Abstract
This study aims to examine the effect of speed reading techniques on second-grade students’ reading speed and reading comprehension levels. In today’s information age, improving reading skills is vital for academic and professional success. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design. The experimental group (20 students) was trained in speed reading techniques for 8 weeks, while the control group (20 students) received no intervention, continuing only with regular regular curriculum activities. The reading speed and comprehension levels of both groups were evaluated with pre-tests and post-tests using
Plain language summary
This study looks at how speed reading techniques impact the reading speed and comprehension of second grade students. In today’s information age, improving reading skills is crucial for academic and professional success. The study used a quasi-experimental design with two groups: an experimental group of 20 students who were trained in speed reading techniques over a certain period, and a control group of 20 students who received no training. Both groups were tested on their reading speed and comprehension before and after the study. The results showed that students who received speed reading training significantly increased their reading speed and comprehension levels. There was no similar improvement in the control group. These findings suggest that speed reading techniques can effectively improve reading skills, especially in young children. In conclusion, this study highlights the positive effects of speed reading techniques on second grade students and underscores the need for integrating such techniques more widely in educational systems. Future research should explore the effects of speed reading techniques on different age groups and in various learning environments.
Introduction
Human beings have needed different things in every period they have lived. In some periods they needed protection from predators, in another period they needed shelter, and in another period they needed social development. Today’s age is the age of information and speed. In this period, it is vital to access information and at the same time to be able to access information in short and fast ways. The fastest way to access information is reading. Through reading, people can satisfy their hunger for knowledge, improve themselves, and make their lives meaningful in this age where those who have the most knowledge and can use it efficiently survive. In the traditional understanding of education, it is the student who receives information and is passive, but it is obvious that this kind of information exchange does not provide success in today’s conditions. Instead, there is a need to raise individuals who learn by researching information and reading to learn, that is, who use reading as a tool. It is possible to meet these needs of individuals by applying some teaching methods and techniques and teaching programs.
This study, which is based on the need to improve comprehension and understanding skills with faster reading, is aimed to evaluate the effect of speed reading techniques on the reading comprehension levels of second-grade students.
The hypothesis of this study is that speed reading techniques will significantly improve both the reading speed and comprehension skills of second-grade students. This hypothesis is grounded in previous research that highlights the effectiveness of such techniques in enhancing reading fluency and comprehension among older students (Hudson et al., 2020; Strickland et al., 2013). However, there is a lack of studies focusing on younger students, particularly those in early elementary education. By investigating the effects of speed reading techniques on second-grade students, this study addresses a notable gap in the literature. Specifically, it diverges from prior research centered on older students and offers new insights into how speed reading techniques can enhance foundational reading skills at an early age. This study seeks to answer the following research questions:
Do speed reading techniques increase the reading speed of second-grade students?
Do speed reading techniques improve the reading comprehension levels of second-grade students?
Do speed reading techniques have an impact on students’ overall academic achievement?
Every day we are presented with pages and pages of information in the form of newspapers, books, journals, magazines, articles, etc., in printed publications or by writing articles on the internet. It takes a long time to select and retrieve the information that is most important to us or that we need from such a large amount of resources and information. In today’s conditions, while living in a period when time is so limited, the solutions to access information in the fastest way are sought and the need for speed reading techniques is increasing.
In recent years, studies on the effects of speed reading techniques on students’ reading comprehension skills have increased. However, there is not enough research on the effects of these techniques on students in early age groups. In particular, the number of studies focusing on younger age groups such as second graders is limited. The existing literature generally examines the effectiveness of speed reading programs for students at the middle or high school level. Therefore, there is a great need for research evaluating the effects of speed reading techniques on reading speed and comprehension levels in early childhood. This study aims to examine the potential impact of speed reading techniques on reading speed and reading comprehension by focusing on second-grade students. Thus, it aims to provide valuable information on how to optimize reading instruction for students in this age group.
Speed reading techniques have become increasingly important in recent years and are particularly associated with reading comprehension. Today, the speed of accessing and processing information plays a critical role in individuals’ academic and professional success. In this context, speed reading techniques have become an important research topic in the field of educational sciences. Early studies by Carver (1990) provided important findings on how reading speed can affect individuals’ comprehension capacities. If students’ perceptions increase with speed reading techniques, it is possible to educate individuals who think more practically and put what they think into practice. In this respect, the research is important in terms of providing outputs to increase the quality in education and training.
According to Temizkan (2009), reading is an activity that our mind performs together with the eye and sound organs to make sense of written signs, and the processes of separating and recognizing words, perceiving them with their meanings, and comprehending the meaning constitute the act of reading. Similarly, Demirel (2007) argued that reading is the activity of extracting meaning from written symbols through the joint work of cognitive behaviors and psychomotor skills and that reading consists of various movements of the eyes and vocal organs and the mind’s understanding of written symbols. Stating that reading is the area that makes the greatest contribution to the mental development of the individual and at the same time the most superior way of receiving information, Güneş (2015) emphasizes that reading and reading teaching are given special importance in terms of mental and individual development in the education process, saying that during reading, writing is translated into mental concepts, interpreted, and structured in the mind.
In this study, the definitions of reading provided by Temizkan (2009), Demirel (2007), and Güneş (2015) were chosen because they emphasize both the cognitive and psychomotor processes involved in reading. These processes are crucial for understanding how speed reading techniques can influence reading comprehension. Temizkan’s focus on the mental process of comprehension aligns with our aim of assessing how students internalize and process information. Similarly, Demirel’s explanation of reading as extracting meaning from written symbols supports our goal of evaluating improvements in students’ ability to derive meaning from texts more rapidly through speed reading techniques. These perspectives provide a strong theoretical foundation for examining both reading speed and comprehension in our experimental design.
