Dubai: Students from Grades 6 to 8 participated in a speed-reading competition to help bolster language skills, organisers said.
More than 350 children from 60 schools participated, officials from OnlySuccess Learning Technologies said.
Company senior trainer Sampath Kumar said he helped students with last-minute tips to help boost speed-reading skills.
The student named Swiftest Reader of UAE was Roshan Prem Ramachandran, an 8th grade student at Al Diyafah School.
First runner up was Mehak Sood, 8th Grade, OOEHS Dubai followed by third-placed Mariam Abid, 7th Grade, Al Diyafah School.
Organisers said that the average student reads between 250 and 350 words per minute and that with training, that speed can be doubled or tripled moving students toward a 1,000 words per minute.
“Research has shown a close relation between speed and understanding; most children are able to increase their rate of reading considerably and rather quickly without lowering comprehension.
“These same individuals seldom show an increase in comprehension when they reduce their rate. Of course, such results are heavily dependent upon the method used to gain the increased rate,” said the organisers.
