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Flash Training Exercises Speed Training Practice Readings

Comprehension Memory Training Speed Test SAT Training Module

Flash Training

The RocketReader flash training exercises train you to read more words with a single fixation of the eyes. Fast and accurate readers are able to read an entire group of words in a single glance. This skill is essential for rapid reading because:

• your brain learns to process an entire group of words at a time
• it helps break the bad habit of "sub-vocalization" where you say the words under your breath as your read. Sub-vocalization dramatically reduces your reading speed because you can read much faster than you can speak.
• it reduces excessive eye use while reading as the eye does not have to examine the words syllable by syllable
• your eyes become more efficient and do less work
• you can concentrate for longer without getting tired
• you will learn to read phrases rather than individual syllables or words.

Improved Eye Efficiency

The RocketReader flash training uses a flash-card metaphor. A word or a sentence is flashed onto the screen for a fraction of a second (as quickly as 15 thousandth of one second). You must then correctly read the flashed word or sentence. This process is repeated with randomly selected sentences of the same length until you have mastered flash reading at that level of difficulty. Then the system automatically adjusts the level of difficulty according to your progress. As you improve the randomly generated phrases get longer and longer.

You will amaze yourself at the rapid progress that you will make. Most people can only "see" around four letters at once at this very fast speed. However, after around 10 sessions with RocketReader most people increase this level to at least 20 letters. This in turn helps you reader larger chunks of text and accelerates your overall reading ability.

The system has an enormous database of over one thousand phrases. This ensures that you never anticipate what will be flashed up next in the exercises. RocketReader also adapts the challenge level (the length of the flash text) to ensure optimal learning. This makes RocketReader exciting, challenging, and fun to use.

The RocketReader flash window is illustrated below. The level is set to two letters. This means that randomly selected words of up to two letters will be flashed on the screen.

When you start the flash training with the "Start" menu option, the blue crosshairs appear to indicate that the word is about to flash on the screen. The blue crosshairs then change to red crosshairs to indicate that the words are about to appear very soon.

Improving Reading Performance

Then the randomly selected word or phrase is flashed on the screen for a very brief instant of time. This time is 25 thousandth of one second. Most people can easily see and remember words consisting of two characters. They start making errors when more than ten characters of text is flashed. To see and remember this text, you must develop your persistent vision ability. You can see the words in your minds eye after the words have disappeared from the screen. This skill can be master with the RocketReader flash-training exercises. As the levels become more and more challenging your reading efficiency improves more and more.

After the text has appeared on the screen you either type out the text or indicate (Yes or No) whether you read the text correctly. The following screen is an example of the RocketReader spelling mode. In spelling mode you must type the text that was flashed on the screen.

Building Vision Skills

RocketReader will detect when you have mastered a level. From time to time you will advance by one, two, or three levels depending on how rapidly you mastered the previous level. You may also drop some levels if you are struggling at your current skill level.

The Flash Training Menu Items

The RocketReader flash training is very flexible. You have fine control over the properties of the flash-training exercises. The following series of pictures illustrate these points.

The "Start" menu is used to start the flash training, select your own document for the flash training exercise, start a speed test, or to look at a graph of your results.

"Level" is used to manually change the challenge level of the flash trainings. Notice that the "Auto Level" option is highlighted. This is the normal mode of operation where RocketReader will automatically track your progress and move you up or down levels depending on you performance. This can be switched off so you can manually fix the difficulty level. You can choose a specific level, or simply go up or down by 1, 2, 5, or 10 levels.

"Speed" controls how fast the text is flashed on the screen. You can set the speed any of the preset levels, or choose your own speed. The recommended speed is 25 thousandth of a second. This trains the eyes to read the entire text, rather than reading the text syllable by syllable or word by word.

"Options" allows you choose between advanced and basic modes. The "Must Spell" option allows you to nominate to spell each word or phrase as it is flashed onto the screen. You can switch off the sound effects with the "Mute option". The font option allows you to control the size of the font that is used to display the flashed text.