In this context, the current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of speed reading techniques in the context of early childhood education. The main questions that the research focuses on are as follows:
1. Whether there is a significant increase in the reading speed of second-grade students who received speed reading techniques training compared to students who did not receive the techniques,
2. Whether the reading comprehension levels of students who participated in speed reading techniques training were higher than those who did not receive training,
3. Whether the implementation of speed reading techniques has an impact on students’ overall academic achievement.
The integration of speed reading techniques into education can improve not only students’ reading speed but also their ability to think critically and synthesize information (Martinez, 2022). Today’s education systems aim to make learning processes more interactive and participatory by encouraging individuals who can process information quickly and effectively.
There are various types of reading. These are grouped according to the purpose of the reader (having fun, being informed, etc.), the method used (vocal, semi-vocal, silent reading, etc.), the type of text (selective reading, full reading, etc.), the material used (reading from a book, reading from a screen, etc.), eye movements (vertical, diagonal, zigzag reading, etc.) and people (independent reading, shared reading, reading together, etc.). In the process of teaching reading, the most emphasized areas are reading aloud and silent reading (Güneş, 2017).
Reading starts with some stimuli reaching the sensory organs. These stimuli are called written and printed symbols. It is seen that the written and printed stimuli that activate the sensory organs during the reading activity are letters, words, images, and symbols. These written and printed symbols are processed by the organism in two ways. These are psychomotor and cognitive processes. Psychomotor processes are usually related to the work of the eye muscles. The eye seeing the stimuli, making jumps on the words and symbols on the page, and moving backward and forwards are considered psychomotor processes. During cognitive processes, stimuli are perceived by the sensory organs and sent to memory. These stimuli are integrated with previous experiences and information in memory, coded, and made meaningful. In this way, the reading activity is completed (Temizkan, 2009). In light of this information, it is possible to analyze reading in two dimensions in terms of physical and mental elements.
Physical Elements of Reading
The physical process of reading primarily involves eye movements, that is, the leaps and stops the eye makes while reading, the width of vision seen in a glance, and the vocalization of letters and words in this width. Dodick et al. (2017) demonstrated that training programs that control eye movements significantly improve reading fluency and comprehension. This finding highlights how saccades and pauses—short stops and jumps made by the eye—regulate the flow of information during the reading process, ultimately enhancing comprehension and speed. Contrary to popular belief, it was proved by experiments conducted in the USA in the 1850s that the eye does not slide over the writing but makes jumps (Göğüş, 1978). Rayner et al. (2016) demonstrated that when eye movements are optimized, reading speed and depth of comprehension can be significantly enhanced. In reading aloud and silently, the eye stops three or four times on a line, recognizes and grasps a group of words, and then jumps to another point on the line. These jumps and pauses continue until the line is finished. The eye then moves to the next line by drawing a curve close to the line (Sever, 2015). When the eye is moving and pausing, information is received only during the pause. These pauses take up most of the reading time. Since each pause lasts between a quarter of a second and one and a half seconds, it is possible to immediately increase your reading speed by spending less time on these pauses (Buzan, 2018).
In their study detailing the mental processes of reading, Just and Carpenter (1987) found that eye movements and word recognition processes have significant effects on individuals’ reading speed. These findings raise new questions about the potential of speed reading techniques to improve students’ academic performance. Rayner (1998) examined how eye movements can be optimized during reading and showed how these techniques can increase reading speed and depth of comprehension.
When our eyes look at any writing on a piece of paper, our eye muscles make our two eyes make an angle of 13° to 19° with the stimulation of our optic nerves. Den Ouden et al. (2019) examined how the eye muscles’ ability to focus at different angles during reading impacts comprehension. This angle is the angle of sharpness. With this angle, our two eyes see the area on the paper. We call this area the field of clarity. The eye can only perceive the writing within this area of clarity. The aforementioned jumps and pauses also occur in this area. Places outside this area are seen blurred (Ruşen, 2003).
This area, also called the active visual field by Kurudayıoglu (2011), is the area that appears after our eye muscles fix our eyes to a point on the line. The field of clarity, often referred to as the active visual field, specifically denotes the region within which the eye can focus and perceive text during reading. In other words, while the field of clarity represents a static area of vision, the active visual field encompasses the dynamic process by which the eye uses saccades and fixations to gather and interpret information. The King-Devick Reading Acceleration Program demonstrates that expanding the visual field can enhance reading speed (Dodick et al., 2017). This area, which the eye sees and can read when the eye focuses on the text, forms an ellipse-shaped image with horizontal and vertical dimensions, its size cannot be defined precisely, but it can be extended up to 7 cm in texts written in 12-point fonts. The active visual field may vary according to the size of the letters in the text (Karatay, 2014).
The concept of field of clarity (active visual field) is also called the width of vision. According to Calp and Calp (2016), the eye sees a certain part of the line with each jump. This is called the width of vision. The eye covers a width of 20 to 25 letters on the line, which means 3 to 4 words on a line. For Struggling readers and with underdeveloped eye muscles, this width can be as small as six letters or 2 cm.
According to Göğüş (1978), another concept that should not be ignored in the physical process of reading is the eye-vocal width, which refers to the synchronization between the eye’s movement and vocal articulation. Building on this concept, Coggins (2023) emphasizes that coordination between the eyes and vocal organs contributes to reading speed. In reading aloud, it takes a while to vocalize what the eye grasps. The distinction between what we see and what we can say is called eye-vocal width. While the vocal organs say what the eye grasps, the eye moves forward and grasps other words. This movement ensures continuity in reading. Eye-vocal breadth also enables the comprehension of meaning clusters (phrases, clauses…) in writing. Thus, the reader gains the opportunity to adapt his/her voice to the meaning, to emphasize homophones according to their meaning.
