What is the Best Speed Reading Course?

A tour of the best online and live speed reading courses

Best speed reading course - popular classes

Knowing how to speed read can be very beneficial for those who study or work in jobs that demand reading loads of documents.

While reading can be improved by practice in general, it is generally recommended to consider a course to achieve faster reading speeds and enhanced comprehension. We review some of the best speed reading courses 2024 that are available online.

Iris ReadingSpreederRev It Up ReadingSuperLearner
iris speed reading course logosmall logo image of spreeder speed reading courselogo image of rev it up reading coursesmall image of the SuperLearner Course
View Course
from $50
★★★★☆
View Course
from $9
★★★★★
View Course
from $49
★★★★★
View Course
from $11.99
★★★★☆

1. Iris Speed Reading Courses

logo image of Iris Speed Reading Course

Iris Reading (view website) is a globally recognized and trusted provider of speed reading courses. The online and live classes are ideal for those who wish to improve their reading speed and comprehension systematically.

The Iris course system particularly addresses college students, professionals and individuals. Online courses start at $50. Live classes start from $199.

Foundation Course

image of The Foundation Speed Reading Course by Iris

The Foundation course (view course website) aims to improve your reading speed and introduce you to the different concepts of speed reading. It also provides information, strategies, and exercises to strengthen your comprehension and retention skills. The latter will be essential to understand, process, and remember information.

The Foundation course includes 16 instructional video lessons and over 5-hours of content and essential materials and several bonuses, among them the eBook “Focus” by Leo Babauta and a report with 30 tips to improve memory skills. This is the best speed reading course for beginners.

Mastery Course

image of The Mastery Speed Reading Course by Iris

This is an advanced online class introducing more complex techniques such as word group reading or high-speed comprehension strategies. It will also teach methods to comprehend materials with more technical content.

The Mastery course is suitable for those who already have basic speed reading skills or completed the Foundation course. It will also help students apply techniques on ACT, SAT, GRE, or LSAT tests. 12 instructional video webinars provide over 7 hours of content.

Advanced Comprehension & Memory Course

image of The Comprehension & Memory Speed Reading Course by Iris

This Iris course aims to take your comprehension skills to the next level and focus on memory techniques to increase vocabulary. It includes 30 instructional videos and 14 hours of unique content covering topics on reading fiction and non-fiction material most effectively.

As a bonus, you will get ‘The Substitute Word System’ and three educational guides that expand on the topic. It’s the best class if you want to focus on reading retention.

Iris In-Person Classes

Iris offers reading improvement courses and workshops in many cities in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., India, and other countries. In-person courses are available in Atlanta, Beijing, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Toronto or Seattle, and many other places.

The main aim is to strengthen your capability to read faster without sacrificing comprehension. Students will also learn to approach different levels of reading material more effectively and remember information using specific memorization techniques.

Which speed reading course is the best?
Whether online or in-person, beginners should consider the popular Foundation course and then continue either with the Mastery or Comprehension class. All online modules can be downloaded and used on mobile devices.

Pricing: Online from $50 (view courses). Iris Live Classes from $199 (view cities).
Rating: ★★★★★★

2. Rev It Up Reading 3.0

logo image of the Rev it Up Reading Course

Revitup Reading (view course website) is a well-known online course created by speed reading expert Abby Marks Beale who has more than 25 years of experience teaching accelerated reading techniques.

It’s a compact and time-efficient online speed reading course designed for students, individuals, professionals, and institutions. The main benefit is to learn speed reading from a trusted, recognized, and highly approachable teacher. Students can write Abby anytime by clicking the E-mail button located on the course screen interface.

Course Structure
There are nine strategic training modules, every 30 minutes in length, which will teach you accelerated reading techniques and concepts. They will also provide additional information on many other topics related to efficient reading. 17 timed exercises let you practice what you have learned.

The total course time is about 5 hours in length. However, you can come back to every single module for a duration of 7/90/365 days, depending on your subscription plan and your need to practice knowledge. Additionally, you will get a copy of Abby’s eBook “10 Days to Faster Reading”.

Tracking
You can monitor your progress when running the exercises and via a self-evaluation of habits assessment.

