It can be challenging for young readers to read at the right pace. Some kids read too slowly, while others read too fast.
Reading too fast may seem like a somewhat unlikely problem. Having a child who reads too slowly can throw up obvious red flags, but parents and teachers aren’t always as concerned when a child reads too quickly.
There are some definite problems with reading too fast, though.
Children who read too quickly tend to think that “good readers are fast readers.” Listen to the example in the video below. What do you think—does this sound like good reading to you?
As you can imagine, it’s important for students like this to slow down so they can read accurately and comprehend the text. So let’s move on to the solutions!
10 Ways to Help a Child Who Reads Too Quickly
Explain that reading should be at the same pace as regular talking—not too fast and not too slow.
Read a paragraph aloud to her twice and ask her to tell you which one is easier to understand. The first time, read it extremely fast with no expression and without stopping at punctuation. The second time, read with meaningful expression at a normal, understandable pace. Can she hear the difference? Was one easier for her to understand?
Acknowledge that she’s a good reader and can read very fast, but that you want her to slow down when she reads because you want to understand the words she is saying.
Record your student reading at a fast pace and then at a regular pace. She can listen to the recordings to hear the difference.
Instead of asking your student to point to each word, try having her use a piece of paper as a guide under the line she is currently reading. See if the physical reminder of a piece of paper—and the act of having to move it as she reads—helps her slow down.
You could have a code phrase to remind her to slow down, such as “speedy bunny.”
Read a page to her at a normal pace, and then have her read it at her fast speed. See if she can hear the difference. Then read the next page to her, and have her match your reading pace.
If your child ignores punctuation, teach her to pinch her fingers together when she hits punctuation at the end of sentences. This is a good kinesthetic reminder to slow down for punctuation.
You can also try assigning a shorter amount of reading. Start with whatever amount she can cheerfully read at a good pace—then end there. Praise her for reading at an understandable pace or with expression, or for any part of her reading that went well. It may be that she looks at the length of reading and just wants it to be over fast, so focusing on a shorter passage done with expression will reinforce the right habits.
Try buddy reading. By taking turns reading each page of a story, you have the opportunity to demonstrate proper pacing for your child to emulate.
Remember that child who reads too fast? Listen to what a difference it makes when that same child slows down to a normal pace.
How about you? Does your child read too fast? Have you discovered any helpful tips?
My 9 year old son reads very fast and is not really ‘reading’ – he goes so fast he makes up words, adds extra words and skips words. When I make him slow down he can read perfectly well. But unless I make him, he reads fast, then it doesn’t make sense because he’s ‘made up’ the words in the story. It is also affecting his spelling. He’s reading & writing so fast that his spelling is all wrong. I think if he actually saw the words when reading, maybe he would spell them better too. We do lots of phonics and he’s fine at them but then it comes to writing and his phonics go out the window. I don’t know how to help him slow down. Any advice would be great.
Sabina,
I’m sorry to hear your son is having trouble with reading and spelling. Have you tried the tip in this article to record him reading and have him listen to it? That has helped a lot of student.
It sounds like he may have developed a habit of reading very quickly and skimming and guessing at words, sort of a “get it done” mentality. I recommend having him read aloud to you for about 20 minutes a day 5 days a week, and during that time you require him to read at a steady speaking pace, and require him to read accurately. In time this will help to overcome his habit of reading poorly.
When he misreads a word, wait until he finishes the sentence to give him a chance to correct his error. If he does self-correct, praise him! Everyone makes mistakes at times, so self-correcting is a vital skill.
If he doesn’t correct his error, then let him know. Say something like, “Ooops, you read a word wrong there. Let’s try that sentence again.” Don’t tell him which word was wrong; just have him reread the entire sentence. You are aiming for him to pay closer attention to each word. If he reads the sentence correctly on the second attempt, just have him go on to the next sentence.
If he misreads the word again, then build the word with letter tiles and have him read that one word in isolation. Be sure he uses the blending procedure and any syllable division rules that apply. Once he reads the word correctly there, then have him reread the entire sentence again so that he reads the word correctly in context. Then move on to the next sentence.
_______
As for spelling, unfortunately, reading well does not translate to spelling well for most people. The skills are related, but different enough that most students have to mastery them separately. Reading is easier than spelling. Check out this article on Why We Teach Reading and Spelling Separately for examples of words we read easily but struggle to spell. (I have to look up how to spell entrepreneur each and every time I use the word. I have never spelled it correctly without help.)