Mental Elements of Reading
Mental elements are the elements of reading that are related to our brain. It is very difficult to explain with concrete examples what kind of activities our brain carries out during reading. Recent studies show that these mental processes rely heavily on the brain’s intricate network, which integrates visual and auditory stimuli (Baddeley & Hitch, 2019). Studies on the functions of the brain do not allow us to speak precisely due to the complex structure of the brain and the inadequacy of experimental studies. However, today, with the advancement of technology and the development of computerized imaging systems, some elements can be made more concrete.
Reading begins with the eyes perceiving the written word. As we read the lines, our eyes scan the page from left to right with very short pauses, called spasmodic movements, which are repeated four to five times per second. These rapid eye movements, also known as saccades, allow the eye to quickly process chunks of text (Dodick et al., 2017). When the photons reflected from the words reach the retina, the information about the white paper and the black letters on it is perceived by the neurons in the retina not in its whole form, but as information divided into countless pieces and transmitted to the visual center of the brain. Our visual center puts this information back together. At this stage, on the one hand, our brain converts the letters into sounds (phonological pathway), and on the other hand, it determines what the words being read are by consulting the dictionary in our vocabulary (lexical pathway). Phonological processing plays a key role in reading comprehension, as demonstrated in studies emphasizing phonological training’s impact on reading skills (Cui et al., 2021). Morphological awareness, especially when developed in early childhood, can also have long-term effects on reading skills. Studies by Lyster et al. (2016) indicate that skills based on morphological knowledge significantly contribute to reading comprehension processes, aiding in the comprehension of meaning. As a result, letters are perceived as words with both a certain sound and a certain meaning (Karaçay, 2011, p. 22).
According to Güneş (2017), physical and mental processes are carried out in parallel and intertwined during reading. As the eye engages in physical movement, the brain simultaneously processes and interprets textual information, resulting in a cohesive understanding (Güneş, 2017; C. Perfetti, 2007). The mental process starts with the perception of lines, letters and symbols. After the perception process, words and sentences are understood by concentrating attention, and the information that is deemed interesting and necessary is selected. The individual’s prior knowledge plays an important role in the selection process. The selected information is compared with the individual’s prior knowledge, and then it is subjected to various mental processes such as sorting, classifying, questioning, associating, criticizing, analyzing, and evaluating. This process relies heavily on working memory, particularly the phonological loop, which holds information briefly while it is manipulated and integrated with prior knowledge (Baddeley & Hitch, 2019). The processed information is combined with prior knowledge and reinterpreted by making use of various visuals. The student’s interest, motivation, reading purpose, grammar, and reading experiences are also effective in interpretation. Thus, the information is structured in the mind and the mental process of reading is completed.
Relationship Between Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension
The most important characteristic of readers who are referred to as Struggling readers or is that they read slowly, and slow reading, which is an undesirable way of reading, has attracted the attention of researchers in terms of its effect on decreasing the level of comprehension and has led them to conduct experimental studies on “measuring reading speed” and “gaining speed reading skills.” Research has shown that reading efficiency, which includes both accuracy and speed, plays a significant role in comprehension, especially by enabling higher-level processing as lower-level components are automated (LaBerge & Samuels, 1974; C. A. Perfetti, 1985).
According to Baştuğ and Akyol (2012), when calculating reading speed, the total number of words read by the student is found, the words that the student reads incorrectly are subtracted from the total number of words, and thus the number of words that the student reads correctly is found. In addition, studies emphasize the role of phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge in reading speed and comprehension, showing a positive correlation between language proficiency and reading fluency (Protopapas et al., 2018; Richter et al., 2023). Being able to recognize the word correctly is a prerequisite for fluent reading and reading comprehension, but this alone is not enough. Skilled readers integrate phonological, orthographic, and morphological processing abilities to facilitate fluency and comprehension, aligning with the Verbal Efficiency Theory (C. A. Perfetti & Hart, 2001; Wolf & Katzir-Cohen, 2001). The reader should both recognize the word correctly and read this word at the appropriate speed. According to Maviş (2005), reading speed is the time it takes to start and finish reading a text with understanding. The commonly used criterion is the number of words read comprehensively in 1 min.
According to Güneş (2009), the measurements determined by Lieury (1996) through various studies in the laboratory environment are widely used. According to Lieury’s experimental studies, the eye of a reader with highly developed reading skills recognizes a word projected on the screen within 10 s. However, this word is read aloud within 40 s. Therefore, a maximum of four words are read aloud in 1 s. These words are very short words such as “this, that, ten, il.” According to these scales, a maximum of four words are read aloud in 1 s and 4 × 60 = 240 words in 1 min. This measure is foreseen for high school and university students, who are at the upper limit of the development of reading-aloud skills. According to these measurements:
Class students at the end of the year, per minute 60 words
Class students per minute 80 words
Class students per minute 100 words
Class students per minute 120 words
Class students per minute 140 words
It is anticipated that an average person can read texts at a certain speed. Programs such as the King-Devick Reading Acceleration Program have shown that structured eye movement training can significantly improve reading fluency and comprehension, particularly for struggling readers (Dodick et al., 2017). However, these figures are for texts consisting of an average of three-syllable words. As the syllable-letter count of the words in the text decreases or increases, the number of words read also changes. Attention should be paid to this situation. According to Delcroix (1994), in terms of words read per hour:
Struggling readers read 20,000 words per hour
Intermediate readers read 25,000 words per hour
Proficient readers are considered to read 40,000 words per hour.
