| Evelyn Wood, the most influential exponent of | | | | were doing, how they were doing it, and how |
| speed reading since the mid-20th century, | | | | they had learned to do it. In these studies, |
| began doing research on speed reading while | | | | she soon found out what they were doing, but |
| employed as a remedial reading teacher at a | | | | not yet how they had learned to do it.Her |
| junior high school near Salt Lake City, | | | | next step was to try to teach herself to read |
| Utah.I was an early associate of Mrs. Wood, | | | | fast.She used to practice trying to read |
| who wanted to determine why some people could | | | | faster during summers while she and her |
| read faster than others. More specifically, | | | | husband were at their cabin up in one of the |
| she wanted to define learning theories that | | | | canyons outside of Salt Lake City.Once, while |
| could account for how individuals were able | | | | practicing in the book Green Mansions, she |
| to read more than 400 words per minute.One of | | | | became so angry at her inability to read fast |
| her earliest examples was Dr. Lowell Lees, a | | | | that she threw the book across a little |
| friend and teacher at the University of Utah. | | | | creek. After picking the book up and dusting |
| Her tests showed that he could read more than | | | | the dirt off its pages, she suddenly realized |
| 6,000 words per minute with excellent | | | | that the movement of her hand was causing her |
| comprehension.Eventually, Mrs. Wood | | | | to see and read more than one word at a |
| identified more than 100 individuals who | | | | time.Thus, she discovered the use of the hand |
| could read more than 1,500 words per | | | | as a pacer for her reading.And the rest, as |
| minute.Using that rate as a minimum, she | | | | is often repeated, is history.Mrs. |
| studied these people to determine what they | | | | |