Are you using All About Spelling? If you are not, I highly recommend it. Not only will it teach all the phonograms, rules, syllable types, and concepts of spelling, but it includes a gradual progression for increasing the student’s stamina and fluency in writing that’s very helpful. It starts with just words and short phrases in Level 1, bumps up to phrases and short sentences in Level 2, and progresses to 12 dictation sentences per step in Level 3. Partway through this level, the Writing Station is introduced. In this exercise, students write their own sentences that they make up using some of their spelling words. Dictation and the Writing Station both serve as an important bridge between spelling words in the context of lists (where the patterns are similar), and more “real world” writing.
_______
I hope this helps some, but let me know what additional questions and concerns you have. I’m happy to help!
Wow this was really informative. I think I read too fast myself, and that might be why my spelling is so terrible even though I love reading so much. Maybe I can use these tips to help my own reader slow down too…
Hi
My daughter has a great love of books and has been avid reader since we started taking her to library as a toddler.
She’s now 7yr old and reading stage 13 at school but reads more intense chapter books at home normally goes through 4 x (120 page) library books a week and has done so for a few years now.
All good and really proud of her, but we have a speed read issue too. She reads out loud a a good speed and tone etc but she reads to herself at super speed.
We gave her 4 new books today and she’s on the second one after 15 mins!?
We’ve tried to explain to her to slow down don’t just read words and follow the storyline , but slow down , pause, question the story , think ahead , think back to understand what’s going on , so that it puts yourself in the story, in the scene not just reading from the sidelines.
I’ve even compared it to eating , slow down, chew it, savour it get the most out of it etc
She just gets upset saying we are telling her she’s reading wrong and she likes ‘ her way’
Can she really be ready my the books fully at this speed are we over worrying?
Barry,
It sounds like your 7-year-old is doing fabulously with reading! Amazing!
However, I do think you are right to be somewhat concerned about this. Research has shown that true speed reading leads to poor comprehension. (Better readers do read faster and comprehend better than poorer readers, but the increased speed is only up to a point. The 1000+ words per minute that some speed reading programs claim have been shown with research to have the same comprehension as skimming the page.)
First, 7 years old is still very young. The best way to help her build good long-term reading habits is to practice them regularly. So, have her read aloud to you daily, since she naturally slows down for that. Aim for 10 to 20 minutes a day of her reading aloud to you. Since she is reading so well, you wouldn’t have to sit with her and look at the pages. She could read aloud while you cook dinner, do a chore, or even are in the car (as long as she doesn’t get carsick).
You may also approach the importance of reading more thoroughly by asking her questions about something she read so quickly. Did she like the book? Why? What happened? What was funny/exciting/scary/sad about it? Use her answers to form additional questions. What was the girl’s name? Oh, she had an argument with her friend? What was her friend’s name? What did they argue about? How did they settle it?
If you find that she is really and truly fully comprehending the story, then don’t worry. She would be right that her way is working! However, you will likely find that she misses some concepts and details of the story. You could then have her read the story aloud to you, and then ask the same questions. Talk about how she didn’t know all that happened until she read it more slowly. That is why it is important to take your time with reading, so you understand everything the writer wanted you to understand!
I hope this helps some. I’d love to hear how things go.
Hi Robin
Thanks so much for the advice much appreciated. I try asking her questions re the content etc and she’s on point each time :-)
She tells us the whole plot, back story l, character outlines and ending, but I will get her to read them to me more often as otherwise she might just me giving me bullet points of the story and has missed bits in in between without me realising.
I timed her reading a small chapter to me the other day it took 10 mins so I was able to do some maths and point out to her that this would equate to it taking over an hour to read the whole book – not 20 mins lol.
But I understand also that it’s a bit quicker reading to yourself vs reading aloud to someone ( within reason ) . But we will try your advice and let you know
It’s hard to say, Barry. It may be that she is really reading well even at that fast pace. It is not unheard of. Can you estimate how many words were in that chapter she read in 10 minutes and estimate how many words she is reading per minute?
Many children’s chapter books are short and easy to read, so it is not impossible that an advanced reader could blow through one in an hour and still comprehend everything. On the other hand, other chapter books are much longer and more complex, and reading one in an hour would be difficult for the average adult reader.
“Keep up the great work.”
“I love your confidence.”
“You’re very creative.”
“You’ve been a great addition to the team!”