Research by Ahlqvist et al. (2019) on alternative school curricula demonstrates improvements in students’ reading capacity and comprehension skills. Such educational interventions have the potential to enhance both reading speed and comprehension levels. Considering that the most important sensory organ used in reading activity is the eye, it is necessary to provide good flexibility to the eye in reading. When this flexibility is combined with the mental competence of the individual, the individual can become an effective reader. In addition to these, the text to be read should be suitable for reading in terms of letter size, writing quality, and paper quality. At the same time, the sentence length in the text to be read should be long enough for the individual to combine the meaning. The eye is one of our organs that completes its development in the longest time among the sensory organs we have. The development of the eyes lasts until the age of 12 (Binbaşıoğlu, 1993).
According to Ruşen (2016), throughout their education and their lives, students read the way they have always learned in primary school, that is, one word at a time, letter by letter, syllable by syllable. Even if we understand what we read by moving our lips and reading aloud from the inside, we become very Struggling readers and with frequent repetitions. Our comprehension has also become heavy and diminished because of these wrong techniques. Our brain also becomes a slow thinker. The reading brakes that cause this are the following:
Reading words aloud
Reading words individually
Getting stuck on details and going back
Passive reading
Belief of “If I read fast, I won’t understand”
Lack of eye training
Lack of knowledge and cultural level
Insufficiency in grammar and vocabulary
Not being able to immerse oneself sufficiently in the text being read.
According to Çeler (2013), although reading is an action that takes place with the activity of the eyes and brain, some people also involve their lips. In other words, there are those who vocalize what they read. This reduces the reading speed. This is because an average person can speak around 150 to 200 words per minute. The fastest speakers such as horse race announcers. Even they cannot exceed this limit, while the brain is designed to understand up to 700 words per minute. Therefore, it is not efficient to limit oneself to 300 words. Vocalizing while reading, which can take three different forms, significantly reduces reading speed. Their voice-over can be done in three different ways:
Lip Vocalization: This is when you move your lips while reading, reading in a low voice.
Throat Vocalization: This is when your larynx moves during reading.
Inner Voice: This is repeating each word you read in your mind.
According to Baykızı (2005) and Ruşen (2016), reading aloud is slower than silent reading because it requires time for visual information to be processed and then vocalized, causing a slight delay between the eye’s perception and vocalization. This process involves lip movement, vocal cord vibrations, and internal vocalization, which can lead to a lag of approximately one-fourth second between seeing and speaking. However, with focused practice, this vocal delay can be minimized, enabling smoother reading. This delay, approximately a quarter of a second, between the visual perception and vocalization of text is illustrated in Figure 1.
Allocated durations for reading aloud and silently.
For this purpose, we can eliminate internal vocalization caused by habits by putting a pencil between our teeth, moving our lips by chewing gum, learning the formal structures of words and their rapid recognition in our brains, encoding more words in our brains, and reading with light relaxing music. According to Akçamete (1999), reading aloud, reading by moving the lips, or reading with an inner voice slows down the communication between the eye and the brain; the scarcity of messages transmitted to the brain puts the whole brain, which has a very large capacity, into a waiting process, thus preventing the comprehension of the general meaning. To increase reading speed, reading aloud, lip moving, and sighing should be abandoned.
Richadeau et al. (1990) explained the difference between the eye movements of fast and Struggling readers as follows: “The bundle formed between the eye and the words that the eye grasps at a glance can be called the active visual bundle. The projection of this beam on the page is an ellipse, and the words inside this ellipse can be fully grasped. Those outside the ellipse are incomprehensible. The ellipses formed on the page by the active visual bundle that the reader is trying to identify are interlaced at both ends of the lines. While a fast reader comprehends words at a glance because of the active visual bundle, which he or she is able to arrange in this orderly sequence, a slow reader has to pass over the same word several times without grasping its meaning because of the almost completely overlapping active visual bundles and their ellipse projections covering each other. As a result, a slow reader is unable to fully utilize the visual spectrum and move forward.”
In daily life, if the environment can be seen in such a way as to see a wide area, this ability can also be used in the reading process. If the main visual field and the peripheral visual field of the eye can be freed from captivity and activated, three to four words can be seen in one glance, enabling faster reading and better perception of the whole. The visual field of the eye, the lost area and the stopping points of the eye are shown in Figure 2 below.
The effect of eye untraining: Even in a reader who reads three words at a glance, the active visual field cannot be fully evaluated due to eye untraining (Ruşen, 2016).
Some people often think “I cannot understand if I read fast.” These people think that “the slower I read, the better I will understand.” However, this idea does not have any scientific basis, Struggling readers’ concentration quickly dissipates and their comprehension rates are low (Rain, 2006).
According to Ruşen (2016), if reading slowly was the way to understand, those who read by spelling should understand better. If the flow of information to the brain is transmitted slowly, disconnections may occur in thought formation. Attention may be distracted and comprehension may become difficult. Coşkun (2002) found a positive relationship between an individual’s reading speed and reading comprehension level in different text types and stated that this relationship is not an absolute cause-and-effect relationship, but it is generally seen that those who read faster understand what they read better.
According to Saygın and Kaya (2011), it is emphasized that in speed reading studies, first of all, we should believe that we can read fast because human beings cannot realize anything they do not believe in. According to them, just as we believed that we would understand better when we read slowly at a young age, we can also believe that we will get more efficient results by reading fast from now on. When we read slowly, we become distracted very quickly because our sensitivity to external data increases. When we read fast, we focus only on the text, which allows us to understand it better. However, we need to believe that we can do this.
According to Ruşen (2012), “The means of understanding and knowing are words, sentences, words, writings, and as a result, language. Language enables the perception of thoughts. Those who do not know their mother tongue well cannot understand what is said and what they read. He cannot take advantage of the possibility of transition between words. In addition, lack of vocabulary negatively affects reading and comprehension. The more unknown and hesitant words are in the text, the more time it will take to pause and at least try to find out their dictionary meanings. Reading will become unpleasant, interest will wane and comprehension will drop. If we compare the brain to a computer, the fewer word forms we have encoded, the slower we will read and understand less.”
