successful completion of the Beginner Course in Acceleread, I move on to the Intermediate Course.  The intro to Lesson 1 reminds me of the Lesson 1 to the Beginner Course: emphasis on technique not comprehension, etc.  Here were the exercises:

Word Flash: Ranging from 631-730 WPM with 2-word chunks, it felt very quick!  Hard to keep up, but not impossible.  I sometimes read a Thomas Jefferson letter at Spreeder.com starting at 1000 WPM and still follow all right.

Columns Highlighter: That felt insanely fast!  It started at 578 WPM and ended around 640 WPM, but because there were just three columns of only a word or two each, my eyes really had to blitz to keep up.  Whoo!

Word Flash again at 681-754 WPM.  I can keep up with the story!

Columns Highlighter once more: 627 652
A really odd thing with this lesson's Columns Highlighter is that, because of the speed and my level of concentration, my eyes flick back and forth, and I don't see the motion of the columns scrolling up hardly at all.  Just the back and forth darker text highlighting from left to right almost like the red lights on KITT from Knight Rider.

Word Flash one more time, 631-760 WPM.  This is getting fun!

I look forward to Lesson 2. 

9. Acceleread Lesson 8, 9, & 10

Acceleread Lesson 8 is 7 min long, and consists of Hopscotch, Columns Highlighter, Hopscotch again, Sight Stretcher, and Word Flash exercises.  Nothing too new here besides increasing speed and increasing word chunk size generally.  The Columns Highligher this time had only two columns, at a speed less than 600 WPM (well below my regular practice speed); but the word chunks were of a size that made quick comprehension challenging.  I suppose that is the point — for although I had expected later exercises to have more columns (which is how I practiced speed reading with The Time Machine and continue to do so with The Three Musketeers), to my surprise is was the opposite, which I suppose makes sense for the sake of training.  In this sense, the Columns Highlighter and Hopscotch are beginning to merge in style and speed.  Very interesting!

Acceleread Lesson 9 is also 7 min long, integrating previous lessons' objectives, and exhorts the reader to process larger groups of words at once.  It's exercises are Hopscotch, Columns Highlighter, Hopscotch again, Sight Stretcher, and Word Flash.  It is an extension of what was exercised in the last lesson, so there is nothing new to report.

Impatient to wait for the final day, I've decided to take on Lesson 10 right away.  I can always repeat it if I feel it was too soon to dive into it.  My curiosity to too strong to wait and see.

Lesson 10 is a full 10 min.  First was Word Flash at about 560-590 WPM.  Then came  520-520 WPM Columns Highlighter.  Hopscotch was a full 2 minutes at about 230 WPM; I find I can keep up with the story without too much effort now.  Another Columns Highlighter at 550-600 WPM, and finally a rather brisk Word Flash starting at 560 WPM and ending at 620 WPM.

The program ends with a final reading speed test.  As I have been taking periodic reading tests anyway, I was not surprised to see my reading speed increase from the initial test speed of 345 WPM to 462 WPM, a total improvement of +43%.  My fastest score a few days ago was 481 WPM.

Conclusion: Acceleread works. Appearances suggested that Acceleread would be an extremely effective tool and course, and it really is!  I couldn't be happier.  If there is just one silver bullet to speed reading, this is it.  Most importantly, I can see the improvement in my day-to-day reading, and that's where it really counts.

As soon as I finished the Beginner Course, I was prompted to take yet another speed test to determine my next level of progression.  Getting a 452 WPM score there, the app judged me to be a "strong reader, capable of absorbing multiple words at once."  It says that subvocalization and inconsistent concentration may be problem still.  I now have the option to retake the Beginner Course with the new 452 WPM baseline score as the foundation; or I can move on to the Intermediate or Advanced Course.

The Intermediate Course is for readers who have a "strong foundation" in the basics provided by the Beginner Course. Since I feel that I fit this description, and am eager to see what else the app has in store, I'll begin the Intermediate Course tomorrow.