“I’m excited to work with someone with your experience.”
My daughter is almost 5 and reading at a 1st-2nd grade level already. She loves to read and reads EVERYTHING. I can tell though when I ask her to slow down or give instruction, she shuts down or asks me to read instead. These are great tips and some of which I have already tried like giving a place marker, the buddy reading, and showing examples. I have yet to record her though. I don’t want to squash her love of reading. What should I try next?
Erin,
Maybe try echo reading. You read a few sentences at a steady pace and with full expression, and then your child reads the same sentences, matching your pace and expression as close as possible. Do this for approximately five minutes a day, or whatever is a comfortable length of time for your child. Add in lots of praise when your child shows even a bit of improvement.
You can also explain to her that you are happy with how well she reads, but you want her to become the best reader she can be! So, you will spend a few minutes each day helping her. Set a timer (we generally recommend 20 minutes, but since she is resistant consider starting with just 5 minutes). While the timer is on, you will be helping her to be even better at reading.
Do this daily, only increasing the time when she has lost her resistance. There is something powerful with doing something daily too (we recommend 5 days a week). It becomes something you just do like eating breakfast, and not such a big deal anymore. Keep any correction light-hearted and gentle too, trying to make it as pleasant an experience each day as possible. Maybe follow it up with something fun like a snack or you reading a favorite chapter book to her.
I hope this helps. I’d love to hear how it goes. If you have additional questions or need more suggestions, please let me know.
Wow! i just finished teaching my students this same lesson today. I did most of the things that you outlined above. It just came natural for me. The one thing that was new was the pinching the fingers together at the end of a sentence. It is funny that you are teaching the same lesson that i just taught hours ago. It really worked as I demonstrated that reading is talking on paper. The kids saw the difference as I did it.I acted as if we were having a conversation and i was telling them about someone or something. They really got it! Thanks for letting me know that i am on the right track!
I have also seen this with my young readers with dyslexia who are making progressing in decoding but are now getting impatient to sound like the “good reading” models they hear. They start to overdrive the headlights and fall back into guessing or inserting their own words to make up speed. I have sometimes had luck letting them preview and dot a yellow highlight over each punctuation. I’m thinking now of having them combine that with the additional kinesthetic cue of pinching or even just pressing a fingertip into the table, their leg, etc. Thanks for the tips and the videos.
Such a great observation, Nancy. Another thing that can help is rereading a passage or story. The “warm reading” the second time through allows for much more fluency and confidence in reading.
One very effective activity not mentioned in detail in any of these blog posts is a variation of buddy reading called “echo reading.” You read a few sentences with full expression and appropriate pauses with punctuation, and then your child reads the same sentences, matching your expression as close as possible. Do this for approximately five minutes a day, or whatever is a comfortable length of time for your child. Add in lots of praise when your child shows even a bit of improvement.
I like the idea to read fast and/or slow and then normal and see which sounds the best to them, sounds like good option to let them hear how they sound and let them figure it out.
Oh my goodness this is too funny! I was just talking with hubby how our 7 yo (who I feel is right where she needs to be level wise) will read and sometimes “know” what the word is going to be. And if it has a similar letter sequencing she will just assume thats it and stick it in there even if it doesnt make sense because she just wants to be done. Maybe she would benefit from being recorded….hmmm…We also sometimes have issues with her and remembering to use the punctuation so I LOVE the idea of her pinching her fingers when she gets to it. We will try that for sure. Thank you for these tips.
I’m glad these will be helpful for your child, Erikamari! I’ve seen the sorts of things you described when a child is starting to get good at reading. It’s usually a good sign, but it can lead to other issues too, especially word guessing.
Even the 2nd video sped up after the first sentence. I could not understand any of the rest of it. Kids need to speak more slowly, ennunciate, and project too.
I think the main reason kids can tend to read too fast is that they are over-excited about finding themselves able to read. I’ve been tutoring kids for 40 years, and that’s what I’ve always seen when kids read too fast. When that happens, I correct them and make them go back when they’ve made a mistake, but I have never done anything to try to get a child read more slowly. I’ve always found that, over time, that excitement settles down, and then they read at a speed they can maintain without constantly making mistakes. I think things work out much better when you just wait for a new reader to settle down naturally. That’s always worked for me.