According to Akyol (2012), the state of focusing continues until the words perceived by the eye are interpreted by the brain. Here, the importance of word meaning knowledge (word discrimination) is clearly seen. Because if the interpretation does not happen quickly, the eye will not move and the speed will decrease.
According to Kırkkılıç and Maden (2009), when speed reading is mentioned, only the number of words read per minute should not come to mind. Speed reading is actually an increase in an individual’s reading comprehension rate. In other words, it is to increase the amount of comprehension of what one reads in a minute. The concept of speed reading, which was previously only an optional personal development subject, is given much more importance today and can find a place in curricula. According to the authors, speed reading is a skill that many people want to have. Because having the ability to read more in a shorter time offers the individual the opportunity to read more books or do more work. Because the number of words “understood” in a minute increases.
According to Başaran (2013), the Michigan Reading Association, which has conducted numerous studies on the subject, explains the concept of comprehension as individuals combining the information in the text with the information they already have and thus constructing a mental representation of the meaning presented in the text with the support of the information they already have. In the process of reading comprehension, individuals use their vocabulary, cognitive skills and strategies, cognitive schemas, and language skills. By using these elements, the reader can think and develop some or all of the ideas. In addition, it should be underlined that the concept of motivation is also important in reading comprehension. For an individual to understand what he/she reads, he/she must first be interested in the subject of the text. Otherwise, speed reading is not beneficial.
As frequently mentioned in the previous pages, the aim of speed reading is not to increase the number of words read per minute, but to increase the number of words read with comprehension. Reading with comprehension is also one of the main purposes of the “act of reading.” Speed reading activity will not reach a result if it does not result in comprehension of the text. In the speed reading process, a series of mental processes must take place for comprehension to occur. Since the meaning is hidden in the words, the meanings revealed by the words gain importance. The element that should be considered in the speed reading process and determines the quality of speed reading is the understanding of what is read (Kanmaz, 2012).
In the speed reading process, only reading can be seen as a waste of time. According to Sulak (2014), “Comprehension involves relationships between the unknown and the known. Therefore, what the reader knows about the subject is important. The reader’s recognition of the words in the text and knowing their meanings will facilitate comprehension. However, in reading comprehension, it is not enough to know the meaning of the word read. In addition to knowing the meaning of the word, it is also necessary to understand, comprehend, construct in the mind, establish relationships between them, and make evaluations.”
According to Başaran (2013), to understand the efficiency of speed reading, determining the level of comprehension is much more important than the number of words because the number of words will not give the real result. With the measurement of reading comprehension level, it will be possible to determine the methods to be used to solve problems, to have information about teacher competence, to understand how efficient the teaching materials are, to see the success of the reading teaching process, and to make improvements in the programs. On the other hand, while it is easy to count words to measure speed reading, it is not so easy to measure reading comprehension. This is because the relationship between reading and comprehension is complex. Thanks to the studies on the subject, it is seen that various strategies have been developed to measure reading comprehension. The strategies developed can be categorized into two groups. These are traditional strategies and modern strategies. Among traditional strategies, elements such as phonics, recall, spelling, and word recognition come to the fore. According to modern measurement approaches, the important thing is to observe the extent to which the individual benefits from what he/she reads in his/her real life rather than the realization of reading.
To summarize, speed reading refers to the number of words understood rather than the number of words read. Additionally, studies indicate that morphological awareness, especially when developed in early childhood, has long-term effects on reading skills, supporting reading comprehension over time (Lyster et al., 2016). According to Çiftçibaşı (2013), when speed reading is mentioned, the number of words read in a minute is thought to be high. However, this impression is wrong. The art of speed reading is also the art of effective reading. Speed is an important factor in speed reading. If there is no ability to preserve the read text in memory, even a reading that exceeds the speed of light will not be beneficial.
Method
In this section, the research model, study group, development of data collection tools, and data collection process are explained respectively.
Research Model
In this study, the effect of speed reading techniques on the reading comprehension levels of second-grade students was examined using a quasi-experimental model with a pretest-posttest control group design. Both the experimental and control groups were given a pretest before the experimental procedure and a posttest after the procedure. The reading comprehension levels were measured through two different types of texts selected from various genres of literature, used as both pretest and posttest.
Study Group
In the study group, second-grade students were selected to assess how reading skills learned in the first grade could be enhanced using speed reading techniques. The study group of the research consisted of 40 students, 20 experimental, and 20 control, studying in the second grade of a primary school in a region during the first and second semesters of the 2018 to 2019 academic year. The experimental group received 8 weeks of Speed Reading Techniques Training, with sessions held 2 days a week for 2 hr each, while the control group followed the standard standard curriculum activities without receiving any speed reading training during this period.
The purpose of selecting second-grade students was to test how different techniques could improve reading skills at an early grade level. Early intervention with such techniques could facilitate rapid progress in developing students who “read fast and understand what they read,” contributing to the advancement of teaching methods. To form the study groups, there was no grading system in primary schools, so teachers’ opinions regarding students’ academic performance were taken into account. The Reading Comprehension Achievement Test was administered to students from four second-grade classes, and four groups of 20 students each were formed by excluding those significantly above or below average, as well as students who received inclusive education through an individual education plan. One experimental and one control group were selected by lot from these four groups. While forming the groups, the inclusion criteria were determined as follows:
- Number and quality of volunteers/participants: 40 Children
- Number and nature of the control group: 20 children
- Inclusion criteria: Being in the second grade of primary school, being within reach for the necessary permissions to be given.