Verdict
We think this is one of the best speed reading courses available, designed for those with little time or need to quickly improve skills because they face exams or challenges in their daily job. There are various day passes available, depending on how long you wish to access or repeat certain course modules. We recommend the 90-day pass (see coupon below). Rev It Up Reading can also be accessed on tablets.

Day Passes: $49/7-days | $199/90-days | $299/365-days.
Website: View course website. Use REV2024SPL to save 50% (90-days, 365-days).
Rating: ★★★★★★

3. Become a SuperLearner – Speed Reading

course image of the Become A SuperLearner 2.5 Speed Reading Course

Become a SuperLearner 2.5 (view course website) is a popular Udemy speed reading course with a strong focus on learning and memory improvement. It will teach you to read faster, comprehend, and retain more through a series of memory hacks and techniques applied by memory record-holders and the world’s fastest readers.

Learning Outcome
The main goal of this course is to raise your reading and memory awareness to learn more, faster, and with higher accuracy. You will learn to apply proven techniques to boost memory retention and, therefore, long-term learning. SuperLearner 2.5 is also an interactive course, hence, you will get the most out of it when participating in exercises, assignments and community talks.

Boosting Memory
Develop your retention skills through a set of tasks and games that revolve around visual memory and concept development, such as mind mapping. I really liked the exercises to learn to group information into chunks to process them faster. Another one is learning how to create a memory palace.

Boosting Learning and Reading Speed
Once you complete the previous milestone, you are ready to improve your learning process. In this part, you will include the hacks you have mastered earlier while also applying techniques to speed up your pace. The course is a strict step-by-step training, as the teachers want you to have a good memory first.

SuperLearner 2.5 includes many other features. The instructors will show you how to apply your skills in other areas such as language learning or recalling faces and names. Furthermore, there will be quizzes for better comprehension and fun games.

Verdict
Become a SuperLearner 2.5 is certainly one of the most interesting speed reading courses available. Version 2 is also a major step up from the previous edition. All tasks, exercises, and information have been optimized and extended. If you want a focus on retention skills, then this might be a good choice. With an average price tag of $12.99 during promotions, it is also a very affordable one.

Pricing – from $11.99! (view course). Sale: Get courses for $11.99!
Alternatively, browse all courses on Udemy. Sale – 95% Off!
Rating: ★★★★★★

4. Become a Learning Machine 2.0

course image of The Become a Learning Machine Speed Reading Course

Become a Learning Machine (view course) will teach you how to read 300 books a year. However, this isn’t a pure speed reading course as you might think but rather one showing you a technique on effectively handling non-fiction books from a workflow perspective.

Instructor Brandon Hakim will share the secrets he learned from Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and other highly successful people enabling you to read one book every day.

What you will learn
This course isn’t suitable for reading more fiction books but for extracting information from non-fiction material most efficiently. Parts of the course will cover topics such as what to read (and when), reading habits, sticking to time schedules, a positive mindset, or setting the right learning environment. It’s all about techniques here.

Action Plan
New knowledge is useless if you cannot apply it in real life. The second part aims to develop an action plan you can apply to every single bookcrossing your hands. From skimming and scanning to taking notes or skipping irrelevant parts, students will learn how to quickly extract core information and decide whether this book is worth a deeper look or go back onto the shelf.

Verdict
A great course to increase your yearly output of non-fiction reading by sticking to an action plan and applying effective techniques shared by successful entrepreneurs. This course combines well with “Become a SuperLearner” (both Udemy) since that course will focus on memory techniques and reading comprehension.

Pricing – from $11.99. Sale.
Not the right one? Browse all courses on Udemy. Sale: 95% Off!
Rating: ★★★★★☆

5. eyeQ Advantage

cover image of The eyeQ Advantage Speed Reading Course

eyeQ Advantage takes a somewhat different approach in this particular field. Whereas other online speed reading courses encourage you to increase your rate of reading by scanning paragraphs with techniques taught prior, eyeQ focuses on training your eye instead and improving its muscle responsiveness. How is summarized below:

Exercises
There are 17 unique exercises that are patented and vastly improve your eyes’ ability to read sentences at a faster rate. They train their focus and stamina by giving you numerous flashing images that you have to follow around the screen and sentences lifted from texts that you have to adapt your reading style to read properly.

