Triple Your Reading Speed: Enhance your reading skills with the Acceleread method

by Wade E. Cutler

A complete program of practice exercises designed to improve reading speed and comprehension includes tips on study habits and test-taking skills.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Productivity, Education, Reference, Personal Development, Unfinished

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speed reading is something that helps us to read more with better comprehension. I have read a few books on this topic. Most of them are using the pacing method using a pointer or marker. The reason why most speed reading advocates and teachers are using this method is that we will see instant results with this method. In this world of instant gratification, more people will be easily satisfied with this method. Some people also use card methods for speed reading. I can’t say these methods are wrong, as I have tried both these methods multiple times and got instant results. I know many of my friends still use these two methods. We can also see many celebrities, book tubers, and even some authors using these methods. If this method is working out well for you and you are ok with it, I think there is no problem continuing it. But you should also know about the other side of the spectrum and the demerits of this method. The author mentions many limitations to this method in this book. He says that,

“Pointing out or marking your place with a finger, hand, pencil, ruler, card, a sheet of paper, or any other object or device is both an unnecessary and a time and energy-wasting practice. The entire page should be open and exposed to your eyes when you are reading. If you find it difficult to resist pointing/marking, place all such devices out of reach so you will not pick them up unthinkingly ”

This book is divided into four parts.

“Part 1” - Focuses more on learning more about our reading style and reading speed. It also discusses the differences in the method that we should adopt in previewing and reading fiction and non-fiction.


“Part 2” - Helps to identify all the blocks that are restricting our reading speed (many important topics like subvocalization (lipping, tongue warbling, jawing, Adam’s Appling, diaphragming), pointing-marking, wasted eye movement, poor vision span, slow page turning are discussed here).


“Part 3” - Various practice sessions for increasing the eye control and increasing the peripheral vision.


“Part 4” - Further practice sessions to strengthen all the speed reading techniques learned and to increase the comprehension. The appendix also discusses many important topics like how to set the time and place for studying, how to study, and multiple strategies that will help us to take different types of exams like the MCQ tests, essay-type tests, and true or false tests.



Cutler’s “Acceleread” method takes a different approach to speed reading. It mainly focuses on controlling eye movements (without the help of a pacer) and decreasing the jerks and stops while reading. His two-stop method of reading one line can be effective for you, depending on your reading style and perseverance. This is not an easy method to practice. We will have to do multiple practices to achieve the level of mastery in it, and it will be challenging to see instant results like the pacing and guided reading method. This method has many merits and demerits like all the other speed reading methods.

If you are serious about speed reading and want to try a different method that is much more challenging to practice initially but easier to practice when we become experts, you can try this book.

[Mike Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a handy book for teaching techniques to speed up your reading speed. The author shares my disdain for "skimming" as a replacement for reading (He does agree that it has its place, just that it is not true "reading"). Cutler focuses on training your eyes to absorb more information and move fewer times as you read in order to increase the speed at which you absorb the words on the page. He accomplishes this through a variety of exercises and drills as well as by explaining some of the biology behind how the eyes work.

One of the biggest things I took away from the book was that the habit of subvocalization (the process of thinking of each word mentally as if you were reading it out loud) will inherently limit your reading speed to something in the range of "talking fast" even though your brain can handle information several times faster.

Overall, this was a very helpful book that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in increasing their reading speed.

(in full disclosure, I'm not completely finished with the book. I still have some of the reading speed exercises left, but I am waiting to read those in order to see the greatest improvements)

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't do the practices on here which might make you shake your head at me but I have practiced accelerating my reading with a reading program. I actually did really well but not so well with actual books. The talk of eye movement has me sure of what I need to do. I think this was informative. It's better suited for those who need real practice. It's actually not that hard to increase your speed. You just need to work hard on it and be aware of yourself.

[Chichipio · Rating 3 out of 5]

The drills for expanding vision span were incredibly helpful and I did notice a significant change in speed thanks to them.

However, that's all it really has to offer. Other common problems, e.g., subvocalization, are not addressed except to say "hey, don't do that," which is rather unhelpful since the fact that I'm reading this means that I know I'm not supposed to do it; what I don't know is how.

[Laura]

This book may be useful if you have the time and patience to do all of the drills. I worked with it for some time and apparently my reading speed did double but I do think it had more to do with starting and keeping up a meditation practice than anything else.

It may be worth a try. I do think the author's thought process and methodology are both good, and the book is readable and not as dry as you might think.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Triple Your Reading speed taught how to expand your peripheral vision so that you can take in the whole line in one look at the center of the page. It had drills on expanding your line of vision. Dang hard! I guess I just have to practice more. It is a totally different method from the other book I got from the library - Remember everything you read. Also good. I still have one more book to read - Break Through Rapid Reading.

[Jerauld · Rating 4 out of 5]

In graduate school I used to practice using some of the exercises in this book when I had a ton of reading to get done, and time was a factor. I thought of it as visual stretching before a workout.

Learning to take a larger horizontal and vertical visual "bites", learning to limit eye movements and to move between set "eye stops" and learning the difference between vocalizing and "sub-vocalizing" helped me finish graduate school and manage the demanding volume of reading it required of me.

[Vivacious · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author mentions that reading speed naturally increases as you increase the amount you read.
I don't like the methods she uses to teach speed reading, they remind me of a speed reading program we have, but it doesn't seem quite as effective as some other tactics.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes some really good tips on increasing your reading speed. I am up to 325 wpm. Honestly, I do not see how I can get my reading speed up any higher without losing a ton of comprehension. I guess some people can, just not me. :)

[M J]

I finished the book, but there are lot of activities that I need to get practice on. I'll practice for a month, then write a more comprehensive review. The content seems sensical.

