At first glance, a Schulte table looks like a simple game, but it is a time-tested exercise for improving focus and reading speed. It is a grid filled with randomized numbers, and your goal is to find them in order starting from 1 as fast as possible. Its simplicity is deceptive; when done correctly, it is a powerful mental workout.
What is a Schulte table?
The classic format is a 5×5 grid with numbers from 1 to 25 placed at random. Developed by German psychiatrist Walter Schulte, this table is widely used to measure attention and train speed reading. You can expand the grid to 6×6 or 7×7 to make it harder.
What does it improve?
- Visual scanning speed: It trains your eyes to scan an area quickly and efficiently.
- Peripheral vision: Used correctly, it teaches you to perceive a wider area with minimal eye movement, which is essential for speed reading.
- Sustained focus: It requires you to maintain attention while searching for the next number.
The right technique: fixate your gaze
Most people scan the grid by moving their eyes from number to number, which is slow. The proper technique is different:
- Fixate your gaze on the exact center of the grid.
- Move your eyes as little as possible and try to spot the next number using your peripheral vision.
- Count the numbers out loud or in your head as you find them to stay focused.
It feels difficult at first and might even slow you down initially. However, it directly trains the core skill of speed reading: seeing more while moving your eyes less. With patient practice, your times will improve.
The link to speed reading
The biggest obstacle to speed reading is frequent stopping and regressing along a line of text. The Schulte table helps break this habit by training your eyes to capture a wider field of view in a single glance. It is far more than a game; it is a real workout for your reading speed.
Try it yourself
Theory is fine, but real progress comes from practice. Try our Schulte Table game using this technique and watch your time drop. You can discover more ways to boost your focus in our focus habits guide, or test your attention and processing speed with our free IQ test.