This exercise will
                                  help you to
                              increase the number
                               of words that you
                                can see at each
                                 eye fixation
                                 as you read.
                             When you read a line
                              of print, you don't
                             need to look at each
                               word on the line.
                          You can develop the ability
                         to see half a line, or maybe
                  even the entire line, with just one "look."
                                (That last line
                              was a little long!)
                             Remember, don't look
                               at the first word
                                or the last one
                                  on a line.
                                  If you do,
                              you are just seeing
                            empty space with about
                              half your eye span.
                              Look at the second
                             or third word at the
                            beginning of the line,
                              and when you get to
                              the second or third
                              word from the end,
                             go to the next line.
                         Of course, increased eye span
                              is just one factor
                               in improving your
                              reading speed, but
                              it is a big factor.
                                If you look at
                            each word as you read,
                               you won't be able
                               to read much more
                                than about 200
                               words per minute.
                              By learning to read
                             several words at each
                                 eye fixation,
                              breaking the habit
                                of looking back
                               at lines you have
                               already read, and
                               moving your eyes
                              faster as you read,
                               you can probably
                               read four or five
                               times faster than
                             your beginning rate--
                               maybe even more!
                             (One of my students,
                           after the reading course,
                            could read a paperback
                               book of about 120
                                 pages in just
                               10 or 12 minutes,
                        with excellent comprehension.)
                              We know that speed
                           is not the only important
                           thing in better reading,
                             but it is important.
                             When you read faster,
                               you will be able
                             to preview, read, and
                          review a reading selection
                               in the same time
                              it previously took
                               to read it once.
                                                                              .
                                You can create
                                files like this
                             for reading practice
                            with a word processor.
                             It's especially easy
                             with a word processor
                              that centers lines,
                              as most of them do.
                                I used Galaxy,
                             a shareware program,
                                  to do this.