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Sydney has always struggled with reading, she has gotten pretty good at avoiding reading when it comes up at school or work. When there is an unavoidable situation and Sydney does need to sit down and read, her eyes glaze over the page. Focusing on what the words are saying. Around the corner her coworkers are gossiping. Sydney begins to focus on the gossip. She is still reading, but now has no idea what she is reading. She realizes she has no idea what she just read. She has no idea where she is on the page. She takes a few seconds to find her spot again and starts reading. She gets to the end of the line. As she is crossing the page back she loses her spot again. Frustrated and discouraged, she reads the sentence she just read. Tries to get back on track. She drifts off once again… the cycle repeats. Sydney's experience isn't unique. For millions, especially neurodivergent individuals, reading feels like a constant battle against distraction, exhaustion, and the page itself. That feeling of your eyes glazing over, the pull of nearby conversations, the frustration of losing your place repeatedly, these aren't signs of failure. They are signals that the tool you're using (traditional reading) isn't built for how your brain works.This is exactly why we built ZenRead. Problem: Sydney's eyes glaze over, and she gets lost tracking lines. ZenRead Solution:Our core RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) feature eliminates the "wall of text" and the need for stressful eye-tracking. By presenting one word at a time in the center of the screen, we remove the visual clutter and the anxiety of losing your place. Your eyes stay relaxed, focused on a single point. Problem: Sydney gets distracted by gossip and internal thoughts because her brain isn't fully engaged. ZenRead Solution:RSVP allows you to read at speeds faster than your inner voice. This outpaces subvocalization, silencing that internal narrator and occupying your brain's full processing power. When your brain gets information at the speed it craves, there's simply less room for distraction to creep in. Problem: Sydney reads words but doesn't comprehend, leading to constant rereading and frustration. ZenRead Solution:We know speed isn't enough without understanding. Our AutoChunking feature automatically pauses the reading flow at natural intervals, giving your brain a moment to process. Then, our integrated AI Summary instantly provides a concise recap of what you just read, reinforcing comprehension without the struggle. Problem: The entire cycle leaves Sydney feeling "frustrated and discouraged".ZenRead Solution:By reducing eye strain, silencing the inner voice, minimizing distractions, and supporting comprehension, ZenRead transforms reading from a fight into a flow state. Our goal is to make reading feel calm, focused, and finally, possible again. Sydney doesn't need to "try harder." She needs a different tool, one designed for her brain. ZenRead is that tool. Stop fighting the page. Start the flow.

Lost on the Page: A Story of Reading Frustration

Subvocalization, what is it? It's that voice in your head that you use to think and read. When we first learn to read, we use this voice to sound out words and build comprehension. It's an essential first step.But as we become better readers, that same helpful voice becomes a speed limit.Your Brain is Waiting for Your Voice to Catch Up Our brains are capable of processing information much faster than we can physically speak. Since that inner voice is tied to our speaking speed, it creates a bottleneck. Your eyes and your brain are literally waiting for your inner narrator to catch up.For a neurodivergent person, this is where the trouble starts. The brain craves information, and if there's a lag, it will fill the empty space with something else. You'll suddenly find yourself thinking about what you had for lunch, or what you need to do next. On top of that, running this inner monologue is an extra mental process that drains your energy and leads to faster burnout.Taking the Next Step: From "Hearing" to "Seeing" Once a person is comfortable with the basics of phonics, they can start to read without sounding out every word. This is where ZenRead comes in. We're here to help you take that next step.When words are presented to you at a speed that is faster than you can ‘hear’ them, your brain switches from listening to simply seeing and understanding. Our Free Read feature is designed to help you find that magic threshold.Most people can pick this up quickly, but it does take time to build full comprehension at higher speeds. This is why we've integrated our AI Summary tool. It acts as a safety net, helping you confirm what you've just read and lowering the pressure as you train this new skill.By combining these tools, we're helping you move beyond the limits of your inner voice and unlock your full potential.

