How Fast "Should" a College Student Read?
Effective readers have different reading speeds for different material. Your reading speed should be flexible; read as slowly as material requires for you to understand it. Readers are not as effective as they could be when they are so involved with the mechanics of reading each individual word that they lose track of the fact that the purpose is to find meaning. When we struggle with word to word reading we can be working hard, but not getting main points. Since we read to find meaning, we need to become "fluent." Reading involves phonics--sounds that letters make, vocabulary, comprehension---and fluency brings all these together.
What is Fluency?
Fluency is reading with ease. Fluent readers "chunk" groups of words together for meaning--to emphasis on main points. Orally, they use intonation and emphasis to bring meaning to what they read. Their reading flows smoothly.
By increasing your oral and silent reading speeds, you can often increase comprehension; therefore, becoming a fluent reader is a reading goal.
In class we will be using Scientific Reading Association texts for timed oral readings with peers. These simple readings contain most of the sounds (phonemes) that are made in the English language. They don't make a lot of sense, though each is a story about characters with odd names.
Over the quarter we will peer "speed" read and then record our words per minute. Students will record their rate of reading and their errors per minute on a "Speed of Reading" sheet. You can print one at the bottom of the page, though the instructor will provide you with a copy, as well.
Time Yourself on Your Own:
First, pick something to read that is at your reading level--not too challenging (perhaps a magazine or newspaper article).
To find your reading speed:
1. Have someone time you reading for one (1) minute.
2. Read to understand the material but don't try to memorize it on this first reading.
3. After one (1) minute has passed, count the average number of words in one complete line you have just read and multiply that times the total number of lines that you read during the one minute period.
4. The result will give an approximate reading speed or words per minute (wpm) reading rate.
Remember two very important factors:
1) Your reading rate should speed up or slow down depending on the type of material you are reading. For example, you risk overlooking important information if you read too fast to understand your college textbooks.
2) You will become better at reading fluency if you practice, so read more often!
Improving Your Reading Rate:
Below is a Powerpoint presentation about the advantages of increasing your reading speed and about "chunking," a way to read more quickly and meaningfully.
improve_your_reading_rate.pptx | |
File Size: | 92 kb |
File Type: | pptx |