Dynamic Content for Peak Training

RocketReader intelligently chooses words and phrases according to your flash reading ability. The system has an enormous database of over one hundred thousand words to ensure that you never know what will be flashed up next in the exercises. This makes RocketReader exciting, challenging, and fun to use. The basic and advanced levels are now described.

Basic Levels

RocketReader runs in either of two levels, advanced and basic. When you purchase RocketReader you get both levels. The Basic levels are designed for children and for those who have English as a second language, or adults who have poor English skills. Parents can use RocketReader running in the basic levels with their children. The basic levels use a large database of words and phrases that are safe for children. There is no offensive or inappropriate material. Parents can examine the following table to get an idea of the material that is used in RocketReader. This table contains a random selection of a very small part of the data files. Please note, that this is the raw information that RocketReader uses. RocketReader employs a sophisticated technique for presenting this information in a way to improve reading speed, comprehension, and spelling.

Sample data From the Basic-Level Phrase Database
and not mine	far under the earth	and they got along better
said the boy	He has won the race	but she felt quite lonely
We have time	he had nine of them	as soon as the sun was up
On the roof?	the little man said	for I have never seen him
That is true	but our good friend	Animals ought not to talk
not long ago	and gave her a book	They are beautiful things
in the world	But she is so tired	It is full of good things
with a laugh	They all like dolls	from his head to his feet
I have tried	She did not cry now	That is not your room now
in a whisper	Help me to find her	if we cannot jump over it

 

Sample data From the Basic-Level Word Database
cab	midnight	houseboat	drawbridge
can	mountain	imaginary	earthquake
cap	mushroom	jellyfish	everything
car	necklace	kidnapped	everywhere
cat	nickname	lunchtime	fingernail
cog	notebook	matchbook	flashlight
cot	password	newspaper	footbridge
Cow	peephole	nightgown	gooseberry
Cry	playmate	nightmare	grandchild
Cue	nineteen	nighttime	grapefruit

Note This sample less than one thousandth of the total pool of phrases used in basic mode. There are over 40,000 phrases, and 3,000 words that have been specially selected for basic mode. There are 60 different basic levels. The great variety of phrases means that your child won't get bored using RocketReader as the exercise system draws from this information to supply a seemingly unlimited variety of words and phrases.

RocketReader The RocketReader exercises are exciting and fun because you do not know what word or phrase will be flashed next. This transforms the mundane task of learning to read quickly and accurately into an absorbing guessing game. For very young children (between 6 and 8 years old) your child may require supervision using RocketReader. Most young children quickly master the training program and can learn by themselves.

Advanced Levels

The advanced levels of RocketReader are designed for adults, or children who have advanced English skills. The advanced level database is more extensive than the basic levels. Over 80,000 different phrases are used, along with over 25,000 different words. The following table illustrates a tiny selection of some of the phrases and words used in the advanced levels.
 

Sample data From the Advanced-Level Phrase Database
I cried over it	the pipe smoker said	While her heart was empty
Is it business?	When the two arrived	could be reserved for him
and watery eyes	huffed the professor	with sunken eyes and iron
Go to our hotel	he told her honestly	Not a muscle in her moved
I have observed	was strong and noble	she instructed the waiter
a solitary lady	were intensely vivid	After a little reflection
One object more	said the philosopher	On the day of his arrival
nothing audible	lolling at the doors	with a vacant resignation
Nothing matters	great joints of meat	The oppressive south wind
chamber beneath	with a generous hand	was there at his disposal

 

Sample data From the Advanced-Level Word Database
pet	Masonite	necromantic	extraterrestrial
pew	massacre	needlepoint	gastrointestinal
PhD	mastodon	Netherlands	incomprehensible
phi	material	nightingale	incontrovertible
pie	materiel	nightmarish	inextinguishable
pig	maternal	nitrogenous	mispronunciation
pin	matrices	nondescript	neuropsychiatric
pip	Matthews	nonetheless	psychophysiology
pit	mattress	nonsensical	transconductance
ply	maturate	Northampton	transcontinental

Broad Age Range

RocketReader is designed to accommodate people of all abilities ranging from child, through to highly trained speed readers who want to read even faster.