Speed Reading Training
Schulte Table
Train your peripheral vision by finding numbers in sequence. This classic speed reading exercise expands your visual field, reducing eye movements while reading.
Schulte Table
Find and click numbers in ascending order (1, 2, 3...) as fast as possible. Keep your eyes focused on the center and use your peripheral vision to spot the next number.
How Schulte Tables Improve Reading Speed
Expand Visual Field
Regular practice trains your eyes to perceive more information without moving. This means seeing entire phrases or sentences in a single fixation instead of reading word by word.
Reduce Eye Movements
Each eye movement (saccade) takes time. By training peripheral vision, you can reduce fixations by 30-50%, dramatically increasing reading speed.
Tips for Best Results
- 1Focus your eyes on the center of the grid
- 2Use peripheral vision to find numbers
- 3Practice daily for 5-10 minutes
- 4Gradually increase grid size as you improve
Schulte table FAQ
- What is a Schulte table?
- A Schulte table is a grid of randomly arranged numbers that you locate in order, as fast as possible, while holding your gaze on the centre. It was developed as an attention and visual search exercise and is widely used in speed reading training.
- What is a good Schulte table time?
- On a 5x5 grid, beginners typically take 40 to 60 seconds. Practised users reach 20 to 30 seconds, and under 15 seconds is fast. Times improve quickly at first and then plateau.
- Do Schulte tables actually improve reading speed?
- They reliably improve performance at the task itself and at visual search. Evidence that this transfers directly to reading speed is weaker than the speed-reading literature often implies — treat it as peripheral vision and attention practice rather than a guaranteed reading gain.
- How do you use a Schulte table correctly?
- Fix your eyes on the centre square and find each number in sequence using peripheral vision, without scanning around the grid. Scanning defeats the point of the exercise.
- What grid size should I start with?
- Start at 5x5. Move to larger grids only once your times have stabilised, since bigger grids mostly increase difficulty rather than change what is being trained.
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