Your Reading Speed - Page 2

Deskisamess · 08-20-2018, 09:36 AM

Reading speed conversations always carry a sort of "elitist" feel to them. The tags linked to the various speeds..."college level" etc. Reading fast doesn't prove you've gone to college, and reading slow doesn't mean you lack education.

I realize there is some correlation due to the improved study habits of those who have had a college education. They've learned to read fast out of necessity. It doesn't mean someone who reads at a slower pace isn't educated.

issybird · 08-20-2018, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Reading speed conversations always carry a sort of "elitist" feel to them.

They always evoke Lake Woebegone for me. Certainly the conversations on this forum do, only exceeded by the claims regarding how early one was fully literate.

I don't see the point, myself. It's not even disguised bragging and what is there is to brag about anyway? That said, I have no objection to reading speed tests and polls, if that's what interests you.

DiapDealer · 08-20-2018, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

only exceeded by the claims regarding how early one was fully literate.

I get the impression you don't really believe that I was reading in the womb.

issybird · 08-20-2018, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I get the impression you don't really believe that I was reading in the womb.

It's when you extended it to in utero reading in three languages that you pushed my credulity too far.

Catlady · 08-20-2018, 11:28 AM

Against my better judgment, I took the test. The first time the selection was from War of the Worlds, which is the kind of material I dislike and don't want to read. The second time the selection was from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which I enjoy and have read many times. Is it a surprise that my reading speed for the second selection was significantly faster than for the first selection?

DiapDealer · 08-20-2018, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

It's when you extended it to in utero reading in three languages that you pushed my credulity too far.

Ah well. Live and learn.

PurpleStar · 08-20-2018, 02:50 PM

I don't read super fast that's for sure, but not super slow either. I can read a 300-400 page book in a week if it's a good one. And yes, whether I like the book or not can also determine my reading speed. The one I'm reading now is a good one and I read half already in just a few days.

4691mls · 08-20-2018, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

My reading speed varies, dependent on the type of book. Easy reads I can breeze through, a 220 book can be read in 2-3 hours or so.

But a book like Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice is going to slow my reading speed down a good deal.

Fast or slow makes no difference for me. I read until I stop.

I agree that not all books read at the same speed. Style of writing and vocabulary make a difference, as do the amount of action, dialogue, inner thoughts, or descriptive passages.

HLS · 08-20-2018, 07:35 PM

My results:

You read 383 words per minute.
That makes you 53% faster than the national average.

badgoodDeb · 08-21-2018, 07:16 PM

My results: 546, with 100% accuracy. But I was pushing myself, as I would when the action gets really intense in a good book. At THAT time, I don't care what the color of the sky is, or Susy's dress. I rush over descriptive bits to reach the action.

When I *start* a book, I have to read slower, to find out who is who, and where we are, and why I should care. And I don't read Dickens, because there is sooooo much description and I Don't Really Care!

I finished a novel early on Saturday, and finished the next in the series the next day (that's why I bookmark pages (Kindle), so that I can record when I finished a book and what it's title/author was. But I skipped the grocery shopping on Saturday, and spent much of the day reading.

As a kid, Mom limited me to one book a day -- though those were slimmer books, like the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew.

I have noticed that when I listen to a book on tape (when I'm driving cross country), I catch more of the details. Because I have to listen to them all, and at the speed of the human voice! Usually, I'm not in it for the details.

P.S. Agreed, doing this test over a whole book would be more accurate. Reading one page, like this, means one has to start slower, to find out who is who, where, and why I should care. I purposely DIDN'T start slowly for the test, so I didn't get a lot of the detail. I just happened to get the ones that they asked questions about.

Ripplinger · 08-21-2018, 08:01 PM

Like most others, I know I read novels at a slower pace. I enjoy it more that way. I really don't care what my speed is. Although I would love to be able to read more novels, forcing myself to read faster just takes the enjoyment out of it, makes it seem more like work, so I've never been interested in how fast or trying to force myself to go faster.

But I took the test for the heck of it, intentionally going as slow as I tend to with novels, and scored 461. What really surprised me is that it also said that's "84% faster than the National average". I wonder how they come up with that. I redid the test a few more times and ended up with 415 and 416. I answered all the questions correctly in each test. I thought the first test was faster than I imagined my speed would be, so tried to slow down more in the next 2 tests. I'd say around 415 would be consistent for me most times.

I imagine there are times I read in slower and faster bursts though, probably just dependent on how much my mind is totally absorbed in the book and able to ignore all outside distractions. But again, I'm happy taking my time reading, it's more enjoyable for me and really have no desire to increase it.

