The Science of Speed Reading: Train Your Brain
Why Speed Matters for Brain Health
In the world of brain training, speed is often just as important as accuracy. Our newest game, Speed Read, is designed to target a specific cognitive skill known as Lexical Decision Making. This is the brain's ability to instantly recognize a string of letters as a real word or a non-word.
What is the "Speed Read" Game?
In Speed Read, you are presented with a series of words—some real, some fake—and you have just 60 seconds to sort them. It sounds simple, but it engages complex neural circuitry.
Your brain must perform a rapid "lookup" in your mental lexicon. By forcing this to happen quickly, you are training the efficiency of your language processing network.
The Cognitive Benefits
By training with high-frequency words (which make up ~50% of all written text), you reinforce the "sight word" recognition pathways. This means less stumbling over common words when you read books or articles, leading to smoother, faster reading.
Processing speed—the time it takes to perceive information and respond—naturally slows with age. Speeded tasks like this game require rapid visual processing and motor response (clicking or tapping), helping to keep these neural highways fast and efficient.
When you see a word like "TRAL," it looks like a real word. Your brain has to suppress the impulse to say "Yes" and analyze it more deeply. This inhibitive control is a key executive function located in the prefrontal cortex.
Why "High Frequency" Words?
We specifically chose the top 200 most common English words for the "Real" category. These are the building blocks of language. Recognizing them instantly (without needing to "sound them out") frees up your brain's resources to focus on comprehension and meaning rather than decoding. This is why "Speed Read" is such a powerful exercise for readers of all ages.
Ready to Train?
Challenge your reflexes and vocabulary today. Try to beat your high streak!