How to increase reading fluency?
February 12, 2013 9:30 AM Subscribe
An adult friend needs help becoming a faster reader. She's not interested in speed-reading classes because she doesn't want to learn how to skim: she wants to learn how to read more fluently. How does she learn to do that?
After a class discussion where I was arguing that schools should keep teaching reading skills after grade school, because reading is a more complicated skill than just sounding out the letters, a friend came up to me and told me with great frustration that she reads so slowly that it often takes her an hour to read 2 or 3 pages of a normal book. So, for example, listening to an audiobook is a much faster way for her to get through a book than actually reading it. She's really smart, and I think that has maybe hindered her in some ways, because she's been able to compensate for her slow reading-speed thus far instead of getting help with it.
She's asked me if I know of any resources that could help her learn to read better, and I promised her I'd look around. From digging around in the subject a bit, it sounds like speed-reading classes might have some useful techniques if you took away the time pressure component: learning to train your eyes to move in a certain way across a page, etc. Are there online tutorials for adult learners who want to increase their reading fluency that are not ESL-oriented? Video materials would be better than a text-heavy website. Or a class she could take at a library or something? Other tips for her? She doesn't want to read War and Peace in two hours; she just wants to be able to actually finish assigned books once in a while. Thanks for your help.
After a class discussion where I was arguing that schools should keep teaching reading skills after grade school, because reading is a more complicated skill than just sounding out the letters, a friend came up to me and told me with great frustration that she reads so slowly that it often takes her an hour to read 2 or 3 pages of a normal book. So, for example, listening to an audiobook is a much faster way for her to get through a book than actually reading it. She's really smart, and I think that has maybe hindered her in some ways, because she's been able to compensate for her slow reading-speed thus far instead of getting help with it.
She's asked me if I know of any resources that could help her learn to read better, and I promised her I'd look around. From digging around in the subject a bit, it sounds like speed-reading classes might have some useful techniques if you took away the time pressure component: learning to train your eyes to move in a certain way across a page, etc. Are there online tutorials for adult learners who want to increase their reading fluency that are not ESL-oriented? Video materials would be better than a text-heavy website. Or a class she could take at a library or something? Other tips for her? She doesn't want to read War and Peace in two hours; she just wants to be able to actually finish assigned books once in a while. Thanks for your help.
Two thoughts, not backed up by much in particular:
1. Simply reading more may be a great start. Imagine couch to 5k: it takes six weeks of effort to get to the 5k part. Is she willing to read 50 pages a day for six weeks? If so, then I suspect she will become a much faster reader by the end. There may not be a shortcut. Progressively more difficult books (starting with YA, for example) might help, as well as good reading habbits such as always looking up new words when they aren't immediately clear form context, and perhaps even drilling on the vocabulary through flash cards.
Note that this is not backed by any particular science or experience, so it may be wrong.
2. If she's having problems reading, don't rule out something like dyslexia or similar. It may not be obvious to her if the barriers to her reading swiftly are larger than the barriers presented to others. She only has her experience to go by, and so anything, no matter how rare or difficult, might seem normal. Two to three pages of a book in an hour is quite slow.
posted by jsturgill at 9:38 AM on February 12, 2013
1. Simply reading more may be a great start. Imagine couch to 5k: it takes six weeks of effort to get to the 5k part. Is she willing to read 50 pages a day for six weeks? If so, then I suspect she will become a much faster reader by the end. There may not be a shortcut. Progressively more difficult books (starting with YA, for example) might help, as well as good reading habbits such as always looking up new words when they aren't immediately clear form context, and perhaps even drilling on the vocabulary through flash cards.
Note that this is not backed by any particular science or experience, so it may be wrong.
2. If she's having problems reading, don't rule out something like dyslexia or similar. It may not be obvious to her if the barriers to her reading swiftly are larger than the barriers presented to others. She only has her experience to go by, and so anything, no matter how rare or difficult, might seem normal. Two to three pages of a book in an hour is quite slow.
posted by jsturgill at 9:38 AM on February 12, 2013
Seconding looking into good YA fiction.
She might also enjoy reading more if she learns to read critically -- look for fiction that includes book club questions (or PS versions) that she can use to build her analytical skills. When she gets more comfortable reading, she might be interested in reading critical analyses or book reviews on books she's already read.
