Iris Reading Review 2024 – All Classes

Read and learn faster with Iris Reading live and online classes.

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While we often hear about the disappearance of books or newspapers as viable media in an increasingly digital world, reading still plays an essential part in our lives. If you feel like you never have the time to read everything you want, speed reading might be the answer.

Iris Reading (view website) will teach you the techniques to help you get through more material in less time. Whether you are a student buried under textbooks, a professional trying to keep up with the newest information in your field, or just someone who enjoys learning, you can take advantage of learning to read fast and effectively.

Iris Reading – Overview

The company – Iris Reading, one of the largest providers of speed reading courses, offers classes in person and online to boost your reading pace, develop your comprehension, and boost your ability to retain information. They have taught courses at dozens of major universities, government agencies, and corporations like Google, Microsoft, and Disney.

The concept – Rather than focus on speed alone, Iris Reading stresses the importance of four essentials of learning: reading, memory, productivity, and focus. They suggest that, with practice, students should expect to improve their reading speed by two to three times.

How to learn – There are two options to learn with Iris Reading: Attending a live class in person or enrolling in one of their online classes. We review both options below.

1. Iris Reading – In-Person Classes

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Various cities – For those who want a directed, hands-on experience, Iris Speed Reading offers in-person classes (view website) in major cities in the United States and around the world, including New York, Boston, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Toronto, and London. The courses are designed to provide a more immersive experience and engage your senses to become an efficient reader.

Duration – While the length of classes varies, the classes generally last four hours with breaks. Most are in the morning, but afternoon classes are sometimes available. All in-person classes include the materials needed for the class and additional practice tools and a certificate of completion.

Schools, organizations – Iris also schedules training for schools and organizations if you have a large group that might benefit from learning effective speed reading strategies.

Iris Reading – Foundation Live Class

In the introductory class, your teacher will cover basic information about how we read and the techniques needed to develop your pace. You will learn how to break the bad habits (regression, subvocalization) that slow your reading down and limit your comprehension.

IRIS Method – The focus of the foundation course is the IRIS Method, which is geared toward the written page. Iris Reading recognizes that we read much of our text on screens these days, so you will also learn about increasing your speed while reading on the computer or other devices like your phone or tablet.

After covering the basics, you will discuss the techniques suitable for different types of material, like informational content, news, and fiction. The class is not just about reading, however. You will also learn important and practical strategies for improving your memory and increasing your focus.

Exercises – The class is not entirely lecture-based. Much of the class will involve exercises and practice drills to demonstrate the techniques discussed. These short activities provide hands-on experience, and it is helpful to have a teacher nearby to answer questions or address any issues you might have with the techniques.

Iris Reading – Mastery Live Class

This advanced Iris Reading class is designed for students who have already completed the foundation class, either online or in person. It is ideal for readers who understand the basic techniques of accelerated reading and effective memory but want to push their practice even further. The class covers advanced strategies for reading and memory to help you get more out of the reading you do every day.

Small groups – With classes limited to 10 students, you should expect a more intimate experience with personalized attention. You will learn how to focus more while reading and cover advanced techniques to minimize subvocalization. You will also cover techniques to train your eyes to read words in groups rather than one by one. Other advanced learning strategies include Spaced Learning and visualization.

In-depth – Iris Speed Reading Mastery dives deeper into specific details about how to tailor your reading to the given situation. You will learn more about customizing your reading strategy for news articles versus business books or content with lots of technical information. By the end of this advanced workshop, you will be prepared for Iris’s most daunting challenge: reading a book per day.

Iris Bootcamp – Virtual Instruction

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If you don’t have time to attend a class, Iris Bootcamp webinars (view schedule) are a good alternative. The Bootcamp is virtual instruction to learn speed reading and memory skills distributed over 5 live webinars, one per week.

Compared to the Iris online classes, which I discuss below, the Bootcamp has scheduled training, and participants will need to sign up. CEO Paul Nowak usually holds these bootcamps and you will have the chance and time to ask your questions in the Q&A sessions. There will be reading speed assessments as well.

Verdict Iris Live Classes

If you like instruction and guidance from an expert, or if you like the motivation and social dynamics of learning along with others, an Iris Reading in-person class will be a good fit.

Rating: ★★★★★
Pricing: from $199.
Website: View All Cities and Classes.

2. Iris Reading – Online Classes

images of Iris Speed Reading training

Iris Reading (view website) also offers its courses online, e.g. Iris Speed Reading Foundation, Mastery, and Advanced Comprehension & Memory. Each course includes video lectures, a certificate of completion, and bonus content like eBooks or PDFs. The videos can be streamed or downloaded, and they are compatible with mobile devices.

