Free Visual Speed & Span Trainer

Last updated: September 2026 · Free forever, no signup · Honest expectations — read the fine print below.

Here is the honest headline, up front: this tool trains visual attention and reading pace. It does not raise IQ. Research on visual training (Bavelier's action-game studies, the ACTIVE trial's speed-of-processing training) shows real, measurable gains — but they are specific: faster visual attention, wider useful field of view, better tracking of moving objects. Nobody has shown these transfer into general intelligence. Train the skill, enjoy the skill, don't buy the miracle.

The 10-Minute Daily Program

Three phases, ten minutes a day. Each phase targets one visual skill. Do them in order — the skills stack.

Phase 1 — Saccadic Agility: the "Jump" Drill (3 min)

Goal: faster, more accurate eye jumps between fixation points — the saccades your eyes make while reading.

1. Open a dense page of text and mentally divide each line into three equal chunks (or use mode 2, Saccadic Grid Sweep, which does this for you).
2. Fixate only on the center of each chunk, moving line by line as fast as you can while still following the meaning.
3. Pacing: use a metronome app at 120 BPM, one click per line. When that feels easy, raise it toward 180–240 BPM. The point isn't the number — it's staying in the "challenging but doable" zone.

Phase 2 — Peripheral Span: the "Wide-Gate" Drill (3 min)

Goal: widen your useful field of view so you pick up 3–4 words per glance instead of 1–2.

1. Use mode 3, Peripheral Expander. Stare at the center crosshair — do not let your eyes drift toward the flashing flank words.
2. Identify the left and right words using peripheral vision only.
3. Start with slow pacing and large text. Shrink the text and raise the pace only when the flanks feel readable without moving your eyes.

Phase 3 — RSVP Flash Sprints (4 min)

Goal: reduce reliance on sub-vocalization — the inner voice that caps reading speed around 250 WPM.

1. Use mode 1, RSVP Flash Sprint. Load a dense article or paste your own text.
2. Set 400–500 WPM for 2 minutes. At this pace, sounding out every word gets difficult — your visual system starts recognizing word groups as units.
3. Step up by 100 WPM when you can follow the thread comfortably (rough rule: ~70% comprehension). If meaning collapses, drop back down — overspeeding without comprehension trains nothing.

FAQ

Will this raise my IQ?

No. Visual training improves visual skills — attention, tracking, processing speed, reading pace. The large 2016 review by Simons and colleagues found commercial brain-training programs improve the trained tasks with little evidence of broad transfer to general cognition. Train it because the skill itself is useful (faster reading, sharper visual attention), not because it rewires your intelligence.

Is there real research behind any of this?

Yes, for specific claims. Bavelier's lab showed action-game training improves visual attention measures (attentional blink recovery, multiple-object tracking, contrast sensitivity) versus active control games. The ACTIVE trial (2,832 older adults) found speed-of-processing training improved useful field of view and was associated with fewer at-fault crashes. Those are real, narrow findings — not IQ gains.

How much should I train?

Short and regular beats long and rare: 5–10 minutes a day. Research protocols that showed effects typically ran a few hours total spread over weeks. If a pace feels effortless, nudge it up; if comprehension collapses, back off — the training zone is "challenging but doable."

Does my progress get saved?

Session counts and timers on this page live only in your current browser tab — nothing is uploaded anywhere. Close the tab and the counters reset. Your eyes keep the training; the page keeps nothing.

Want the broader picture on what actually moves the needle? Does brain training work? and Can you actually increase your IQ?