And then, if she's into it, she should read a few TERRIBLE things to build up an understanding of what works and what doesn't. Sometimes reading and watching awful things helps you figure out what is great about truly great books -- and it's harder to understand this if you only read great books because great authors make things work so seamlessly. Terrible books show the seams, and you can see how things are constructed.
posted by mochapickle at 9:45 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
She might also enjoy reading more if she learns to read critically -- look for fiction that includes book club questions (or PS versions) that she can use to build her analytical skills. When she gets more comfortable reading, she might be interested in reading critical analyses or book reviews on books she's already read.
And then, if she's into it, she should read a few TERRIBLE things to build up an understanding of what works and what doesn't. Sometimes reading and watching awful things helps you figure out what is great about truly great books -- and it's harder to understand this if you only read great books because great authors make things work so seamlessly. Terrible books show the seams, and you can see how things are constructed.
posted by mochapickle at 9:45 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
I read really quickly, without "speed reading," and a required speed reading class in seventh grade is what taught me to do so. The ability to skim through a chapter and extract and synthesize the important information (the class included reading comprehension checks) very much carried over to non-speed-reading, for me. (Though I sometimes do have to consciously slow down to appreciate the text more.)
But I would very much second the recommendation to first get tested for learning disorders. Her pace, as an adult, seems way outside the normal range.
posted by jaguar at 9:56 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
But I would very much second the recommendation to first get tested for learning disorders. Her pace, as an adult, seems way outside the normal range.
posted by jaguar at 9:56 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: for example, listening to an audiobook is a much faster way for her to get through a book than actually reading it.
I am a librarian and I may as well be your librarian. There is a lot of active debate about whether listening to a book on headphones is exactly the same cognitive experience as reading it, but there is very little debate that if you've listened to a book you've "read" it. She's reading. That said, if there is such a difference in speed between listening (if she has the choice to speed up/slow down what she's listening to) and reading print, I'd also suggest that she may have some sort of reading issue that maybe should get looked at (there's dyslexia, there's ADD, there are a lot of things, many of which are totally treatable).
That said, there are a lot of things you can do while you're reading that can help with comprehension, though maybe not with speed. When I taught reading comprehension for SAT/GRE learners, we would often do a sort of active reading thing where after each paragraph you'd sort of visualize what had happened and then think about what might happen next The idea being that if you've put in your head "Hey I bet they're going to check out that abandoned house..." even if they don't do that, you've engaged with the material and given yourself some hooks towards understanding. Open University has a good section on critical reading techniques that may be useful.
Keep in mind that speeding up your friend's reading pace and increasing comprehension of what she's reading may be things that don't necessarily go hand in hand. Is she also a slow reader when she's reading for pleasure (if she reads for pleasure)? The answer to that should help adjust what she needs to do going forward. Best of luck, and talk to your local librarian, they should have other suggestions.
posted by jessamyn at 9:57 AM on February 12, 2013 [4 favorites]
I am a librarian and I may as well be your librarian. There is a lot of active debate about whether listening to a book on headphones is exactly the same cognitive experience as reading it, but there is very little debate that if you've listened to a book you've "read" it. She's reading. That said, if there is such a difference in speed between listening (if she has the choice to speed up/slow down what she's listening to) and reading print, I'd also suggest that she may have some sort of reading issue that maybe should get looked at (there's dyslexia, there's ADD, there are a lot of things, many of which are totally treatable).
That said, there are a lot of things you can do while you're reading that can help with comprehension, though maybe not with speed. When I taught reading comprehension for SAT/GRE learners, we would often do a sort of active reading thing where after each paragraph you'd sort of visualize what had happened and then think about what might happen next The idea being that if you've put in your head "Hey I bet they're going to check out that abandoned house..." even if they don't do that, you've engaged with the material and given yourself some hooks towards understanding. Open University has a good section on critical reading techniques that may be useful.
Keep in mind that speeding up your friend's reading pace and increasing comprehension of what she's reading may be things that don't necessarily go hand in hand. Is she also a slow reader when she's reading for pleasure (if she reads for pleasure)? The answer to that should help adjust what she needs to do going forward. Best of luck, and talk to your local librarian, they should have other suggestions.
posted by jessamyn at 9:57 AM on February 12, 2013 [4 favorites]
she reads so slowly that it often takes her an hour to read 2 or 3 pages of a normal book
This is abnormal. She is probably diagnosable with something, but I do not know what. The average page of a novel or other prose text has about 250 to 300 words. By coincidence, an average reading speed is 250 to 300 words per minute. So, your friend reads about 60 times slower than the average person. In certain respects, she is illiterate because she cannot read any temporarily displayed text such as subtitles or scrolling emergency text. Going to a restaurant would be out of the question because of the hour it would take to read the menu.
