Level 7: Speed Reading and Comprehension Training

The Level 7 Program is designed for fluent adult readers, ranging from high school seniors to senior citizens. Students gain confidence as readers by learning skills that allow them to read faster and with better comprehension, concentration, and recall. Class meets once per week for five weeks, and each class is 2 hours, 30 minutes long.

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Program Goals

  1. Train students to read faster.
  2. Show them how to read smarter.
  3. Entice them to read more.

Activities

Students learn and practice skills in four categories:

  1. Speed reading techniques that help students read faster. Students double their reading speed in their most difficult material and triple their reading speed in easier material.
  2. Previewing techniques to help students read smarter and more efficiently in new material.
  3. Reporting techniques to help students improve recall and keep track of information as they read.
  4. Analytical reading techniques to help students mentally organize information, make decisions about their reading, and engage critically with everything they read.

Students learn and master skills in all four categories and learn to make decisions about how to apply the skills for any given reading task. Teachers model each skill and coach students one-on-one. Teachers also lead class discussions in order to engage students with the material and guide their thought processes. Course materials are interesting, varied, and serve as good examples of the kind of reading students might encounter for work, school, or pleasure. Students read and apply skills in nonfiction (book-length nonfiction, textbooks, and journal articles) and fiction.

Finally, students are provided with a resource to help guide their reading both during and after the class. When students read faster and smarter, they often want to read more but do not know where to begin. The Lifetime Reading List lists and describes more than 1000 of the most engaging, accessible, and well-written books, in a wide range of subject areas. The Lifetime Reading List is divided into two parts. Part 1, "Contemporary Fiction and Nonfiction," gives students a resource for finding new books in genres or subject areas that they already love, or a starting point from which to explore new genres and subjects. Part 2, "The Humanities: History, Biography, and the Classics," lists the most accessible and rewarding history and literature and provides students with information to help them understand the historical context of these classics. The booklist reflects the Institute of Reading Development's belief that reading is one of the most wonderful experiences available to us.

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I felt this class was very rewarding. The reason why I took this class was because of my workload this upcoming school year. Now, I feel more confident that I can get through the work required and still understand what I am reading.

— Level 7 student