Iris Reading – Foundation Online

image of iris reading - foundation course

The introductory class (view website) is based on Iris Reading’s in-person class and includes over 5 hours of content in 16 videos. The foundation workshop is ideal for learners who have no experience with speed reading. It covers the most important topics with a focus on pace, comprehension, and retention.

The first few lessons will cover the essential concepts of accelerated reading in videos from 45 minutes to just over an hour. The remaining content comes in shorter videos (typically 10 minutes or less) and covers reading on digital devices, reading in different genres, and how to use the Iris Reading AccelaReader program.

The class also provides information on useful reading resources like:

  • Kindle for Desktop
  • Wordle
  • Project Gutenberg
  • Chrome Extensions for focus

Summary – While the video content can be digested quickly, improvements in reading pace and comprehension take practice. Fortunately, students receive lifetime access to all materials, so you can go back and revisit techniques and strategies that you might have forgotten. Once you’re confident in your new abilities, you might want to move on to the more advanced Iris Speed Reading online workshop.

Iris Reading – Mastery Online

image of iris reading - mastery course

With over 7 hours of content available in 10 lessons, the Iris Reading Mastery course (view website) provides the techniques you need to reach your peak reading performance.

There are exercises available for practicing these advanced strategies. Memory and comprehension play an important role in the advanced course and several lessons cover essentials like Spaced Learning for improved memory and tips for retaining comprehension at higher speeds.

Lessons include:

  • Reading groups of words
  • Reducing sub-vocalization
  • Training the eyes for speed reading
  • Sharpening your focus

Students might pay particular attention to this tutorial because it offers a bonus lesson covering reading strategies designed for standardized tests like ACT/SAT, GRE, and LSAT.

Iris Reading – Advanced Comprehension & Memory Online

image of iris reading - memory class

For those concerned more with understanding and remembering what they read, Iris Reading offers a special course for comprehension and memory that includes over 14 hours of content in 30 videos (view website). It doesn’t focus solely on reading and provides strategies for remembering important details like dates and passwords.

Beginning with reading comprehension, this workshop covers the techniques for getting the most out of what you are currently reading. You’ll learn about how the 80/20 Rule can benefit your ability to grasp information and boost comprehension while using devices like the Kindle. You also receive valuable knowledge about tailoring your reading strategy to the content you wish to understand.

When it comes to memory, this Iris Reading class covers basic mnemonic devices and other strategies to have a stronger and faster recall. It also provides information about classic memory techniques like:

  • The Link System
  • The Peg System
  • The Memory Palace System
  • Using visualization to remember numbers

Summary – Even more than the introductory and advanced workshops, which offer information about memory and comprehension, this class provides a system for improving your learning in multiple areas. It is great for students, but it also has plenty of useful strategies for everyday and professional use.

Additional workshops

Right now, there are a total of nine Iris Reading video courses available. Apart from the three core tutorials, there are six supplemental offers aiming to expand your skills further.

We recommend the productivity class, but Iris Reading also offers options to remember names better, improve communication, or better take notes. If you plan to get one of those core tutorials, you may want to consider Iris’s all-in-one bundle.

Iris Reading – All-in-One Course Bundle

While the general idea is based on a module system with students being able to pick the skill they need separately, you may also consider their All-in-one package consisting of the modules mentioned above. While the content is the same, the biggest benefit is its price.

You can usually save 30%, however, there is no upgrade option if you simply want to get started and decide later to jump in. The bundle is suitable for those who want to master speed reading as a whole and think Iris Reading is the provider to trust and go with.

Rating: ★★★★☆
Pricing: $50-100 per module. Discounted All-in-One bundles are available.
Website: View all modules and offers.

Iris Speed Reading – Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Iris Reading in-person classes are available for those who like more guidance.
  • Lifetime access is provided for online materials.
  • Online videos can be streamed or downloaded for offline viewing. (There is even an option for DVDs if you have trouble accessing the videos online.)
  • Different workshops are available for beginner and advanced students.
  • Information covers reading in a variety of formats and genres.

Cons:

  • The quality of in-person classes can vary depending on the teacher.
  • Many of the strategies are well-known techniques that may be found through other courses, though not delivered in the same quality of teaching.

Iris Reading Alternatives: Become a SuperLearner | Spreeder | 8 Speed Reading Techniques

Iris Reading Review – The Verdict

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Iris Reading Classes – In-Person & Online

Iris Reading (view website) is one of the most popular and trusted names in the field of learning to read fast and effectively. They offer a variety of courses to meet your reading and learning needs.

If you find yourself buried in assigned reading for school or have trouble keeping up with your job’s reading demands, you would likely benefit from the introductory course.

However, if you are already familiar with the basics of speed reading but would like to see how you can improve your efficiency, comprehension, or memory, you might consider one of the advanced courses.

Have you attended an Iris Reading class? Please share your tips and experiences in the comments below.

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