Sabina
says:My 9 year old son reads very fast and is not really ‘reading’ – he goes so fast he makes up words, adds extra words and skips words. When I make him slow down he can read perfectly well. But unless I make him, he reads fast, then it doesn’t make sense because he’s ‘made up’ the words in the story. It is also affecting his spelling. He’s reading & writing so fast that his spelling is all wrong. I think if he actually saw the words when reading, maybe he would spell them better too. We do lots of phonics and he’s fine at them but then it comes to writing and his phonics go out the window. I don’t know how to help him slow down. Any advice would be great.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceSabina,
I’m sorry to hear your son is having trouble with reading and spelling. Have you tried the tip in this article to record him reading and have him listen to it? That has helped a lot of student.
It sounds like he may have developed a habit of reading very quickly and skimming and guessing at words, sort of a “get it done” mentality. I recommend having him read aloud to you for about 20 minutes a day 5 days a week, and during that time you require him to read at a steady speaking pace, and require him to read accurately. In time this will help to overcome his habit of reading poorly.
When he misreads a word, wait until he finishes the sentence to give him a chance to correct his error. If he does self-correct, praise him! Everyone makes mistakes at times, so self-correcting is a vital skill.
If he doesn’t correct his error, then let him know. Say something like, “Ooops, you read a word wrong there. Let’s try that sentence again.” Don’t tell him which word was wrong; just have him reread the entire sentence. You are aiming for him to pay closer attention to each word. If he reads the sentence correctly on the second attempt, just have him go on to the next sentence.
If he misreads the word again, then build the word with letter tiles and have him read that one word in isolation. Be sure he uses the blending procedure and any syllable division rules that apply. Once he reads the word correctly there, then have him reread the entire sentence again so that he reads the word correctly in context. Then move on to the next sentence.
_______
As for spelling, unfortunately, reading well does not translate to spelling well for most people. The skills are related, but different enough that most students have to mastery them separately. Reading is easier than spelling. Check out this article on Why We Teach Reading and Spelling Separately for examples of words we read easily but struggle to spell. (I have to look up how to spell entrepreneur each and every time I use the word. I have never spelled it correctly without help.)
Are you using All About Spelling? If you are not, I highly recommend it. Not only will it teach all the phonograms, rules, syllable types, and concepts of spelling, but it includes a gradual progression for increasing the student’s stamina and fluency in writing that’s very helpful. It starts with just words and short phrases in Level 1, bumps up to phrases and short sentences in Level 2, and progresses to 12 dictation sentences per step in Level 3. Partway through this level, the Writing Station is introduced. In this exercise, students write their own sentences that they make up using some of their spelling words. Dictation and the Writing Station both serve as an important bridge between spelling words in the context of lists (where the patterns are similar), and more “real world” writing.
_______
I hope this helps some, but let me know what additional questions and concerns you have. I’m happy to help!
Nawaal
says:Thank you so much, very helpful 😊
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Nawaal. I’m glad this was helpful.
Tony
says:Very helpful, thank you
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Tony!
Kyla
says:Wow this was really informative. I think I read too fast myself, and that might be why my spelling is so terrible even though I love reading so much. Maybe I can use these tips to help my own reader slow down too…
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad this was informative for you, Kyla! I hope it is helpful.
Barry
says:Hi
My daughter has a great love of books and has been avid reader since we started taking her to library as a toddler.
She’s now 7yr old and reading stage 13 at school but reads more intense chapter books at home normally goes through 4 x (120 page) library books a week and has done so for a few years now.
All good and really proud of her, but we have a speed read issue too. She reads out loud a a good speed and tone etc but she reads to herself at super speed.
We gave her 4 new books today and she’s on the second one after 15 mins!?
We’ve tried to explain to her to slow down don’t just read words and follow the storyline , but slow down , pause, question the story , think ahead , think back to understand what’s going on , so that it puts yourself in the story, in the scene not just reading from the sidelines.
I’ve even compared it to eating , slow down, chew it, savour it get the most out of it etc
She just gets upset saying we are telling her she’s reading wrong and she likes ‘ her way’
Can she really be ready my the books fully at this speed are we over worrying?
Sorry it’s so long
Thanks Barry
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceBarry,
It sounds like your 7-year-old is doing fabulously with reading! Amazing!
However, I do think you are right to be somewhat concerned about this. Research has shown that true speed reading leads to poor comprehension. (Better readers do read faster and comprehend better than poorer readers, but the increased speed is only up to a point. The 1000+ words per minute that some speed reading programs claim have been shown with research to have the same comprehension as skimming the page.)