- Exclusion criteria: Children who were not in the second grade of primary school, were mainstreaming students, not wanting to participate in the study, and not being within reach for the necessary permissions to be given.
- Criteria for stopping the study: If the implementer is exposed to illness, accident, disability, etc. if the study causes psychological harm to the participants
Ethics
The research was conducted in line with ethical principles to protect the rights and confidentiality of the participants. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from a relevant ethics committee. Informed consent was obtained from all participants and their parents, ensuring they were fully informed about the study’s purpose, process, and possible effects. Participants retained the right to withdraw at any stage, and all data were handled confidentially for research purposes only.
Data Collection
Before starting the experimental procedures, the second Grade Reading Comprehension Achievement Test created by Ceran et al. (2015) was applied to the groups in the study to determine their reading comprehension levels in general.
Then, pretests were conducted to determine reading comprehension levels through two different types of texts selected by the researcher. After the experimental application, the same data collection tools were used again for the post-test application.
The texts selected for the collection of research data were considered to be texts that the students had not encountered before, to appeal to their interests, to be appropriate for their age group and level, and to be of sufficient length to allow measurements to be made. An informational text titled “We Do Sports” and a narrative text titled “Mermaid,” written for a second-grade elementary course and student workbook, were selected for use in the application.
Particular attention was paid to the fact that the questions prepared to determine the reading comprehension levels of the students were in an understandable style, suitable for the second-grade level of primary school and multiple choice questions. The reasons for preparing the questions as multiple-choice questions include the fact that in this study, only the effect of the reading speed acquired through speed reading techniques on the reading comprehension level was wanted to be determined and multiple-choice questions were more useful in terms of time. During the answering of open-ended classical questions, students’ written expression skills are also involved; even if they understand the question, the success level of the student who cannot answer in the desired way because of low written expression skills may also be low.
The second Grade Reading Comprehension Achievement Test developed by Ceran et al. (2015) was used to measure reading comprehension achievement levels.
This test was administered to 157 second grade students to conduct reliability studies. According to Karasar (2005), one of the most commonly used formulas for reliability calculations made with item statistics is the Kuder-Richardson-20 formula. In the KR-20 value, a score of “1” is coded for each correct answer and a score of “0” is coded for each incorrect answer given in the test items to determine internal consistency. Therefore, the KR-20 value was calculated for the reliability study of the reading comprehension achievement test and the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of the test was found to be .768. The standardized Cronbach’s Alpha was found to be .779. The reliability coefficient of the test was calculated as 0.88 (Ceran et al., 2015). According to Büyüköztürk (2002), this value being greater than .70 means that the test is reliable.
The second Grade Reading Comprehension Achievement Test, which is used as a measurement tool, has a total of 10 questions, and each question is calculated over 10 points, and the success percentage is revealed.
In the reading comprehension test of the informative text Why Should We Do Sports, there are 10 questions in total; the first 7 questions are evaluated as two points since they are intended to measure simple comprehension and the last three questions are evaluated as three points since they are prepared to measure deep comprehension.
There are 10 questions in the reading comprehension test of the narrative text The Mermaid; Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, which measure simple comprehension, are evaluated as two points, while Questions 6, 8, and 9 are evaluated as three points.
After the selection of the texts and the preparation of the questions, to determine the reading comprehension levels of the students, the informative text was first distributed to the whole class, they were asked to start reading at the same time, the student who finished reading indicated by raising his/her hand and this student was given the reading comprehension test of the text, and the student who finished the test was removed from the class. All students were allowed to complete the tests in this way and no time limit was imposed. Afterward, the same process was done for the narrative text, the reading comprehension achievement level was determined for both applications and then the average of these two tests was taken.
After the pretest measurements were completed, the plan, worksheets, student exercise book, teaching materials, and classroom environment to be used for the study were prepared by the researcher, the necessary permissions were obtained for the study to be conducted, and the application was carried out in the second semester of the 2018 to 2019 academic year.
In the study, while the activities in the primary school standard curriculum were applied to the control group, the experimental group was given speed reading techniques training for a total of 8 weeks and 2 days a week for 2 hr each (32 hr) in addition to the primary school standard curriculum activities. The study was designed to last 8 weeks and 32 hr;
- Dedebali’s (2008) study titled “The Effect of Speed Reading Technique on Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension Levels of Eighth Grade Students,” which was conducted with 48 eighth-grade students after a 4-week trial with 16 eighth-grade students and lasted 6 weeks,
- Bozan’s (2012) study titled “The Effect of Speed Reading Training on 10th Grade Students’ Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension Levels,” which was conducted with 82 students for 21 hr after a 5-week trial with 20 10th-grade students,
- Kaçar’s (2015) study titled “The Effect of Speed Reading Training on the Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension Levels of Middle School seventh Grade Students,” which was conducted with 44 people for 21 hr after a 21-hr pre-application with 7 seventh-grade students,
- Soysal’s (2015) study titled “The Effect of Speed Reading Techniques on the Reading Speed and Comprehension Levels of Fifth Grade Students,” which was conducted with 52 students for 32 hr after a 32-hr pre-application with 26 students, was effective. Because it was thought that a 21-hr application would not be efficient in terms of the permanence of what was learned for a student studying in the second grade of primary school, a 32-hr application consisting of 2 days and 2 hr each week could be more beneficial, and an experimental application lasting longer was not necessary in terms of research, and after receiving expert opinions, it was decided to carry out the application for 32 hr. The 8-week period during the study was sufficient to minimize the effect of the recollections of the pretests at the beginning of the application on the results of the post-test application.
