Methods of Reading

• Stereoscopic Eye Excercise
• Reading Method

1. Table 1
2. Table 2

Stereoscopic Eye Exercise

a.) Two pennies are placed upon a table top at the individual's normal reading distance and slightly toward the non-dominant eye side. Initially, the two pennies (heads up) are placed about one inch (2.5 cm) or less apart.

The index finger is then placed centrally upon an imaginary bottom line between the two pennies. The finger nail should always be up to prevent arc effect. A small black dot is marked onto the tip of the finger nail. While looking at the black dot, the finger is slowly moved in a straight line toward the nose tip until three pennies form (Figure 2).

b.) After establishing skillful ease in the formation of three fused pennies, the finger is slowly drawn away so that the three pennies are held fused without use of the index finger. Initially, the three fused pennies may be held for only a brief moment. After a short practice period, they are readily held as long as desired. Although a variable for each, the three pennies generally form near 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) from the table top.

Those experiencing difficulty forming the third penny, when the two pennies are too close together, may easily correct this problem by allowing these individuals to form the third penny when the two pennies are at a comforable distance apart. The pennies width is then gradually narrowed before attempting the later required widest penny width position.

c.) After establishing facility with stereoscopic fusion, each penny is scanned and pointed to individually without loss of the three fused pennies. Scanning is then progressed to pointing beneath each of the three pennies, as they form upon the table top.

d.) The distance between the pennies is gradually widened to slightly exceed the distance of a newspaper column, magazine column, about 3 inches (8 cm), or the width of four fingers.

The finger is held nail upward in order to produce a straight line movement toward the tip of the nose. Holding the finger with the fingernail downward tends to produce an arc and penny fusion is more difficult. An occasional individual will form the third fused penny outside of the two original pennies. However, this does not appear to distract from the fusion exercise and stereoscopic reading may be carried out as scheduled. The two pennies are then gradually widened to about the width of a newspaper column. Holding the finger straight downward, rather than flat, produces a gun barrel effect and stereoscopic difficulty with forming the third penny.

After easily forming the three pennies with use of the finger, they must now be held with the finger retracted. Each of the three formed pennies, with finger retracted, is pointed at with a finger placed on the table top. This produces a scanning exercise while pointing to each of the three formed pennies. Scanning with pointing should be easily held for a minimum of four or five scanning counts of 1,2,3,1,2,3 etc...

e.) Four Penny Diamond. Only after the two pennies are fused into three at newspaper column width are four pennies utilized. The four pennies exercise is utilized as a check on the ability to perform three penny stereopsis. Since there is no way to ensure formation of the three pennies, the four pennies are used for confirmation. With a little experience, it is possible to observe those forming the three pennies and recognize failure to form the third penny. But, use of the four pennies readily demonstrates this stereoscopic ability and reading is only started following its testing use.

Four pennies are laid upon the table top in a diamond formation (Figure 3). The finger is placed at the bottom edge of the central, horizontal, two pennies. These two pennies are now stereoscopically made into three. A simple question is asked. "How many pennies are there at the top and bottom and how may are there altogether?" This should prompt the answer of two at the top and two on the bottom, as well as a total of seven (Figure 4). An occasional individual will relate that only one penny is seen at the top or bottom. They are either incapable of three penny fusion or penny alignment is not a close diamond formation. Too great a distance between the four pennies allows for fusion as three along the sides. They may see a total of seven, however. The four penny diamond is a simple check on the actual formation of the three pennies from two. The seven formed pennies can not be accomplished without formation of the three central pennies. A rare occurrence is the individual that forms only three vertical pennies because of mental suppression.

Often access to two pennies is not possible while others feel that the use of two pennies is demeaning or proclaims inferiority to surrounding peers. Because of personal feelings or penny inaccessibility, the use of two fingers is a suggested alternative. The second and fifth fingers are extended while the third and fourth fingers are bent under the palm. Three finger nails are then formed from the second and fifth fingers. These three formed fingernails may then be surreptitiously scanned similar to the pennies.

Simply, two pennies are placed about one inch (2.5 cm) apart and slightly toward the non-dominant eye side. The index finger is placed between the pennies on an imaginary line connecting the bottom edge of the two pennies. A black dot is placed at the tip of the fingernail. This finger is slowly moved upward in a straight line toward the tip of the nose until three pennies form. The finger is removed and the three pennies are scanned and counted back and forth on the table top beneath, the pennies.

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