[Ben Ricketts]

Inventory selection 1wpm rate: 561. Horrible comprehension (10%?)
Previewing - read conclusions as part of preview
Look just above letters to be able to see more peripherally without interruption of letters

[Wenyi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book advocates two principles: block reading and no (sub)vocalisation. It also suggests to set a goal (time/wpm) before starting to read anything.

The author believed that reading is for pleasure rather than learning, which could be evidenced by words on page 113:

"The successful Accelerated Reader is able to ... He has accepted, without reservation, the philosophy that the most important benefit of reading is the gaining of information, ideas, mental 'pictures', and entertainment - not the fretting over words. He has come to a realisation that words in and of themselves are for the most part insignificant - except to compilers of dictionaries. He knows that it is only when an author combines them with other words to form ideas that they assume any real are of importance..."

Cutler thus implied that his method was only for light reading. If you are a serious reader and your brain needs active communication with the author, Cutler's methods won't work, though it can help you to screen out valuable books (out of tons of books) before taking a deeper inspection.

[Unpil · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was my first book on speed reading. It had many interesting drills that aimed to increase the reader's vision span to minimize the number of eye movements. It helped me to some degree, but I wished the book contained more discussions on reading methods, aside from drills and reading practices. I also would have liked the book more if it had a self-guided plan that a reader could follow to improve their reading speed.

Next, I plan to read Kump's Breakthrough Rapid Reading, which I think would meet my expectations better.

[Gerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

The crux of this book is that you read faster by centering your eyes in the center of a page or column and develop your peripheral vision so that you can take in the whole column, or even two lines, at a single glance. This requires lots of practice in the book's drills. Couldn't get into it; there are other time-proven ways just as effective.

[Rue Koegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1993 book is specifically relevant for paper book / text reading. But it's still handy for learning the basic concepts of speed reading, and increasing reading comprehension.

If you prefer digital media I'd try the 2003 version; which may or may not have more up to date techniques (like increasing the margins on an eBook reader to only have a 2 inch wide column of text).

[Patrick Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Must read again and again. Good reference. Definitely improved my reading speed and comprehension. Great exercises to increase speed.

[Brian]

I think this book had some good drills and techniques that it taught me. The last half of the book was all practice stories.

[Ubaid Talpur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've red it but not applied would soon try book's cultre method of speed reading.
A very nice book must read who wish to increase their reading speed

[Arun ks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practice is the key with the right approach

[Mohamed Alsaid · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book is suitable for practice and raise your reading performance.

[Jordison Francisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are some key takeaways from Triple Your Reading Speed by Wade E. Cutler:

1. The importance of subvocalization. Subvocalization is the process of silently mouthing the words as you read. It is a natural habit for most people, but it can slow down your reading speed.

2. The importance of reading in groups of words. Instead of reading one word at a time, try to read in groups of words. This will help you to take in more information at a time and to increase your reading speed.

3. The importance of using a pacer. A pacer is a device that helps you to keep your eyes moving across the page at a steady pace. This can help you to avoid regressing and to increase your reading speed.

4. The importance of practice. The best way to improve your reading speed is to practice. Start by reading short passages and gradually increase the length of the passages as you become more comfortable.

These are just a few of the key takeaways from Triple Your Reading Speed. Cutler's book is full of valuable insights on how to improve your reading speed. If you are looking for ways to read faster, I encourage you to read Triple Your Reading Speed.

Here are some additional takeaways that I found particularly interesting:

A. The importance of understanding the material. Cutler says that it is important to understand the material that you are reading, even if you are reading faster. He says that you should not sacrifice comprehension for speed.

B. The importance of taking breaks. Cutler says that it is important to take breaks when you are reading for long periods of time. He says that this will help you to stay focused and to avoid fatigue.

C. The importance of finding a method that works for you. There are many different methods for improving your reading speed. Cutler says that it is important to find a method that works for you and to stick with it.

I believe that these takeaways are still relevant today, and they can be applied to anyone who wants to improve their reading speed. If you want to read faster, you need to understand the importance of subvocalization, reading in groups of words, using a pacer, practicing, understanding the material, and taking breaks.

Thank you for reading.

[Jeremy Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a sound resource surrounding increasing your reading speed, but it's also sustainable in the way that it allows you to practice as much or little as you require to achieve whatever goal you set. The main points that I took away from this work is how we learn to read and then never really progress beyond that initial approach, even when we are reading alone. The sub-vocalization (mentally "saying" each word) as we review works truly hinders our ability to process information quickly and other habits we form can decrease comprehension or recollection when reading longer books due to the amount of time that elapses before finishing a title in its entirety.

Using the practice exercises regularly to increase mental bite can expand both speed and comprehension, and this is something I will continue to use moving forward to at least maintain a more intentional approach to my reading. I also enjoy the effectiveness of reviewing titles before reading them to either save time from reading an entire book to find it was not all relevant, or to structure my research while digesting specific details or chapters rather than trying to hit every page. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who is looking to improve how they approach reading so they can choose what takeaways will help and which they need not worry about.

[Muhammad Karimov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well as I had anticipated this book has really boosted my reading speed and be able to comprehend simultaneously. So far I am pretty much satisfied with results however I am intended to buy a hardcopy of the book and go over the process later on.

[Abdullah · Rating 1 out of 5]

to much excersice section, not enough info!

[hemlet kiai · Rating 3 out of 5]

good reading. will need to practise and change my reading habits to be able to accelerate my reading.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Need to read it and practice several times before you will see any effects.

[P M · Rating 3 out of 5]

It helps me know what slows my reading speed down and do something about it. Actually I read it fast and well.

[Zitsge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meeh

[Will West · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was pretty good.

[Batzorig · Rating 5 out of 5]

i wanna this book