The Voice in Your Head Is Slowing You Down

Reading with ADHD is reading the same sentence five times. The page corner is slightly bent. You have to see why. You lose your spot. There's a funny word spacing on the next page. You have to see why. You lose your spot. You read the sentence, but you were thinking about what you had for lunch. You reread the sentence. Halfway through, you remember that you want a snack. You reread the sentence.If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.Why is Reading So Hard with ADHD? Your brain needs to be stimulated. That's why you get distracted. Traditional reading is often too slow, with not enough going on to keep your brain fully engaged.That's why we decided to eliminate the distractions and give the brain the stimulation it craves using RSVP, or Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. With RSVP, only one word appears on the screen at a time before flashing to the next. By keeping your eyes locked in one place, it reduces physical distractions. And by presenting a steady rhythm of new words, it stimulates the brain just enough to keep it from wandering.How ZenRead Turns a Good Tool into a PowerhouseThe biggest issue that RSVP has had in the past is comprehension. We solved this by adding two game changing features: regular breaks with AI powered summaries and our unique Mind Sync cool down.This system is a powerful tool for your memory. The bilateral stimulation, created by both the rotating audio and the smoothly moving visual dot, is designed to help calm your overstimulated brain after a period of high focus. The goal is to create the ideal conditions for memory consolidation.By engaging both your auditory and visual senses in a rhythmic pattern, you give your brain a powerful anchor. This process supports you in entering a relaxed state, creating an opportunity for your brain to move information from short term recall into more robust, long term memory.We turned a mediocre speedreading tool into a powerhouse for people with ADHD.If you struggle with reading, give this a try. Experience the calm and focus of ZenRead

Reading with ADHD Just Got Better

From Reading Burnout to Mindful Calm: Introducing Mind SyncYou slam the cover of the dense book you've been reading. You sit there. Staring at it. Trying to remember what you just read. There's a quiz on this chapter tomorrow. Your brain hurts just thinking about it. Thoughts are rushing, but nothing is making sense. Your eyes are burning, and you can feel your eyelids drooping...If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. For many of us, especially those with reading disabilities or neurodivergence, a focused reading session is a truly demanding workout for the brain. The burnout is real. The key to avoiding it isn't just about pushing through; it's about knowing how to recover.That’s why we created Mind Sync, a feature designed to be the perfect cool down for your brain and eyes. Here’s how it works.The Sound: A Halo of Calm The first thing you'll notice is the audio. For this to work its magic, you'll need headphones. The music feels like a rotating halo around your head, a truly divine sensation that gently moves from left to right.This is a form of bilateral stimulation. By shifting sound between your ears, it can help calm a busy and overwhelmed brain. Many people, especially those with ADHD or active minds, find this sensory input helps quiet the internal "buzz," allowing them to relax more effectively.The Sight: An Oasis for Tired Eyes Reading involves constant, rapid eye movements called saccades, which use a tremendous amount of energy. To help your eyes recover, Mind Sync uses a gentle focus-shifting visual.The background of the session will softly blur and come back into focus. This prompts the muscles in your eyes to adjust and relax, relieving the strain and fatigue that comes after a long reading session.Putting the Zen in Reading By combining these auditory and visual techniques, Mind Sync creates a multi-sensory experience that guides you from a state of high-focus to one of deep relaxation. It’s a calm, safe space designed for everyone who loves to read.At ZenRead, we believe reading should be a source of knowledge and joy, not stress. We can't wait for you to try Mind Sync and find your calm.

