Adjust and apply different reading rates to match text

If you see readers who . . .

• race through reading and don't remember what they read.
• read so slowly that by the time they finish, they can't remember how the piece started.
• don't adjust their rate to be faster when they know the content or slower when the information is new.

Some readers have yet to learn how to adjust their reading rate or are unaware that other readers adjust their rate to match their purpose for reading. Because these readers read everything at the same rate, they struggle to complete and comprehend lengthy text or may miss the nuances of meaning revealed through the appropriate cadence and prosody.

You have to think about the text you are reading and ask yourself, What is my knowledge of this type of text? What do I know about the subject of the text? Then, adjust your reading speed by slowing down for challenging content and speeding up for easier reading.

We typically begin teaching readers about rate by using Carver's (1990) analogy of reading. He compares reading rate to shifting the gears on a car. We explain that the low gears are slow and powerful, whereas higher gears are speedy but are less powerful. Just as we can move faster or more slowly in a car, our reading rate changes according to the purpose for our reading and what we are reading.

When we read, we use

Once readers are aware of reading rates and Carver's analogy, we establish this common class vocabulary to talk about the rate at which we read.

Suggested language:

• What might be the rate you use to read this social studies text?
• Will you change your rate during this reading?
• What is your typical speed for reading your favorite chapter book?

Possible ways to differentiate instruction:

• We typically think of slow readers as needing to speed up, but it is just as important to help speedsters shift to a slower gear to enhance comprehension.
• Record students as they read so they can hear their rate, cadence, and prosody.
• Ask readers to tell you which gear they are using when they read.

Reconsider materials, setting, instruction, and cognitive processes.

These strategies may provide support before, during, and after teaching this strategy:

• Use Punctuation to Enhance Phrasing and Prosody
• Read Text That Is a Good Fit
• Read Voraciously
• Check for Understanding; Monitor and Self-Correct