Color photographic element having improved speed

A method of processing a color silver halide photographic element comprising gelatin, a support bearing at least one dye image forming unit selected from a dye image forming unit comprising at least one red sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye-forming coupler, a dye image forming unit comprising at least one green sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye-forming coupler, and a dye image forming unit comprising at least one blue sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye-forming coupler;

• and a polymer represented by Formula 1;
• wherein:
• A independently represents a bond or a group linking the polymer chain to the SO3−M+ group(s),
• R1 independently represents H or a lower alkyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms,
• M+ independently represents an alkali or alkaline earth metal ion or an ammonium or substituted ammonium ion,
• Z independently represents at least one ethylenically unsaturated, hydrophilic monomer,
• and a and b represent the weight percent of the respective monomers where a is between 0 and 95%,
• b is between 5 and 100%, and
• n is 1 or 2, and
• wherein the average molecular weight of the polymer is less than 300,000 and the total amount of the polymer contained in the silver halide element is greater than 1.0% of the total amount of gelatin contained in the silver halide element;
• said method comprising developing the silver halide element with a color developer, and then bleaching and fixing or bleach/fixing the silver halide element.