During the training, the studies were generally directed toward two main goals, the first goal was to develop the eye muscles and the second goal was to increase the perception speed of the mind. During the training, examples of exercises from Karaeloğlu’s (2011) book, Speed Reading with Comprehension for Children, were copied and distributed to the students, and in addition to these exercises, the training was continued in line with the prepared plan with the exercises shown on the smart board. At the end of the 8 weeks, post-tests were administered and measurement results were recorded.
Data Analysis
In the study, the scores of the students were defined with mean and standard deviation values. The normality of the measurement data was analyzed with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Since all averages conformed to the normal distribution, the Independent Sample
Results
Results of the Normality Test
The results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test conducted for normality analysis are provided in Table 1.
Results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test Conducted for Normality Analysis.
As seen in the table, all scale averages conform to a normal distribution (
Findings Related to Sub-problems
Results Regarding the First Sub-problem
Is there a significant difference between the pre-test comprehension score averages and post-test comprehension score averages of informative texts between the experimental groups where speed reading technique is applied and the control groups where only activities in the standard language course program are implemented?
The analysis results for the first sub-problem are provided in Table 2.
Analysis Results for the First Sub-Problem.
As can be seen in Table 2, in both groups, informative text reading speeds were higher after the intervention. According to the results of the difference analysis, while the difference between the pre-test results of the experimental group and the control group was not significant (
Findings Related to the Second Sub-problem
2. Is there a significant difference between the mean pretest and posttest comprehension scores of the experimental groups in which the speed reading technique was applied and the control groups in which only the activities in the standard curriculum were applied?
The analysis analysis results related to the second sub-problem are given in Table 3.
Analysis Results Related to the Second Sub-problem.
In the narrative text, informative text reading speeds were higher in both groups after the intervention. According to the results of the difference analysis, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups before and after the intervention (
Findings Related to the Third Sub-problem
3. Do speed reading techniques affect comprehension scores in informative texts?
The results of the analysis related to the third sub-problem are given in Table 4.
Analysis Results Related to the Third Sub-problem.
According to the data in the table, higher comprehension scores were obtained in both groups in informative texts after the intervention compared to before the intervention. According to the results of the difference analysis, while the comprehension score increased statistically significantly in the experimental group (
Findings Related to the Fourth Sub-problem
4. Do speed reading techniques have an effect on comprehension scores in narrative texts? The analysis results related to the fourth sub-problem are given in Table 5.
Analysis Results Related to the Fourth Sub-problem.
In both groups, comprehension scores in narrative texts increased after the intervention. According to the results of the difference analysis, while the comprehension score increased statistically significantly in the experimental group (
Findings Related to the Fifth Sub-problem
5. Is there a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of pre-test and post-test scores of the reading comprehension achievement test for second graders?
The analysis results related to the fifth sub-problem are given in Table 6.
Analysis Results Related to the Fifth Sub-problem.
In both groups, achievement scores increased after the intervention. According to the results of the difference analysis, while the reading comprehension achievement score did not show a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups before the application (
Discussion
This study examined the effect of speed reading techniques on both the reading speed and comprehension levels of second-grade students. It primarily addressed the question of whether speed reading techniques significantly enhance reading speed among second-grade students. The findings reveal a statistically significant increase in reading speed within the experimental group post-intervention, indicating that speed reading techniques significantly enhance reading speed among second-grade students.
Furthermore, this study also aimed to investigate whether speed reading techniques significantly enhance reading comprehension among second-grade students. The findings suggest a positive effect, as evidenced by the improved scores in the experimental group in reading speed and comprehension. After 8 weeks of training in speed reading techniques, achievement tests were conducted to evaluate and compare the reading and comprehension skills of the student groups who received speed reading training and those who did not.
In addition to examining whether speed reading techniques affect the reading comprehension levels of second-grade primary school students, this study aims to examine whether there is a significant difference between the students who receive speed reading techniques training and the students who only work on standard lesson activities, between the comprehension levels of a narrative text and an informative text. This study differs from previous research in that it was conducted on second-grade primary school students.
At theend of the studies, it is similar to the previous studies (Akçamete, 1989; Akçamete & Güneş, 2019; Bozan, 2012; Coşkun, 2002; Dedebali, 2008; Kaçar, 2015; Soysal, 2015) in that the reading speed of students in the experimental group who received speed reading techniques training was higher than the control group students who did not receive this training. These findings are consistent with studies showing that speed reading techniques can significantly enhance reading fluency in younger students (e.g., Armagan & Genc, 2017; Cartwright et al., 2019). Similar results have been reported in research highlighting cognitive flexibility as a supporting factor for reading speed improvement (Peters et al., 2019; Rubin & Turano, 2022). Overall, these findings align with the existing literature, indicating that speed reading techniques can enhance both reading fluency and comprehension, particularly in younger learners. This aligns with the current educational strategies that emphasize the importance of reading interventions. There are domestic and foreign studies on speed reading in the literature, and it is reported that speed reading and reading comprehension will make positive contributions to education (Boakye, 2012; Pardede, 2010; Wang, 2014). Armagan and Genc (2017) reported in their study that time-keeping reading activities positively affected speed reading skills. Durukan (2013) reported that there was an inverse relationship between reading speed and comprehension level, but it was not statistically significant. Yen (2016) concluded that students who learn English as a foreign language can also carry out activities that improve reading speed and reading comprehension. These studies further validate the importance of integrating reading interventions in educational settings.
According to the research findings, the scores obtained from the reading speed measurements in both the experimental group and the control group before the experiment did not show a significant difference. Therefore, it is possible to state that the reading speeds in both groups were close to each other before the training. Therefore, the experimental and control groups used in the study are appropriate in terms of revealing the results of the training provided. The presence of significant differences between the groups before the training may be an obstacle to revealing the effect of the training. However, this was not the case in the sample and the sample selection was appropriate for the research. While the differences were not significant before the training, the differences became significant for these two score types after the training. Therefore, the speed reading techniques training had an effect on improving students’ reading and comprehension skills.
