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Evelyn Wood
Evelyn Wood Quick Facts
Main Areas: Speed ReadingCareer Focus: Teacher; Speed Reader; Writer; 1909-1995
Affiliation: The Literacy Company; Reading Dynamics International
Evelyn Wood was well-known for developing a system to teach speed reading and comprehension. Her discovery began when she watched her college pro-fessor read her 80-page term paper in less than ten minutes. Her professor could not explain how he did it. Wood wondered if she could do the same thing and if there were others with similar skills.
Wood learned that people have been reading rapidly for centuries. After a two-year search, she analyzed 50 people who could read between 1,500 and 6,000 words per minute. She found that they read more than one word at a time and saw words in meaningful patterns. They moved their eyes quickly and easily down the page, adjusted their speed to the type of material they were reading, and did not vocalize words as they read.
Wood started to teach herself these principles and soon was able to read several thousand words per minute, while still understanding and remembering everything she read. She then developed a system for teaching others. Taught and proven at the University of Utah, the first Evelyn Wood Institute opened in Washington, D.C. in 1959.
Other Programs & Highlights
Prominent people who have used Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics include CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, college professors, and United States presidents, such as President John F. Kennedy, who took the course along with his staff. There are over 2 million Evelyn Wood graduates.
Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from Evelyn Wood
• So many people are dubious about trying my method because they think they’re liable to miss a lot. I say which would you rather do—eat a dish of rice, kernel by kernel, or take a spoonful to get a good taste? My reading technique is actually comprehension by accumulation.
Getting Started With Evelyn Wood
Obviously, Evelyn Wood is best-known for teaching speed-reading techniques. Yet I’m sure you have questions as to the need and effectiveness of learning to speed-read. First off, I’ve used her Reading Dynamics system, and it works. I was able to read about three times as fast as I did at the beginning, and with the amount of reading material I go through as a Self Improvement aficionado, it has helped me learn and get through more in a shorter period of time.
Reading Dynamics, which made Evelyn Wood world-famous, has been taught to millions of people. The best way to get to know her program is to join the ranks of these millions. But before you do, I recommend that you go to the Reading Dynamics website (www.readingdynamicsusa.com) to read more about it. You should look at the frequently-asked-questions section and take the reading speed test to see if you are in need of this kind of system. It is still taught in a classroom environment and is also available as a home study course.
