UK Speed Reading / Effective Reading Courses

May 27, 2014 6:42 AM

I am a bit dubious of all this "speed-reading" shenanigans. Is it real? Are these somewhat expensive courses actually worth the money? Has anyone done a course in the UK? If so, was it actually worthwhile? Can I learn to stop Sub-Vocalising without doing a course? I think thats the main thing slowing me down at the moment.

I was thinking of doing this course with "Government Knowledge" which seriously sounds like a dodgy pseudo-gov related company:
http://govknow.com/training-event.html?id=984

- Are they are reasonable company?

- Should I save the money and just buy a basic book on the subject? Can anyone recommend something that covers the basics of this "Effective Reading Techniques" as they claim to present?

posted by mary8nne to Education (2 answers total)

Unless you have a specific need to learn to speed read, I wouldn't bother paying for a course. Lifehacker had a recent article about speed reading, detailing a couple of apps that claim to teach you the basic skills and pros and cons of different approaches.
posted by peteyjlawson at 1:02 PM on May 27, 2014

I would suggest trying a basic book - you may even be able to find one at your local library! - and apply the ideas on your own. If that doesn't work, a course is always a fallback option.

(If you that particular company seems dodgy to you, you could check with your local universities to see if they have any recommendations.)
posted by kristi at 3:17 PM on May 27, 2014