Although getting through more novels still is tempting!

I just know I'll never force myself to do it.

DiapDealer · 08-22-2018, 09:35 AM

I broke down and took the test out of curiosity. I'm very happy to report that I'm slightly above the "national average." I indicated that I didn't care, but I'd be lying if I said that a below average score wouldn't have made me a little bit sad. As it is, I'm off to find a little privacy for a brief no-one's-looking-and-I'm-slightly-above-average celebratory dance (overbite included).

Victoria · 08-22-2018, 01:30 PM

For me, readen fast ain’t no fun

drjd · 08-22-2018, 02:44 PM

Three attempts and still could not clear the 8th grade test! Presumably I don't have the voting rights here!

Shame on the University who awarded me the PhD decades back!

But I'm still happy with my reading average of 80-90 books per year. I read to enjoy the books at my pace, not to achieve any statistical target.

JeanPierre · 08-22-2018, 03:34 PM

I am surprised to see that this myth about "speed reading" is still so prevalent in 2018.

I am particularly amused by the structure of that poll, with "201 - 300 wpm (8th grade level)" listed, which would seem to encourage users to be dishonest in their responses. 201 is the lowest rate that has been listed, and it comes with a judgment that this is the level that children read at on a site where, presumably, most users are adults, but for whom English may be a second language.

For those that have been taken in by what is, as stated, abusively framed marketing propaganda, I would encourage you to read the following articles and search for "reading speed" on scholar.google.com.

https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-r...ing-wont-help/
https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/201...-reading-redo/

I would also recommend the book "How to Read a Book" by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren to everyone.

When it comes to reading speeds, the skill of quickly skimming familiar or irrelevant information is an important one. However, when it comes to sustained reading speeds, the only texts that are worth reading at speed are those not worth reading in the first place.

View Poll Results: What is your 'normal', 'comfortable', reading speed for novels?
201 - 300 wpm (8th grade level)	8	36.36%
301 - 350 wpm (avg adults)	0	0%
351 - 400 wpm (11th grade students)	1	4.55%
401 - 450 wpm (avg college students)	3	13.64%
451 - 500 wpm	3	13.64%
501 - 550 wpm	1	4.55%
551 - 600 wpm (high level executives)	0	0%
601 - 650 wpm	1	4.55%
651 - 700 wpm (college professors)	0	0%
701 - 750 wpm	2	9.09%
751 - 800 wpm (high scoring college students)	1	4.55%
801 - 900 wpm	0	0%
901 - 1000 wpm	1	4.55%
1000 - 1100 wpm	1	4.55%
1101 - 1200 wpm	0	0%
1201 - 1300 wpm	0	0%
1301 - 1400 wpm	0	0%
1401 - 1500 wpm (speed readers)	0	0%
1501 - 1600 wpm	0	0%
1601 wpm +	0	0%
Voters: 22. You may not vote on this poll

08-21-2018, 07:16 PM	#25
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,539 Karma: 64201357 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	My results: 546, with 100% accuracy. But I was pushing myself, as I would when the action gets really intense in a good book. At THAT time, I don't care what the color of the sky is, or Susy's dress. I rush over descriptive bits to reach the action. When I start a book, I have to read slower, to find out who is who, and where we are, and why I should care. And I don't read Dickens, because there is sooooo much description and I Don't Really Care! I finished a novel early on Saturday, and finished the next in the series the next day (that's why I bookmark pages (Kindle), so that I can record when I finished a book and what it's title/author was. But I skipped the grocery shopping on Saturday, and spent much of the day reading. As a kid, Mom limited me to one book a day -- though those were slimmer books, like the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. I have noticed that when I listen to a book on tape (when I'm driving cross country), I catch more of the details. Because I have to listen to them all, and at the speed of the human voice! Usually, I'm not in it for the details. P.S. Agreed, doing this test over a whole book would be more accurate. Reading one page, like this, means one has to start slower, to find out who is who, where, and why I should care. I purposely DIDN'T start slowly for the test, so I didn't get a lot of the detail. I just happened to get the ones that they asked questions about. Last edited by badgoodDeb; 08-21-2018 at 07:19 PM.

08-22-2018, 01:30 PM	#28
Victoria Wizard Posts: 1,017 Karma: 19767610 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Nova Scotia Canada Device: ipad, Kindle PW, Kobo Clara; iphone 7	For me, readen fast ain’t no fun Last edited by Victoria; 08-22-2018 at 01:49 PM.