Introducing Mind Sync

I grew up hating reading.My sister could read a book in a day. It would take me a month. I have ADHD and Dyslexia. As I grew older a history of concussions added to the struggle. People told me I would like it. I waited. For two years I would read every morning for one hour.&nbsp; I didn't get better. I didn't enjoy it.&nbsp; I actually got worse at reading.&nbsp; I started to fall asleep when reading. A year later I had a concussion. I went to school, looked at the words in the textbook… Nothing, nothing at all. My brain shut off. It was at that point I knew I wasn't lazy. Something was off. The brain is about 2% of your body weight. The brain also uses roughly 20% of your daily energy. It was clear that I was using a lot more than 20%. Half a year went on until I could read. Painful eye therapy for months. I got better. Not perfect. I could do basic things.&nbsp; Concussions amplify ADHD. I could see the issues crystal clear.&nbsp; I didn't hate reading. I hated how I felt.&nbsp; I get lost in a world in my head. Pulled away just to focus on the next word. Back and forth. Over and over. Exhausted. Reading for me was pulling teeth. Reading for my sister was like spreading warm butter on toast.&nbsp; What was the difference?&nbsp; For people without ADHD eye movement is automatic. No need to force themselves back to each word every time.&nbsp; As a child I struggled with reading. I was left behind. I never caught up. I was ashamed. But that's not all.&nbsp; I simply read differently. I never knew there was more than one way to read.&nbsp; How do we calm the eyes down? How can we reduce stress?&nbsp; Colors matter. Spacing matters. The Words matter. Eye movement matters. Even the sounds we hear matter. We’ve built this into ZenRead.&nbsp;ADHD does not mean lazy. It does not mean dumb. In school ADHD is running the race with one shoe off. Don't run harder. Know the issue and adapt. Stop forcing your brain. Work with your brain.&nbsp; I did. Now, for the first time in my life, I enjoy reading.

Why Reading Makes My ADHD Brain So Tired

Sixth grade was a hard year. The start of middle school. New place, lockers, lots of new teachers. It was hard to make new friends. We go to classes, back and forth. My classmates would follow each other in a line like ducklings.&nbsp;Not me though. I wasn't ‘normal’. I had to go tutoring to learn how to read. I could read… just not well. My classmates would ask where I went. I was ashamed. I wasn't ‘smart’ that's what I told myself. It didn't matter what I was good at. I felt like a child when it came to reading.&nbsp;I wouldn't pay attention when the class read. I would count people. Then I knew what paragraph was mine. I would read that one paragraph a dozen times to myself. When it was my turn to read, my heart stopped. I stuttered. My face became a burning pepper. I tripped over the words and finished my turn. Deflated. Back to counting. Embracement.&nbsp; Being a teenager is hard. Being a person is hard. It's human nature to go with the flow. But when the flow leaves us behind, what do we do?&nbsp;A child with a reading disability is left far behind their peers. Many don't catch back up. Not on a reading level anyways. We come up with ways to hide the fact we are bad at reading. This is called masking.&nbsp;Why do we do this? It's embarrassing to be bad at reading. We are treated like children that can't do anything. We are put on crutches for babies. “The cat sat on the mat”. My friends or peers are learning chemistry, and other exciting things. We want to be good at reading. But there is no way I'm reading that baby book. Babies do that so ‘I must be dumb’. Masking comes into play. We figure out how to get out of this childish thing.&nbsp;Small children like bold colors. They like silly rhymes. These things do help the brain learn to read. But they are also like a red hourglass on a spider to teenagers. They see it and think they are too old for that.&nbsp;How can we teach young teens to read? No bold colors, no silly rhymes. ZenRead is minimalist and mature. We take them through an epic poem, not a silly rhyme. We respect the science of learning but also the dignity of the user.&nbsp;The answer is not to force a triangle into a square world. The answer is to build a world for triangles.&nbsp;That is ZenRead. A reading sanctuary. A place where the path is lit by a warm glow and the words are an epic verse. A tool built by a founder who has walked this same road.It's time to chart a new course.&nbsp;

Dignity Gap

ZenRead

Create a homepage for ZenRead, a science-backed reading app designed for middle and high school students who struggle with focus, comprehension, or reading speed. The design should use a burnt white b