Reading 1,000 words or more — per minute

Imagine reading a thousand words per minute and comprehending every one of them. School kids in the UAE were up to the task during a competition last week, in which an eighth grader from Al Diyafah School, Roshan Prem Ramachandran, was named the ‘Swiftest Reader of UAE’.

Winners of the ‘Swiftest Reader of the UAE’ competition display their trophies and certificates. — Supplied photo

Over 350 children from 60 plus schools participated in the event. During the programme, a senior trainer of OnlySuccess, Sampath Kumar, gave tips to the participants, which helped them enhance their reading speed.

Mehak Sood, an eighth grader from Our Own English High School, Dubai, was the first runner up, while Mariam Abid, a grade 7 student of Al Diyafah School, was adjudged second runner up.

According to the organisers of the event, any individual can double or triple their speed of reading. The average student reads between 250 and 350 words per minute. A ‘good’ reading speed is around 500 to 700 words per minute, but with proper training, students can read up to 1,000 words per minute or even faster.

The biggest question in the minds of children and parents is whether an individual can comprehend when they read so fast. Interestingly, research has shown a close relationship between speed and understanding: most children are able to increase their rate of reading considerably and quickly without lowering comprehension, while they seldom show an increase in comprehension when they reduce their rate.

news@khaleejtimes.com