First, 7 years old is still very young. The best way to help her build good long-term reading habits is to practice them regularly. So, have her read aloud to you daily, since she naturally slows down for that. Aim for 10 to 20 minutes a day of her reading aloud to you. Since she is reading so well, you wouldn’t have to sit with her and look at the pages. She could read aloud while you cook dinner, do a chore, or even are in the car (as long as she doesn’t get carsick).
You may also approach the importance of reading more thoroughly by asking her questions about something she read so quickly. Did she like the book? Why? What happened? What was funny/exciting/scary/sad about it? Use her answers to form additional questions. What was the girl’s name? Oh, she had an argument with her friend? What was her friend’s name? What did they argue about? How did they settle it?
If you find that she is really and truly fully comprehending the story, then don’t worry. She would be right that her way is working! However, you will likely find that she misses some concepts and details of the story. You could then have her read the story aloud to you, and then ask the same questions. Talk about how she didn’t know all that happened until she read it more slowly. That is why it is important to take your time with reading, so you understand everything the writer wanted you to understand!
I hope this helps some. I’d love to hear how things go.
Barry
says:Hi Robin
Thanks so much for the advice much appreciated. I try asking her questions re the content etc and she’s on point each time :-)
She tells us the whole plot, back story l, character outlines and ending, but I will get her to read them to me more often as otherwise she might just me giving me bullet points of the story and has missed bits in in between without me realising.
I timed her reading a small chapter to me the other day it took 10 mins so I was able to do some maths and point out to her that this would equate to it taking over an hour to read the whole book – not 20 mins lol.
But I understand also that it’s a bit quicker reading to yourself vs reading aloud to someone ( within reason ) . But we will try your advice and let you know
thanks again
Barry
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt’s hard to say, Barry. It may be that she is really reading well even at that fast pace. It is not unheard of. Can you estimate how many words were in that chapter she read in 10 minutes and estimate how many words she is reading per minute?
Many children’s chapter books are short and easy to read, so it is not impossible that an advanced reader could blow through one in an hour and still comprehend everything. On the other hand, other chapter books are much longer and more complex, and reading one in an hour would be difficult for the average adult reader.
honrine
says:“Keep up the great work.”
“I love your confidence.”
“You’re very creative.”
“You’ve been a great addition to the team!”
“I’m excited to work with someone with your experience.”
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThese are great, thank you!
Erin
says:My daughter is almost 5 and reading at a 1st-2nd grade level already. She loves to read and reads EVERYTHING. I can tell though when I ask her to slow down or give instruction, she shuts down or asks me to read instead. These are great tips and some of which I have already tried like giving a place marker, the buddy reading, and showing examples. I have yet to record her though. I don’t want to squash her love of reading. What should I try next?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceErin,
Maybe try echo reading. You read a few sentences at a steady pace and with full expression, and then your child reads the same sentences, matching your pace and expression as close as possible. Do this for approximately five minutes a day, or whatever is a comfortable length of time for your child. Add in lots of praise when your child shows even a bit of improvement.
You can also explain to her that you are happy with how well she reads, but you want her to become the best reader she can be! So, you will spend a few minutes each day helping her. Set a timer (we generally recommend 20 minutes, but since she is resistant consider starting with just 5 minutes). While the timer is on, you will be helping her to be even better at reading.
Do this daily, only increasing the time when she has lost her resistance. There is something powerful with doing something daily too (we recommend 5 days a week). It becomes something you just do like eating breakfast, and not such a big deal anymore. Keep any correction light-hearted and gentle too, trying to make it as pleasant an experience each day as possible. Maybe follow it up with something fun like a snack or you reading a favorite chapter book to her.
I hope this helps. I’d love to hear how it goes. If you have additional questions or need more suggestions, please let me know.
Boni
says:Thank you very helpful
Ruth
says:This was great information. Thank you!
Keshav Chettri
says:Educative and good.
Donald Errol Knight
says:An important issue: fluency/prosody.
ARM
says:Wow! i just finished teaching my students this same lesson today. I did most of the things that you outlined above. It just came natural for me. The one thing that was new was the pinching the fingers together at the end of a sentence. It is funny that you are teaching the same lesson that i just taught hours ago. It really worked as I demonstrated that reading is talking on paper. The kids saw the difference as I did it.I acted as if we were having a conversation and i was telling them about someone or something. They really got it! Thanks for letting me know that i am on the right track!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt sounds like you are definitely on the right track, and I’m pleased to hear your students really got it!
Nancy
says:I have also seen this with my young readers with dyslexia who are making progressing in decoding but are now getting impatient to sound like the “good reading” models they hear. They start to overdrive the headlights and fall back into guessing or inserting their own words to make up speed. I have sometimes had luck letting them preview and dot a yellow highlight over each punctuation. I’m thinking now of having them combine that with the additional kinesthetic cue of pinching or even just pressing a fingertip into the table, their leg, etc. Thanks for the tips and the videos.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSuch a great observation, Nancy. Another thing that can help is rereading a passage or story. The “warm reading” the second time through allows for much more fluency and confidence in reading.
Michele
says:My 8 year old constantly ignores periods, instead reading in long breathless sentences. Hoping some of these strategies help. : )
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIn addition to the tips in this blog post, check out our Reading with Expression: 5 Teaching Tips and a Free Printable and How to Develop Reading Fluency blog posts for more tips and helps.
One very effective activity not mentioned in detail in any of these blog posts is a variation of buddy reading called “echo reading.” You read a few sentences with full expression and appropriate pauses with punctuation, and then your child reads the same sentences, matching your expression as close as possible. Do this for approximately five minutes a day, or whatever is a comfortable length of time for your child. Add in lots of praise when your child shows even a bit of improvement.
Beka
says:Thanks for the advice!
Kris
says:I like the idea to read fast and/or slow and then normal and see which sounds the best to them, sounds like good option to let them hear how they sound and let them figure it out.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGlad you like the idea, Kris! Yes, kids usually catch on pretty quickly when they can hear the difference themselves.
Charity Joslyn
says:This is very helpful! Thank you
Laurel
says:I love the kinesthetic reminder for punctuation idea. ?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGlad you like it, Laurel!
Angelique Welsh
says:These are fantastic and really useful! Looking forward to trying them!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGreat, I’m glad this will be helpful for you, Angelique. If you have questions or need more help, just ask.
Cyn T
says:Thank you for this post. Helps me confirm and give more information on what I thought was going on.
Erikamari M
says:Oh my goodness this is too funny! I was just talking with hubby how our 7 yo (who I feel is right where she needs to be level wise) will read and sometimes “know” what the word is going to be. And if it has a similar letter sequencing she will just assume thats it and stick it in there even if it doesnt make sense because she just wants to be done. Maybe she would benefit from being recorded….hmmm…We also sometimes have issues with her and remembering to use the punctuation so I LOVE the idea of her pinching her fingers when she gets to it. We will try that for sure. Thank you for these tips.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad these will be helpful for your child, Erikamari! I’ve seen the sorts of things you described when a child is starting to get good at reading. It’s usually a good sign, but it can lead to other issues too, especially word guessing.
Tammy
says:Very good advice!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Tammy!
Jessica Morton
says:Sounds like my son. I am going to try these tips out. Thanks so much!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Jessica! I hope these tips help him, but if you need more ideas or have other concerns, please let me know.
A Nana
says:Even the 2nd video sped up after the first sentence. I could not understand any of the rest of it. Kids need to speak more slowly, ennunciate, and project too.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYes, good points. It is important for readers to read at a pace that allows full understanding.
Michelle
says:Thank you for these tips! I definitely need this with my oldest child.
Rick K.
says:I think the main reason kids can tend to read too fast is that they are over-excited about finding themselves able to read. I’ve been tutoring kids for 40 years, and that’s what I’ve always seen when kids read too fast. When that happens, I correct them and make them go back when they’ve made a mistake, but I have never done anything to try to get a child read more slowly. I’ve always found that, over time, that excitement settles down, and then they read at a speed they can maintain without constantly making mistakes. I think things work out much better when you just wait for a new reader to settle down naturally. That’s always worked for me.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for sharing your approach, Rick. Good point.
Steph
says:So many great ideas! I have one child who reads really fast and I wasn’t sure what to do. Thank you for these tips!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad these will be helpful for your child, Steph!
Kristin Donley
says:Love the code word idea. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Danielle
says:Really enjoyed the read, thank you for the very useful information, my son currently does this and it’s nice to read he’s not alone. Thank you.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Danielle. Your son is definitely not along with this problem.
susan okeefe
says:Yes many of my students think that reading fast means that they are good readers!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYes, it is such a common misconception that students have, Susan.