Content
The texts utilized throughout eyeQ Advantage are also full of fun and interesting facts. Most of them may not be able to take in at first due to the speed of the course, but it is a nice usability feature that did not go unnoticed.

Color Schemes
eyeQ also utilizes color schemes and tests to ensure that you get the most out of its course. These color schemes often have the same effect as the exercises, as they force your eye to focus on what is necessary as opposed to everything on the screen.

Statistics
There are also detailed and numerous statistics available to you as soon as you finish your daily course, which is just 7 minutes a day of exercise.

If there is one criticism to be had of eyeQ Advantage, it is that it feels more like an eye training resource than a speed reading course. Whilst some focus is given to digesting blocks of text, by and large, it trains your eye for rapid movement, not comprehension of text. You can take the free demo and see for yourself just how effective it is!

Pricing: $12/month or $99/ year for individuals.
Rating: ★★★★★☆

6. RocketReader Online

Rocket Reader is a very popular speed reading course and web-based application that allows individuals to read with accuracy and speed while fully eradicating the mistakes of reading.

The tutorial will teach a technique known as ‘word group training’ that makes users read in blocks instead of reading text word by word. Rocket Reader gives users a lot of autonomy and control as they can adjust the speed as well as reading level in accordance with their reading skills.

The online course incorporates pre-built exercises and texts, each of which lasts for about 15-20 minutes. The exercises have to be gone through daily to eliminate the three common mistakes of reading including subvocalization, skipping back and gulping down words.

RocketReader Online Course Features

Import Text
Rocket Reader permits users to import their choice of documents (even articles) from their computer and practice them on its web application.

Focus On Vocabulary
Rocket Reader prompts users to improve their vocabulary by making them go through comprehension. Most of the other reading courses don’t have this feature. Rocket Reader not only focuses on speed reading but also on improving the user’s vocabulary.

Categorized Text
All of the text that Rocket Reader comes with is categorized in different categories such as science, fiction, history and so on. It does not contain pre-loaded eBooks as most reading course programs do.

Aside from the aforementioned features of Rocket Reader, there are other noteworthy features in this reading course as well. These include:

  • Recording of test score
  • Exercises and routines
  • Progress tracking
  • Comprehension tests
  • Customized text
  • Password protection
  • Ability to create several different accounts
  • Allows users to import self-created documents and content from websites
  • Reading material is adjusted according to user’s reading skills
  • Timed tests to increase efficiency

Cons

  • Simple UI
  • Slightly expensive when compared to other courses
  • No customer support is available on the phone
  • No multi-language text is available
  • Lacks pre-built eBooks
  • No eye training exercises
  • Rocket Reader Round-Up

Is Rocket Reader the best speed reading course? I’d rather leave it up to you. The course is expensive but it guarantees effectiveness and prompt results. Some features such as the ability to load documents from the internet or saved user files, multiple user accounts and easy customization make it stand out from its competition. However, the UI also looks somehow outdated.

Pricing: from $139/3 months for individuals.
Rating: ★★★★☆☆

7. LinkedIn Speed Reading Course

cours eimage of the Lynda Learning Speed Reading Course

LinkedIn Learning is a popular eLearning platform offering thousands of courses. They run a subscription-based model. If you already have an account with LinkedIn you can enroll in the ‘Learning Speed Reading’ course which is instructed by Paul Nowak, the founder of Iris Reading.

Overview
This is certainly not a full replacement for an online or in-person Iris class, however, it is suitable for beginners and to get started. Similar to their Foundation course, you will learn to improve speed and comprehension rates based on techniques such as previewing, reading word groups and understanding Pareto’s 80/20 principle.

Memory skills
Another goal is to improve retention skills. There is no reason to do fast reading if you cannot recall what you have read. Some basics and techniques will be taught in this section. If memory is our main interest, you may want to check out specific Iris classes (scroll above) or have a look at the ‘Become a SuperLearner’ course.

Verdict
LinkedIn Learning’s Speed Reading course is good to get started and ideal if you already have an account with them. With Paul Nowak as your instructor, you will also learn from a teacher who is well-known in his field. At the end of the course, you will know the basic techniques to read various types of media more efficiently.

