By Serenson Pty Ltd
Introduction
This article reviews the popular speed reading software, 7-Speed Reading. 7-Speed Reading is speed reading software developed and sold by a company called eReflect Software. We, Serenson Pty Ltd, have based the following review on the criteria for evaluating speed reading software. Serenson Pty Ltd is a company independent of eReflect Software. See further the declaration at the end of this review.
1. Effectiveness
In our framework for evaluating speed reading software, we state that the main test of good speed reading software is effectiveness. In particular, the main test of any speed reading software is:
- The extent to which the speed reading software can help the user to comprehend more text, more quickly.
7-Speed Reading passes the test of effectiveness well because of the software’s 15 core training activities. These exercises train your mind and eyes in the four main ways of improving your reading speed, namely:
- Less subvocalization
- Fewer Fixations
- Faster Fixations
- Fewer Regressions
Users of 7-Speed Reading can complete these exercises, or a combination of them, either as part of a comprehensive step-by-step program that progresses through 10 levels or by directly accessing each exercise individually. 7-Speed Reading also includes an Advanced Training section, which brings together a group of exercises that train you in the particular skill you want to practice — for example, reducing subvocalization.
A. The Core Training Exercises
(i) Subvocalization
7-Speed Reading includes four main activities that help you reduce subvocalization. These activities are designed to help you break the habit of “saying” the words as you read them.
The four activities are Text Flash, Text Highlighter, Horizontal Text Trainer, and Text Scroller.
Each of these activities works in a similar way.
The activities train you to read text as chunks of words, rather than as individual words.
For most people, reading involves three stages: seeing the words on the page, saying the words with your lips or "hearing" the words with your ears or mind, and processing the words' meaning in your brain.
By reading words in chunks, you can bypass the second stage, and the meaning of the words jump straight from the page into your head. The process can be best explained by an analogy.
When you are at a set of traffic lights and the lights turn green for "go", you do not say to yourself "go" before moving on. You simply see the green light and you just go.
A similar effect occurs when you start to see words as symbols or images, like the green symbol or image for "go". And you begin to see words as symbols or images by processing words in chunks and by not giving yourself the chance to "say" the words individually. This is how the subvocalization exercises in 7-Speed Reading seem to work.
As with all good training exercises, the subvocalization activities increase in difficulty as you proceed. For example, you might start by training yourself to process five words at a time. In the next exercise, you train yourself to read two sentences at a time.
(ii) Fixation Expansion
7-Speed Reading has three main exercises for expanding your fixations. The aim of these exercises is to help you read more text in one glance.
For example, in the Field Expander exercise, the screen displays two sentences in each flash, in the center of the screen, which presents a larger chunk of text than you are used to. The Chunk Expander exercise does something similar by revealing large chunks of text at a time, as you read.
One of the most useful exercises in 7-Speed Reading for expanding your field of vision is the Fixation Fixer. In this exercise, you must use your peripheral vision in order to determine whether three words are identical. The words are spread wide apart, which makes for quite a challenging exercise.
(iii) Fixation Duration
7-Speed Reading has several exercises that train your eyes and brain to read the chunks of text more smoothly and with more agility. For example, there is Pace Trainer, which helps your eyes to focus on words at a consistent pace. There are also exercises such as the Eye-Brain Icon Tracker and the Icon Eye Tracker, which are activities designed to maximize your optic nerve processing.
(iv) Regressions
Many of the exercises described above also help you reduce regressions. Regressions occur when you go back to read text that you have already read.
7-Speed Reading addresses the problem of regressions through its pacing exercises and through the emphasis on reading text in chunks.
There is also Text Flash Trainer, which flashes some text for a short time; you then have to type the text exactly as you have just seen it. The Text Flash Trainer makes sure you do not have the time for regressions.
B. Other Tools
(i) Warm-ups
7-Speed Reading includes more than just the 15 core exercises described above.
For example, the software comes with several eye warm-ups. There are three types of eye warm-ups: quick, standard, and comprehensive.
7-Speed Reading suggests you do at least one warm-up exercise before each training session.
Again, the warm-up exercises focus on each of the four main ways of improving your reading speed. The warm-ups provide useful variations on the core training exercises.
