Best Speed Reading Courses: Real Options and How to Choose One That Works

The best speed reading course is one that trains previewing, pacing and flexible reading speed while measuring comprehension, not just words per minute. A good course helps you read faster on easy material and stay careful on hard material. A bad one sells you impossible numbers.

Below you’ll find well-known courses worth looking at, what to expect from them, the red flags to avoid and a checklist to choose the right one for your goals.

What speed reading can and can’t do

Before choosing a course, it helps to set realistic expectations.

Reading researchers have looked closely at speed reading claims. A well-known review led by psychologist Keith Rayner, published in 2016, concluded that there is a trade-off between speed and comprehension: when people read much faster than normal, they understand less.

That doesn’t make courses useless. What a good course can realistically do:

• cut wasted time from distraction and unnecessary re-reading;
• teach you to preview and skim so you know what to read closely;
• help you adjust your pace to the text and your goal;
• improve focus and retention with active reading habits.

What no course can honestly promise: reading a book in minutes with full comprehension.

Speed reading courses worth considering

These are established, real options. Check current content, format and prices on each site before you buy, since they change over time.

Iris Reading

Iris Reading offers online speed reading and memory courses. Its courses focus on practical techniques like previewing, reducing subvocalization and improving comprehension, and are a good fit if you want a structured program.

Kwik Reading (Jim Kwik)

Jim Kwik is a well-known brain coach and the author of Limitless. His speed reading program, Kwik Reading, teaches techniques like using a visual pacer and reducing regression, in short video lessons. It suits people who like a motivational, coach-style approach.

Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics

Evelyn Wood popularized speed reading in the United States in the late 1950s, and her method, with its emphasis on using the hand as a guide, influenced most courses that came after. It’s more of historical reference today, but you’ll see its ideas everywhere.

Udemy and other course marketplaces

Platforms like Udemy host many speed reading courses from independent instructors. Quality varies a lot, so read the reviews, watch the preview lessons and use the checklist below before enrolling.

The free route: books and practice

If you prefer to learn on your own, a few good books can teach most of the techniques. How to Read a Book, by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren, is a classic on reading with purpose and understanding. My list of the best books on speed reading has more options.

What a good course teaches

1. Previewing and skimming: getting the structure of a text before reading it.
2. Pacing: using a guide to keep your eyes and attention moving.
3. Reducing regression: stopping unnecessary re-reading.
4. Flexible speed: fast for easy material, slow for dense material.
5. Comprehension and memory: recall, notes and review, so you keep what you read.
6. Measurement: words per minute and comprehension, from day one.

If a course only talks about speed and never measures comprehension, skip it.

Red flags to avoid

• Promises of thousands of words per minute with full comprehension.
• “Photographic reading” or “reading a page at a glance”.
• No free sample lessons and no refund policy.
• Exercises only on special texts, never on the books you actually read.
• Testimonials with dramatic numbers and no explanation of how they were measured.

Free vs paid speed reading courses

Free options (YouTube lessons, blog guides, classic books) can teach you the techniques. What they usually lack is structure, feedback and accountability.

Paid courses are worth it when they give you a clear daily plan, a way to measure progress and someone to answer your questions. A money-back guarantee lets you try without much risk.

A checklist before you buy

• Does it measure comprehension, not only speed?
• Is there a daily routine that fits your schedule (10 to 20 minutes)?
• Can you ask the instructor questions?
• Is there a refund guarantee?
• Will you practice with the books you actually read?
• Are the promises realistic?

My own course

Full transparency: I created the Smart Reading Challenge, so I’m not neutral here. It’s a 21-day program of short daily missions, 5 to 10 minutes a day, covering previewing, pacing, focus, memory and turning what you read into action. It focuses on reading better, not on extreme speed numbers.

Learn more before choosing

If you’d rather start on your own, read how to speed read with comprehension, try a few speed reading apps and see the benefits of speed reading to decide whether it’s worth your time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best speed reading course?

There’s no single best course for everyone. Choose one that teaches previewing, pacing and flexible speed, measures comprehension as well as speed, fits a 10 to 20 minute daily routine and offers a refund guarantee.

Do speed reading courses really work?

They can help you read more efficiently by reducing distraction and re-reading and by teaching you to skim and preview. Research shows that reading much faster than normal usually lowers comprehension, so be skeptical of extreme claims.

Are there free speed reading courses?

Yes. YouTube lessons, blog guides and books like How to Read a Book can teach the main techniques for free. What free options usually lack is structure and accountability.

How long does a speed reading course take?

Most courses are designed for a few weeks of short daily practice. Lasting results come from keeping the habits after the course ends.

What should a speed reading course teach?

Previewing and skimming, pacing with a guide, reducing regression, adjusting speed to the text, and techniques to understand and remember what you read.