Speed Reading Article

Which one is right for you? Software vs. Seminar

Here at The Literacy Company, I am often asked the same question. "Can a software program really help me?" I am going to discuss the pros and cons of each, allowing you to answer the question for yourself.

I have came up with three areas to discuss and compare which I feel are the main issues that will help you make a decision; 1) Teaching Concepts and Methodologies, 2) Price & What's Included, 3) Training Metrics.

Teaching Concepts and Methodologies

Teaching enhanced reading skills is not rocket science; it's a matter of making it easy for individuals to understand what needs to be done and providing them with the tools to accomplish that. From my experience with seminars I hear the right things, get all excited, set goals for myself and then leave the seminar saying now what? Like everyone else other things come up in my life, making it hard to follow through with my goals.

With The Reader's Edge's built in Exercise Coach it's easy to stay focused and committed to your goals. It only takes 15 minutes of practice every other day for two weeks to see a recognizable increase in your new reading abilities. We're so confident it's possible, we guarantee it. When you begin using The Reader's Edge you're instructed to set a goal of what reading speed you want to achieve. As you progress, you can modify/increase your goals, making it easy to stay focused and on track.

Price & What's Included

In today's fast-paced world, time is money. Every minute/hour you spend doing anything costs money; either for you or your employer. When I really what to know the cost of something I create a Cost-Benefit Analysis. This allows me to find out how much it is going to cost me to invest/participate in something.

Take an individual that earns $30,000 per year and works 40 hours per week 52 weeks per year (2,080 hours/year). That person earns roughly $14.42 per hour and $0.24/minute. When this person goes to a seminar, he/she needs to allocate at least 8 hours of time to cover drive time, lunch, breaks, etc. That comes to (8 hours * $14.42/hour) $115.00; not including the cost of the seminar.

Of course, the total cost of a seminar is not wasted time or money. You will learn all about the concepts and the how & why improving your reading skills will improve your life. You also get the opportunity to network and meet with other individuals interested in the same thing, i.e., improving their life. This could be what you're looking for; it could also be a distraction from the main reason you went to the seminar in the first place... or the reason your employer sent you to the seminar.

Training Metrics

In the field of training, it is important to be able to measure success. Corporations spend time and money on training, but often find it hard to quantify the benefits of the training, i.e., did the employee or individual really improve themselves... and if so, what is the benefit to the corporation? Being able to measure and quantify results of training for employees is critical. The Reader's Edge includes progress reports and tests, making it easy to track improvement.

Take for instance the individual earning $30,000 per year. If that individual, while at work, spends only two hours/day reading, it would cost the company ($14.42 per hour * (5 hours per week * 52 weeks)) = $3,750 per year for the time that individual spends reading. If that individual improved their reading speed by only 5 minutes/hour, over a period of one year — it would result in a saving of $625 per year (2,600 minutes/year * $0.24).

What ever decision you make, software or seminar, make sure you choose a program that has the capabilities to measure your progress, and to continuously mentor you on how to improve your progress.

Take your reading skills to the next level with The Reader's Edge software. See how easy it is to improve your reading speed, comprehension, retention and recall with only 15 minutes of practice every other day. Get started today!