Your friend should see a specialist for testing and diagnosis.
posted by Tanizaki at 10:07 AM on February 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
This is abnormal. She is probably diagnosable with something, but I do not know what. The average page of a novel or other prose text has about 250 to 300 words. By coincidence, an average reading speed is 250 to 300 words per minute. So, your friend reads about 60 times slower than the average person. In certain respects, she is illiterate because she cannot read any temporarily displayed text such as subtitles or scrolling emergency text. Going to a restaurant would be out of the question because of the hour it would take to read the menu.
Your friend should see a specialist for testing and diagnosis.
posted by Tanizaki at 10:07 AM on February 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Definitely check for a diagnosis, as that's a real possibility, but it's (sadly) not the only one. Lots of people have reading-fluency issues simply because of poor early reading education and limited demands to read throughout high school. In essence, a problem was there all the time, and there was no need for anyone to help because so little reading was required of your friend to pass. Then you get to (what sounds like) college and there's suddenly a problem.
Something like The Logic of English - which is meant to fill in the "advanced phonics" gaps for people and get them to true fluency from basic reading - could help if there isn't a dyslexia-type problem. (All the website pictures are of kids or ESL classes, but LOE is often used by non-ESL adults.)
posted by Wylla at 10:19 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Something like The Logic of English - which is meant to fill in the "advanced phonics" gaps for people and get them to true fluency from basic reading - could help if there isn't a dyslexia-type problem. (All the website pictures are of kids or ESL classes, but LOE is often used by non-ESL adults.)
posted by Wylla at 10:19 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Hi, thanks very much for your thoughts so far! I just wanted to clarify that I mentioned the audiobook thing because that was a striking example to me of how slow she went, speed-wise, and not because I was being a snob about what counts as reading. It made me think that she might have a more complicated problem than just reading all of the words aloud to herself silently, which I've heard a lot of people do. Because if the reading-aloud-silently was the only problem, then she'd be reading at the same pace as an audiobook reader, not more slowly. Right?
posted by colfax at 10:29 AM on February 12, 2013
posted by colfax at 10:29 AM on February 12, 2013
I'm kind of coming down on the side of some sort of diagnosis. Taking an hour to read two or three pages - that's twenty to thirty minutes per page - is not just reading slowly. It sounds a lot like a learning disability.
My usual advice for people who want to learn to read faster while retaining comprehension is to learn clustering - instead of reading one word at a time, train yourself to read two or three at once. It's easier to get the hang of (if one has never tried it before) if you think about it in terms of road signs: when you see SLOW CHILDREN or ONE WAY, you're usually reading those words at the same time, not in sequence.
But I don't know that clustering would help in this case.
Because if the reading-aloud-silently was the only problem, then she'd be reading at the same pace as an audiobook reader, not more slowly. Right?
Well, not at the same pace, no. Audiobooks are read in a conversational cadence by someone who's had a chance to run through the material (usually); if you're reading along word by word, you'll go slower. Even if the difference is small, it adds up.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 10:33 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
My usual advice for people who want to learn to read faster while retaining comprehension is to learn clustering - instead of reading one word at a time, train yourself to read two or three at once. It's easier to get the hang of (if one has never tried it before) if you think about it in terms of road signs: when you see SLOW CHILDREN or ONE WAY, you're usually reading those words at the same time, not in sequence.
But I don't know that clustering would help in this case.
Because if the reading-aloud-silently was the only problem, then she'd be reading at the same pace as an audiobook reader, not more slowly. Right?
Well, not at the same pace, no. Audiobooks are read in a conversational cadence by someone who's had a chance to run through the material (usually); if you're reading along word by word, you'll go slower. Even if the difference is small, it adds up.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 10:33 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Tanizaki makes an interesting point--can your friend read film subtitles?
If she can watch movies with subtitles and keep up, then that sounds like there is a comprehension thing going on... when she says she reads 2 or 3 pages in an hour, maybe she means she has to double back and re-read (or re-re-read) to figure out what's going on? Maybe the comprehension tactics mentioned above would help her.
If she can't watch movies with subtitles, and/or it takes her just as long to read something like a menu or other short text where comprehension should not be an issue, that sounds more like dyslexia or something interfering with the actual reading.
It's also relevant to find out if she does read for pleasure. I believe that, absent learning issues, reading speed comes primarily from practice; if she's never been a reader at all, maybe she just needs to put some hardcore reading time in. Start with YA and get gradually more complicated, choosing enjoyable fiction that won't be a chore to get through. I think re-reading can help with reading faster because knowing the story already allows you to test yourself and see how fast you can read without missing pieces.
