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SpeedReadTest
Focus Warm-Up

Schulte Table Grid Trainer

The classic Schulte table. Keep your eyes near the red center dot and find the numbers in order, using the edges of your vision.

Find:1
🎯Tip: Try to keep your eyes near the red center mark while you search. It's fine if they move.
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Ready? Keep your eyes on the center

Stare at the red center point. Click numbers in order from 1 to 25 using only your peripheral vision.

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The Schulte Table is a grid of shuffled numbers (usually 5x5, numbers 1 to 25) that you find in order while keeping your eyes on the center. It’s a quick warm-up for focus and visual search. Research hasn’t shown that it raises reading speed on its own (Rayner et al., 2016), so check your reading with the speed test.

Lexi's Center Focus Tip

READING COACH
Rest your eyes on the red dot in the middle of the grid and try to spot the numbers around it without looking straight at them. Your eyes will still move sometimes, and that's fine.
Part of our structured 30-day curriculumRead 30-Day Daily Roadmap→
🔬 Background

Where Schulte Tables Come From

Schulte tables were created by German psychiatrist Walter Schulte as a simple test of attention and visual search. Today they are mostly used as a short focus exercise.

When you read, you see sharp detail in only a small spot in the middle of your vision, about 4 to 6 letters wide. That’s why your eyes stop several times on every line. These stops are a normal part of reading, not a flaw to train away.

Schulte tables practise keeping your eyes still while you notice things around the center. Many readers use them as a focus warm-up. Research has not shown that Schulte practice on its own raises reading speed, so treat it as a warm-up and measure your reading with the reading speed test.

Grid SizeTotal CellsTypical First TryGoodFast
3×3 Grid9> 8 seconds4 – 6 seconds< 3.5 seconds
4×4 Grid16> 22 seconds12 – 16 seconds< 9 seconds
5×5 Grid (Standard)25> 45 seconds25 – 35 seconds< 18 seconds
6×6 Grid36> 75 seconds45 – 60 seconds< 35 seconds
7×7 Grid (Master)49> 120 seconds70 – 90 seconds< 55 seconds

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play a Schulte table?
A Schulte table is a grid of randomly arranged numbers (typically 5x5 with numbers 1 to 25) developed by German psychiatrist Walter Schulte. You keep your eyes near the center of the grid and find the numbers in order, trying to use the edges of your vision. It practises visual search and keeping your eyes still.
What is a good Schulte table time?
On a 5×5 grid, over 45 seconds is a typical first try, 25 to 35 seconds is good and under 18 seconds is fast. These are our own rough guides, because there are no published norms for an online, click-to-find version. Your best time on the same grid size is the number to beat, and it says nothing about your reading speed.
How often should I practice with Schulte tables?
A few grids, for 2 to 5 minutes, is plenty, once or twice a day. Short sessions keep your eyes from getting tired, and there is no research-backed schedule for these drills. Stop if your eyes feel strained, and keep your gaze near the center dot.
What is the Gorbov-Schulte Red-Black variation?
Developed by Russian neuropsychologist F. D. Gorbov, the Red-Black table features two sets of numbers (e.g., black 1–25 and red 1–24). The subject must alternate between finding black numbers in ascending order and red numbers in descending order (Black 1, Red 24, Black 2, Red 23). Switching between the two sequences makes it much harder than the standard grid.

Pair with the 3-Minute Over-Speed Workout

Follow your warm-up with short timed reading sprints at 1X, 2X and 3X your normal pace.

Try Over-Speed Trainer →