08-22-2018, 02:44 PM	#29
drjd The Couch Potato Posts: 34,509 Karma: 230999999 Join Date: Aug 2015 Device: Kobo Glo, Kobo Touch, Archos 9, Onyx Boox C67ML Carta	Three attempts and still could not clear the 8th grade test! Presumably I don't have the voting rights here! Shame on the University who awarded me the PhD decades back! But I'm still happy with my reading average of 80-90 books per year. I read to enjoy the books at my pace, not to achieve any statistical target. Last edited by drjd; 08-22-2018 at 02:47 PM.

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08-20-2018, 09:36 AM	#16
Deskisamess Wizard Posts: 2,742 Karma: 45300001 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ohio Device: iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini, iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8", Scribe 2022	Reading speed conversations always carry a sort of "elitist" feel to them. The tags linked to the various speeds..."college level" etc. Reading fast doesn't prove you've gone to college, and reading slow doesn't mean you lack education. I realize there is some correlation due to the improved study habits of those who have had a college education. They've learned to read fast out of necessity. It doesn't mean someone who reads at a slower pace isn't educated.

08-20-2018, 11:28 AM	#20
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,406 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	Against my better judgment, I took the test. The first time the selection was from War of the Worlds, which is the kind of material I dislike and don't want to read. The second time the selection was from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which I enjoy and have read many times. Is it a surprise that my reading speed for the second selection was significantly faster than for the first selection?

08-20-2018, 02:50 PM	#22
PurpleStar Wizard Posts: 1,625 Karma: 11387182 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Clara BW, Kindle Paperwhite (11th Gen)	I don't read super fast that's for sure, but not super slow either. I can read a 300-400 page book in a week if it's a good one. And yes, whether I like the book or not can also determine my reading speed. The one I'm reading now is a good one and I read half already in just a few days.

08-20-2018, 07:35 PM	#24
HLS Wizard Posts: 2,126 Karma: 16342480 Join Date: May 2017 Device: Sage, Scribe, Boox Note 2 Plus, iPad Pros and Samsungs S6,S7,S8	My results: You read 383 words per minute. That makes you 53% faster than the national average.

08-21-2018, 08:01 PM	#26
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	Like most others, I know I read novels at a slower pace. I enjoy it more that way. I really don't care what my speed is. Although I would love to be able to read more novels, forcing myself to read faster just takes the enjoyment out of it, makes it seem more like work, so I've never been interested in how fast or trying to force myself to go faster. But I took the test for the heck of it, intentionally going as slow as I tend to with novels, and scored 461. What really surprised me is that it also said that's "84% faster than the National average". I wonder how they come up with that. I redid the test a few more times and ended up with 415 and 416. I answered all the questions correctly in each test. I thought the first test was faster than I imagined my speed would be, so tried to slow down more in the next 2 tests. I'd say around 415 would be consistent for me most times. I imagine there are times I read in slower and faster bursts though, probably just dependent on how much my mind is totally absorbed in the book and able to ignore all outside distractions. But again, I'm happy taking my time reading, it's more enjoyable for me and really have no desire to increase it. Although getting through more novels still is tempting! I just know I'll never force myself to do it.

08-22-2018, 09:35 AM	#27
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,341 Karma: 203719646 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I broke down and took the test out of curiosity. I'm very happy to report that I'm slightly above the "national average." I indicated that I didn't care, but I'd be lying if I said that a below average score wouldn't have made me a little bit sad. As it is, I'm off to find a little privacy for a brief no-one's-looking-and-I'm-slightly-above-average celebratory dance (overbite included).

08-22-2018, 03:34 PM	#30
JeanPierre Zealot Posts: 137 Karma: 398492 Join Date: Apr 2018 Device: Kobo Aura One	I am surprised to see that this myth about "speed reading" is still so prevalent in 2018. I am particularly amused by the structure of that poll, with "201 - 300 wpm (8th grade level)" listed, which would seem to encourage users to be dishonest in their responses. 201 is the lowest rate that has been listed, and it comes with a judgment that this is the level that children read at on a site where, presumably, most users are adults, but for whom English may be a second language. For those that have been taken in by what is, as stated, abusively framed marketing propaganda, I would encourage you to read the following articles and search for "reading speed" on scholar.google.com. https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-r...ing-wont-help/ https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/201...-reading-redo/ I would also recommend the book "How to Read a Book" by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren to everyone. When it comes to reading speeds, the skill of quickly skimming familiar or irrelevant information is an important one. However, when it comes to sustained reading speeds, the only texts that are worth reading at speed are those not worth reading in the first place.

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