[blindkid] reading rates

[Brandy W]

Hi, I've been off list for a while so missed the thread, but I can answer
your question. When I determine reading speed for myself I tend to take 3
different texts I've not ever seen and do 1 minute times. I then average the
3 together. In school or when I'm tutoring children I do a leisure timing
with a text they are comfortable with and are reading for fun that they have
never seen before. I have them read for 3 minutes, and I go average the 3
scores. This is also known as their independent level. I then do an
instructional level. This is the child's grade level text such as a history
grade level text that may be a bit challenging but not frustrating. I do the
same 3 1 minute times and average the scores. For goal setting purposes I
will often also take text either for leisure or school that is slightly
above their level and get times the same way.

I read around 140 words a minute when it is tougher text, and between 150
and 200 words per minute on something fun that is pretty easy. Most text
written for leisure such as novels and such are written around the eighth
grade reading level.

I was not made to read enough Braille in school and there for always
averaged around 80-110 words a minute, but once I began singing in my church
choir this didn't work. I couldn't keep up. I needed to keep up so I started
reading daily. Once I did this my speed rapidly increased. I now read daily
even if it is only a Daily bread devotion that takes 10 minutes or so I read
every day. I find when I don't my speed rapidly decreases. I've read as fast
as 200 words a minute on simpler text in the past.

Hope that helps some.
 

Bran

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is
a spark." 
- Victor Hugo 

Brandy Wojcik  Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team leader
(512) 689-5045
www.playtoachieve.com
Follow me on Face Book at
http://www.facebook.com/PlayToAchieve.DiscoveryToys 

Read my new blog at www.playtoachieveballstobooks.wordpress.com

Looking forward to helping you with your educational toy needs!

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Carol Castellano
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 11:22 AM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindkid] reading rates

Arielle, Heather, Dave, and any other Braille readers out there,

You gave your own reading rates.  What sort of material did you use to
measure this?  Did you do a 5-minute test?  Or did you simply time yourself
reading an article or something like that?  As I read more and more about
this issue and reading rates in general, I see that there are many ways to
measure.  For example, if a person is reading for pleasure the rate will be
faster than if he/she is reading to learn something.

Thanks,
Carol

Carol Castellano
President, Parents of Blind Children-NJ
Director of Programs
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.blindchildren.org
www.nopbc.org  


_______________________________________________
blindkid mailing list
blindkid at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindkid:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/ballstobooks%40gmail.c
om