At this point, it should be considered that standard education over the 8 weeks would also enhance reading and comprehension skills due to students receiving education. While this study primarily focused on the short-term effects of speed reading techniques, previous research, including a systematic review by Peters et al. (2019), highlights the importance of considering long-term impacts. Studies suggest that speed reading techniques might yield even more pronounced benefits over extended periods, with consistent practice fostering sustained improvements in comprehension (Brysbaert, 2019; Peters et al., 2019). Future longitudinal studies could provide further insight into these long-term outcomes. Therefore, the results of both the experimental and control groups before and after the education were compared within each group.
Both in the experimental and control groups, success, reading time, and reading speed have statistically significantly increased compared to the initial values. In other words, reading speed skills have improved in both groups. In a study conducted by Cartwright et al. (2019), it was emphasized that cognitive flexibility supports reading fluency for both typical readers and low-achieving readers identified by teachers. This study draws attention to the importance of cognitive flexibility in improving students’ reading performance in classroom settings.
Another study by Rubin and Turano (2022) examined the effects of the absence of saccadic eye movements during reading and provided important insights into how speed reading techniques could influence eye movements during reading. Another study by Kocaarslan (2019) investigated the effects of reading speed, accuracy, and prosody on oral retelling in second-grade students and provided significant insights into how various aspects of reading performance can be improved. A meta-analysis and review conducted by Brysbaert (2019) provided a comprehensive evaluation of reading speed and offered an in-depth look into the potential effects of speed reading techniques on reading speed. A systematic review by Peters et al. (2019) discussed the effectiveness of dynamic visual attention interventions on reading in children with dyslexia and neurotypical children. These studies indicate that speed reading techniques and related interventions have the potential to increase reading speed and comprehension. Specifically, cognitive flexibility and optimization of eye movements are highlighted as playing significant roles in reading fluency and comprehension. In this context, our study findings are consistent with the relevant literature. Based on these findings, it is possible to state that the 8-week training provided as a speed reading technique contributes significantly to increasing children’s level of comprehension while reading. This contribution, when evaluated separately from the ongoing standard education process, can also be expressed to bring significant benefits of speed reading techniques to students.
Conclusion
This study aimed to examine the impact of speed reading techniques on the reading speed and comprehension levels of second-grade students. The findings demonstrate that students who participated in the 8-week speed reading training showed significant improvements in both reading speed and comprehension when compared to the control group, which followed the standard standard curriculum. These results underscore the potential of speed reading techniques to enhance foundational reading skills in young learners.
By addressing a gap in the literature, which has primarily focused on older students, this research contributes new insights into the effectiveness of speed reading techniques in early childhood education. While previous studies often concentrated on middle and high school students, this study shows that speed reading techniques can also benefit younger students in the early stages of literacy development.
The study has important implications for educators and curriculum developers. Implementing speed reading techniques in the early grades may not only improve students’ reading abilities but also equip them with the skills to handle the increasing demands of information processing in today’s fast-paced world. Furthermore, parental involvement is crucial to ensure that these techniques are reinforced outside the classroom and integrated into the students’ daily reading habits.
In conclusion, this study highlights the effectiveness of speed reading techniques in improving both reading speed and comprehension in young learners. By incorporating these techniques into early education, students can develop essential skills that will support their academic growth and success.
Limitations of the Study
Despite the valuable findings of this study, several limitations should be noted. First, the sample size was relatively small, consisting of 40 students from a single school, which may limit the generalizability of the results. Second, the study relied on only two texts to measure reading comprehension and speed, which may not fully represent the broader reading abilities of the students. Third, the study focused solely on the short-term effects of speed reading techniques, and future research should investigate the long-term impact on students’ reading development. Finally, external factors such as classroom environment and individual differences among students were not controlled, which could have influenced the outcomes. Future research could consider these variables to obtain more nuanced insights.
Suggestions for Future Studies
Based on the research results, the following suggestions can be made for relevant experts and advanced researchers:
The increase in both reading speed and comprehension levels observed in students after the completion of the 8-week application period highlights the importance of speed reading techniques in this regard. Therefore, it can be considered beneficial for classroom teachers to implement these techniques in their lessons. The literature review suggests that the application of speed reading techniques will demonstrate its effectiveness with a minimum of an 8-week practice. Continuing to implement these techniques throughout the academic year in parallel with lessons may be more beneficial for students to make it permanent and integrate them into their daily lives. The support of parents outside of school is also important for the integration of the technique into daily life, its more efficient use, and its permanence. Therefore, it is advisable to organize seminars to inform parents about the subject and to support them in helping their children before starting the implementation. Additionally, future studies could employ longitudinal designs to assess the long-term effects of speed reading techniques on reading and comprehension skills over multiple years. Cross-cultural research would also be beneficial in understanding how speed reading techniques perform across varied linguistic and cultural contexts, offering a broader perspective on their adaptability and effectiveness. Cross-comparisons can be made between different classes and age groups in the research, examining the situation of speed reading techniques in examples from different classes, branches, and cultural backgrounds. According to the research results, speed reading techniques have contributed to a significant improvement in students’ reading and comprehension levels. Therefore, more emphasis can be given to speed reading techniques in educational programs and content. The research can be expanded with a larger sample and more reading materials, thus spreading the research results to a wider framework.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements
The authors thank all participants for their contribution to this study and the parents for their cooperation.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Social Sciences and Humanities Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee (Reference Number: 159, November 19, 2018).
Consent to Participate
Informed consent was obtained from all participants; for minors, parental consent was also obtained.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author (Y.Ö.) upon reasonable request.