(ii) Videos
7-Speed Reading comes with a video instructor, who guides you through the exercises and through six courses and who provides additional tips and information.
For example, in the section “Screen Reading Strategies” under “Eye and Body Health”, the instructor provides a useful tip for reducing regressions: when you read text on screen, position your text at the top of the screen and scroll down line-by-line; this way, you cover the text you have already read.
(iii) Tests and Tracking
Like all good instructional software, 7-Speed Reading enables you to benchmark your progress by providing you with speed readings tests and progress graphs and statistics.
Importantly, 7-Speed Reading includes not only speed reading tests and monitoring, but also comprehension tests and monitoring.
2. Usability
7-Speed Reading is user-friendly. The exercises use black text against a light background, which makes reading onscreen easy. The software has a logical flow, and uses an intuitive graphical user interface and familiar Windows point and click technology.
Once you become familiar with the jargon of speed reading, instructions are easy to understand.
A minor criticism is the appearance of a typographical error, the incorrect use of “effect” for “affect” in “How location effects speed reading”.
3. Teaching Approach and Engagement
One of 7-Speed Reading's strengths is its teaching approach. The software uses a combination of learning methods —audio, video, text, and interactive exercises.
As well as 600 preloaded texts, 7-Speed Reading also has a unique feature that helps maintain the engagement of the user: rather than relying on just the pre-installed books, you can also load the software with your own sample texts from Wikipedia and other wiki sites. Thus, you can complete the software’s exercises with reading material that interests you.
We have one possible suggestion for 7-Speed Reading that might improve the software further. It might help users if the software included a text version of the video instructions. You can read faster than you can listen — especially after using this speed reading software! — and so we would have preferred in some places to read the lesson rather than watch it.
4. Performance and Reliability
We experienced no problems with performance or reliability. There we no screen-freezes, error messages, or any other problems of a technical kind.
5. Tailorability
Tailorability is another of 7-Speed Reading's strengths.
You can choose to do your speed reading training step-by-step or as individual exercises. You can also choose Advanced Training.
You can easily adjust the software’s settings, including the speed at which text displays.
Multiple-users can use the software because the software can track scores, activities, and progress for each user.
The software supports Reading Levels Grade 3 to Advanced.
6. Cost and Pricing
Commercial speed reading software usually costs between US $20 and $250. 7-Speed Reading sells for a one-time payment of US $67, which is a good middle-of-the-range price.
7. Support
We have not had to use 7-Speed Reading's support, but 7-Speed Reading comes with unlimited email and phone support. The software's makers say their average email turnaround time for support inquiries is 8 hours.
The software comes with some context-sensitive help text. We would have perhaps liked an introductory read-me or help file that introduces the software; but the software is intuitive enough to use from the get-go.
8. How to Trial/Guarantee
The availability of a 12-month, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee is another of 7-Speed Reading's advantages.
If, for any reason, you do not think the software meets your needs, then the software’s makers will give you a full refund within a whole 12-months of your purchasing the software.
9. Availability
7-Speed Reading comes as an instant download. You can also have the software delivered for a small additional fee.
The software works with Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.
10. Other
The focus of this review has been on the extent to which 7-Speed Reading helps you to improve your reading speed, by which we mean your ability to comprehend most of an author’s message by reading most or all of the text on the page.
But there is another kind of “speed reading” called “scanning”.
7-Speed Reading includes a fun activity that helps in this kind of speed reading also. The activity comes as a game called Scan Accelerator, which presents a passage of text amongst which you must find and click a given word. This activity would be useful if you need to practice the skill of looking-up a word or name in a large body of text.
Declaration
Pursuant to our framework for evaluating speed reading software, we, Serenson Pty Ltd, declare that we:
-
have tried and tested 7-Speed Reading for ourselves;
- have set-out the criteria against which we have tested 7-Speed Reading;
- have based the review on how well 7-Speed Reading meets those criteria,
based as much as is reasonably possible on facts and experiences rather than
opinions;
- are happy to recommend 7-Speed Reading;
- encourage readers of this review, including the software vendor, to
contact us with comments and corrections;
- disclose that 7-Speed Reading has an affiliate program; and
- disclose that, as a result of the above, we have decided to participate in the affiliate program, which means we receive a commission for some sales of 7-Speed Reading made through a link on the Write Better English website.