Thirteen English as a foreign language students read 26 passages during a 13-week period. Each passage was read five times, and students answered comprehension questions after the first and the fifth reading. Another 13 students read the same number of passages but without repetition and only answered the comprehension questions once. All students…

The improvement of college students' reading rate and comprehension is a major educational concern. Many students arrive at college unprepared for the massive amount of required reading. This study presents several attempts to improve vocabulary, reading rate, and comprehension and addresses tangential issues related to the improvement of reading…

Measures reading rate and comprehension of 39 managers. Shows that both increased after a one-week training program to improve reading speed. (SR)

The purpose of this study was to determine if phrase reading training with fourth graders would significantly enhance the development of reading skills for the purposes of obtaining and using new information. Forty fourth grade classrooms were assigned at random to five groups: 5,000 phrase group, 10,000 phrase group, 15,000 phrase group, 20,000…

An overview of significant research studies, bibliographies, historical reviews, definitions, and commentaries on speed reading during the past 60 years is presented in this paper. The first part of the paper considers the concept and definitions of speed reading, and summarizes research from the l940s and 1950s--including discussion of eye…

Research methodology on reading improvement should focus on the processing of stimuli and experience of content rather than on simple models of reading using eye movement, silent speech, perceptual span, reading ability and visual ability as explanatory concepts. (MKM)

Finds (1) significant increase in reading rate and comprehension as the number of repeated reading increased; (2) students trained to segment sentences read faster and scored higher in comprehension than students given intonation training but not to a statistically significant degree; and (3) no interaction between repeated readings and…

Presents three studies where children in mainstream schools compared text on white paper with identical text covered in turn by each of 10 differently-colored plastic overlays. Shows consistency with regard to the proportion of children in mainstream education who report beneficial perceptual effects with colored overlays and who demonstrate…

EFFORTS TO LEARN HOW THE ARRANGEMENTS OF THE PRINTED TEXT AFFECTS READING EFFICIENCY WERE SUMMARIZED. SEVERAL ASSUMPTIONS WERE BASIC. FIRST, ONE OF THE PURPOSES IS DEFINED AS INVESTIGATION OF ANY IDEA WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO RAISING THE EDUCATIONAL LEVEL. SECOND, IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE DISCOVERY OF A MEANS OF RAISING THE LEVEL OF READING COMPREHENSION…

This study is concerned with the measurement of reading flexibility. The contents include: "Review of Literature," which discusses the different concepts of reading flexibility and presents several definitions followed by a summary of variables revealed in these definitions; "Synthesis of Strengths and Weaknesses," which looks…

The primary problem was concerned with the uses of hypnosis and waking suggestions as means of improving reading efficiency. A second problem concerned rectifying research design inadequacies related to hypnosis experiments. The procedure used pretest scores secured for rate, comprehension, and vocabulary. Subjects were placed in experimental and…

Investigates whether a freshman reading improvement training program will produce gains in reading rate (normal reading rate, not skimming). Finds positive results for the program. (SR)

Describes an advanced reading course at Mississippi State University that is designed to increase vocabulary, comprehension, and reading rate. Notes that unteaching reading habits necessary to beginner's instruction is a large part of increasing students' effective reading rate. Presents student performance statistics. (RS)

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the superior method of accelerating reading rate without the use of mechanical assists. A secondary purpose was to identify personality characteristics which might serve as predictors of success in reading rate. Thirty volumteer college level students completed an unstructured course in reading…

Describes a college reading rate improvement course in which students review reading research regarding the variables involved in reading and explicitly analyze their own reading behavior. Argues that students aware of their own reading behavior can better plan their reading assignments. (RS)