Brief History of Speed Reading

Speed Reading methods began with Evelyn Woodcourses to accelerate the learning process. This
who invented it, while she was fishing, or rather feedingincluded methods of programming the brain and mind
bait to the fish via hook. She was bored when theyfor success.
weren't biting the hook, and she read. And accidentallyDr Jay Polmar completed his studies for his doctorate
she discovered that when put down the fishing rod,and began teaching classes in accelerated learning,
and held her hand a certain way, she could readspeed reading, and did private therapy in the reduction
faster. Evelyn was a teacher, and developed severalof psychologically developed disease using methods of
speedreading methods. She coined the term speedtherapies with several hundred patients in Texas and
reading.New Mexico. In 1980 his first class of Dynamic Speed
As time went on, organizations called Evelyn WoodReading was given to series of volunteers in Texas
Reading Dynamics were springing up all over the US,and New Mexico. This course was abbreviated from
and throughout many of the English-speaking countries.the Evelyn Wood 25 hour version, down to a 7 hour
Major corporations sent their executives to learn thisintensive. He was asked to teach these methods in
new dynamic speed reading method which provided aNew Mexico, in Colleges, and New Mexico's State
valuable educational tool. President John F. Kennedy,Universities and in a New Mexico prison.
and President Jimmy Carter had all White House staffIn 1985, the Dr Polmar was invited to teach these
members trained with the Evelyn Wood method. Formetods in Nevada and Hawaii, time and time again. Dr
about 25 hours students would study speedreadingPolmar maintained a functional schedule of teaching
and practice the pacing, and scanning techniques ofthrough 1993. Although injured in 1991, he returned to
speed reading until proficient.teach only in 1992-1993. In 1994 he had multiple
Then, after the death of John Kennedy and the deathsurgeries, although he requested the alternative of
of Evelyn Wood, the organization slowly disappearedacupuncture for the injury, the State of Florida, which
and students searched everywhere for classes tothen forced treatment methods on injured people,
learn speed reading. From 1965 to 1981 speed readingpressured Jay to have surgeries. After catching Staph
courses had reached a lull with few teachers and noinfections in septic hospitals, and requiring more than
PR or advertising.two dozens surgeries, many which were not
In 1979, after completing three months of travel in Latinsuccessful, Dr. Polmar would never be able to teach
America, Jay Polmar returned to Southern Texas andclasses.
began his graduate degree ending in 1981 in PhilosophyThen he put his abilities of teaching online, addressing
of Psychology, using a specialization in Education, andstudents worldwide of his easy to learn speed reading
Hypnotherapy. Writing a paper on the Fine Tuning ofmethods and speedreading courses that have
the Human Instrument (the Human Body) andbettered education for thousands.
techniques of educational success, he developed