Pricing: from $25/month.
Rating: ★★★★★☆

Summary

Enrolling in an Iris speed reading course (view website) is a good way to learn how to read fast, without losing your ability to comprehend. Founder Paul Nowak will be your teacher, who is a well-known expert in the field of fast reading. Read our Iris Reading review if you wish more information.

Rev It Up Reading is a very compact course for professionals and students that doesn’t take much time and your teacher, Aby, is one of the best experts in the field of reading improvement. Both classes can be seen as the best online speed reading course systems available.

A very good and affordable alternative to the two courses mentioned above is Udemy’s Become A SuperLearner 2. What I like about this course are its strong focus on memory improvement, good video teaching, and audio quality. It’s also interactive so you won’t be left alone as you can ask questions at any time.

RocketReader is also a well-designed course, though it lacks a few features such as ebook support or eye-training modules. The latter again is the focus of eyeQ, so if you plan to train your eyes’ muscle responsiveness to read faster you may want to give them a go.

However, the benefits that you will get from the classes will also be dependent upon how you respond to the approach used in training. It is important to determine if enrolling in an online training course works better for you than attending a speed reading class in-person.

What is the best speed reading course 2024?

  1. Spreeder
  2. Rev it Up Reading
  3. Become a SuperLearner 2.5
  4. Iris Reading
  5. eyeQ Advantage
  6. Rocket Reader
  7. Become a Learning Machine
  8. LinkedIn Learning Speed Reading

Other Courses and Tools

1. SummarizeThis. This tool offers help in summarizing information for those who do not have enough time to read long materials. It makes use of a unique algorithm that provides users with the most relevant information about the material that they wish to read. It also acts as an efficient knowledge management tool designed to help users in boosting their productivity.

2. AccelaReader. This free online tool is highly customizable and can help raise your reading speed by up to fifty percent, provided you use it the right way. It helps in improving your reading speed by showing words on the screen and allowing you to read based on your specified speed. It also features adjustable settings such as text and chunk size and words per minute.

3. AceReader Online. It refers to a speed reading course based on the web that utilizes research-based and patented technology. It can enhance your reading and comprehension skills through its more than one hundred tests, drills, games and exercises. It also comes with graphs and analytics designed to monitor your progress.

Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Feel free to ask questions if you plan to attend a course in 2024 and need assistance.

Sources: What is dyslexia? – 1 | What is speed reading? – 2

10 Comments

  1. Thank you for this list! DO you have a recommendation for a person entering law school, who wishes to increase their reading speed and comprehension?

  2. Any recommendations for a 12 year old who loves to read? I would like for her to get a competitive advantage in school.

    1. Any of the courses listed above can help improve learning capacities. There are also tutorials and resources on our website to get you started. However, if you look for a more structured approach then a course with games might spark enough motivation for a 12-year old to stay focused. Please see the table at the top for inspiration.

  3. Marie-Claude says:

    Hi, I am 65 years old and I wish, after a serious health issues, to brush up and improve my reading and memory. What class do you suggest?

  4. Ellen Clark says:

    I need a speed reading course that will help me get through all the reading required in graduate school as I am working on my doctorate and have run into course reading plus dissertation reading requirements. I am a very slow reader with great comprehension, but that won’t help if I can’t get my assignments done on time. Is there any suggestions you have?

    1. Hi Ellen, all the courses mentioned above will help you improve your reading performance. The most popular ones are certainly 7 Speed Reading and Iris Reading. However, in your case, I would probably consider Rev It Up Reading (personal contact with teacher) or Become a SuperLearner (affordable; includes memory techniques) . See detailed descriptions above.

  5. Thanks for the roundup! I’m looking for programs/courses that could spark the interest of a lazy teenager. He starts book after book but he almost never finishes one and it’s such a shame, he devoured book after book until his 9th grade. I have to admit I’ve never heard of some of these courses so I have to see what sparks Mason’s interest. I think it would be wiser to go for a course that offers a monthly plan so we can switch it up if he doesn’t like it.

    1. Rebecca, the best course would be the one providing life time access. Iris Reading or SuperLearner both offer unlimited access to their courses. Furthermore, yourself can watch the video tutorials and practice the exercises and improve reading speed and memory.

  6. Can you get graduate or cde credit for any of these speed reading courses?

    1. This all depends on the developers or company behind the course, but they usually will offer you a certificate that you have completed a course..

Comments are closed.