| When I first heard about the speed reading | | | | it, but probably as an addition to reading, perhaps |
| machine I could not quite understand how it | | | | it should be targeted at those who travel a lot, |
| worked. Speed reading is all about reading faster | | | | but maybe not at children. Recent research has |
| and not loosing any of the comprehension of the | | | | suggested that children under the age of 7 should |
| text. So I thought that perhaps a speed reading | | | | not use a computer as this can delay their reading |
| machine was a way of guiding your reading with | | | | as they are not training their eyes to focus at the |
| the techniques of spread reading i.e. the line and | | | | correct distance; also, children learn to read by |
| card technique and encouraging you to read each | | | | following their fingers across the page, this |
| line at a glance from the middle of the line, by | | | | teaches the brain the movement of the eyes |
| somehow focusing your attention down the | | | | from left to right. At the end of the day, it |
| middle of the page and then revealing the text | | | | doesn't matter how much equipment there is to |
| line by line .... Well, dream on. The speed reading | | | | help our children, they all need to learn to read. |
| machine has nothing to do with speed reading! | | | | Hence the reading machine, which converts text |
| What was described to me as a speed reading | | | | to audio, may not be doing children any favours. |
| machine is in fact just a text converter. It takes | | | | As an adult however, if you are forever having to |
| text and converts it into audio files which can | | | | sit and dredge through the latest articles in your |
| then be played on your computer, or walkman or | | | | chosen field, then the a reading machine may |
| MP3 player. This machine is very useful and allows | | | | allow you to get through more of these as are |
| one to be absorbing reading material while on the | | | | you can continue to absorb the information when |
| move, and if you are a slow reader, it is faster | | | | walking, jogging or even at the gym .... |
| than ploughing through the text. Also if children | | | | At the end of the day it seems that although all |
| are dyslexic or have been diagnosed with either | | | | these gadgets can help, there is nothing like |
| ADD or ADHD, then it is a good way for the child | | | | actually being able to read, from there learning to |
| to get through their studies at a more | | | | speed read, and then if you really want to |
| comparable speed to the other children, and will | | | | maximize your time efficiency, then add a reading |
| hopefully stop the child from falling behind in class. | | | | machine for times when you are on the move. |
| However, it will not speed up their reading. If | | | | Unfortunately a reading machine will not teach you |
| anything, a child who gets used to absorbing text | | | | to speed read, but it will present information in a |
| in this manner will not be practicing reading and will | | | | readily absorbable format. Perhaps the type of |
| probably therefore get slower at reading! | | | | person who is interested in this type of machine |
| As with all inventions there is definitely a use for | | | | is the perfect person to learn to speed read! |