Evelyn Wood (teacher)

Evelyn Wood (January 8, 1909 – August 26, 1995), sometimes known as "the Pioneer of Speed Reading," learned how to read quickly by watching fast readers. She coined the phrase, "speed reading" and developed a system that was taught in seminars. She and her husband started the Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics. Until the late 1990's classes were frequently taught on college campuses in the USA. Her book was published in 1959. White House staff members in the Kennedy, Ford, and Carter administrations took the course.

Her method is to read every word by using a finger or pointer, such as a pen to move under each line of text at a steady pace. Her system is based on the idea that every person reads a word at the same rate, but a poor reader re-reads words. The pacing hand prevents re-reading, the brain does not need to interpret a jumble of words, with a resulting increase in comprehension, speed, and enjoyment. She died after a nine year decline after her second stroke.

External links

[http://www.evelynwood.com.au/] Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics