With a new school year comes another round of tests. After the excitement of the first week dies down, you may get reports about your child’s reading skills and how they compare to their peers. Then come the questions: What do these scores mean? What level should my child be at? And most importantly, how do I help my child catch up? Here is what to know about reading rate, accuracy, and comprehension, and how to check them at home.
What Reading Skills Are Tested?
The three main parts of reading proficiency are reading rate, accuracy, and comprehension.
- Rate: the amount of time a student takes to read a story.
- Accuracy: the student’s ability to pronounce and sound out each word in the story correctly.
- Comprehension: how well the student answers questions about the content of the story.
If you hear the term reading fluency, it refers to a student’s reading rate and accuracy together.
How Are These Reading Skills Measured?
Each measure is tested a little differently, so here is how to figure out each one.
How to Measure Reading Rate
Reading rate is measured in words per minute (WPM). To calculate it, first multiply the number of words in the story by 60 and divide by the number of seconds it took to read it. For example, if your child reads a 30-word story in 50 seconds, their rate is 36 WPM (30 x 60 / 50 = 36).
Reading Accuracy
Accuracy is usually measured as a percentage. First, divide the number of words read correctly by the total number of words, and then multiply by 100. For example, if your child reads a 30-word story and correctly reads 25 words, their accuracy is 83% (25 / 30 x 100). In general, schools commonly expect about 95% accuracy on grade-level stories.
Reading Comprehension
Comprehension is also measured as a percentage. First, divide the number of correct answers by the total number of questions, and then multiply by 100. For example, if your child answers 4 of 5 questions correctly, their comprehension is 80% (4 / 5 x 100). In general, students are commonly expected to answer about 90% of questions correctly on grade-level stories.
To do a simple check at home, choose a grade-level passage, time your child reading it, count the errors, and ask a few questions about the story. Also, leveled readers from sites like Reading A-Z can help you find passages at the right level.
Do Schools Test the Same Way?
Schools use a universal screening and progress monitoring system to test these skills. The names of the tools differ from school to school, so ask your child’s teacher which one your school uses.
- Rate and accuracy: many schools use curriculum-based measures of oral reading, which test accuracy, automaticity, and expression in connected text. The calculation is similar to the one above.
- Comprehension: many schools use a computer adaptive reading test. The difficulty of each question changes based on the student’s previous answer, so a wrong answer leads to an easier question and a right answer leads to a harder or equal one.
What About Reading Level?
Here is where things get tricky, because not all schools, tutors, and learning specialists use the same reading level program or materials.
My Student Is Behind. Now What?
Schools often give extra instruction to students who fall below benchmarks, but many families also look for more help. Because reading skills build on each other, it helps to find out whether the issue is rate, accuracy, or comprehension, and then target that skill. Our post on reading fluency activities has ideas for building rate and accuracy at home, and our post on encouraging reading comprehension covers comprehension.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good reading rate for my child’s grade?
It depends on grade level and time of year, so use the chart above as a guide, and ask your child’s teacher how your child compares to the school’s benchmark.
What is the difference between reading fluency and reading comprehension?
Fluency is reading rate and accuracy together, which means reading smoothly and correctly. In contrast, comprehension is understanding what was read. A child can read quickly and still have trouble understanding, so both matter.
When should I get an evaluation?
If your child’s scores are below benchmark and not improving with practice, or reading is frustrating despite extra help, an evaluation can find out why. Our post on a child struggling with reading explains what to look for.
How ETLC Can Help
If your child’s reading rate, accuracy, or comprehension is behind, then our team can help you find out why and build a plan. Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center has locations in Johnston and North Liberty, IA, with virtual services also available.
Learn more about dyslexia and reading therapy at ETLC or schedule a free consultation to talk with a member of our team.
You may also find these pages helpful:
- Reading Rate and Fluency: Activities to Help Your Child Read Faster
- Encourage Reading Comprehension
- Child Struggling With Reading
About the Author
Sonia Strueby, M.A., CCC-SLP, is the founder of Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center. With over 25 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist, Sonia has dedicated her career to helping children overcome complex communication and academic challenges. She has advanced training and a special focus on treating dyslexia and childhood apraxia of speech, and she is passionate about providing families with a clear path to success.
0 Comments