(This is just guessing--I'm a reader but have no other qualifications to answer this question.)
posted by snorkmaiden at 10:37 AM on February 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
If she can watch movies with subtitles and keep up, then that sounds like there is a comprehension thing going on... when she says she reads 2 or 3 pages in an hour, maybe she means she has to double back and re-read (or re-re-read) to figure out what's going on? Maybe the comprehension tactics mentioned above would help her.
If she can't watch movies with subtitles, and/or it takes her just as long to read something like a menu or other short text where comprehension should not be an issue, that sounds more like dyslexia or something interfering with the actual reading.
It's also relevant to find out if she does read for pleasure. I believe that, absent learning issues, reading speed comes primarily from practice; if she's never been a reader at all, maybe she just needs to put some hardcore reading time in. Start with YA and get gradually more complicated, choosing enjoyable fiction that won't be a chore to get through. I think re-reading can help with reading faster because knowing the story already allows you to test yourself and see how fast you can read without missing pieces.
(This is just guessing--I'm a reader but have no other qualifications to answer this question.)
posted by snorkmaiden at 10:37 AM on February 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Nthing she should get checked for some sort of reading/learning disability. I had a friend in high school who was wicked smart why yes, we did grow up in Boston but whose grades were often terrible because it took her so long to read things - fun things, boring things, long things, all kinds of things. And because this was back before kids were tested for all or any learning disabilities, she didn't know this until most of the way through high school. She'd been a slow reader in elementary/middle school, but I think everyone assumed she'd just kind of grow out of it.
Also, how is your friend's spelling? How's her writing in general? More clues might be there.
posted by rtha at 10:39 AM on February 12, 2013
Also, how is your friend's spelling? How's her writing in general? More clues might be there.
posted by rtha at 10:39 AM on February 12, 2013
There are a couple of things that screamed at me about this question.
1. Nthing the learning disability. Here's a resource that might point you in a direction for LD screening.
2. Read. Read. Read. The more you read, the better you get at it. Get stuff that's gripping and enjoyable. No one should start with Russian Novels! I hate to say it, but garbage like Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey, really seem to get folks going. Harry Potter is another option.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:14 PM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
1. Nthing the learning disability. Here's a resource that might point you in a direction for LD screening.
2. Read. Read. Read. The more you read, the better you get at it. Get stuff that's gripping and enjoyable. No one should start with Russian Novels! I hate to say it, but garbage like Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey, really seem to get folks going. Harry Potter is another option.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:14 PM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
An article just came out in Nature about training people with dyslexia to read faster. Perhaps you could contact the authors and ask for the software?
posted by zug at 12:20 PM on February 12, 2013
posted by zug at 12:20 PM on February 12, 2013
Quickreader to the rescue! If she has an iphone or ipad, this is a fantastic app. I used the same method with a paperback as a kid to learn to read fast, and I've used Quickreader with my kids to practice their reading.
I read fast - 800-1,400 wpm depending on the material - and I also enjoy listening to audiobooks but it's a completely different experience, more like radio. I find it easier to remember what I read in print than what I heard, but my dyslexic son generally finds the reverse. If her reading speed does not increase even with practice like Quickreader, she could record herself reading the school materials she needs and listen to them for revision.
A series of cracking good novels - I would try Quickreader and Agatha Christie novels which are easy to obtain and move briskly with interesting plots - will help her get going. YA books are great for reading practice. She should start with what's comfortable if that's 50wpm right now and just push herself a little each time to go a bit faster.
Also, try setting the font to the dreadful Comic Sans at a large size (20pt or higher). My son finds that easier to read than a regular sized serif font.
posted by viggorlijah at 5:56 PM on February 12, 2013
I read fast - 800-1,400 wpm depending on the material - and I also enjoy listening to audiobooks but it's a completely different experience, more like radio. I find it easier to remember what I read in print than what I heard, but my dyslexic son generally finds the reverse. If her reading speed does not increase even with practice like Quickreader, she could record herself reading the school materials she needs and listen to them for revision.
A series of cracking good novels - I would try Quickreader and Agatha Christie novels which are easy to obtain and move briskly with interesting plots - will help her get going. YA books are great for reading practice. She should start with what's comfortable if that's 50wpm right now and just push herself a little each time to go a bit faster.
Also, try setting the font to the dreadful Comic Sans at a large size (20pt or higher). My son finds that easier to read than a regular sized serif font.
posted by viggorlijah at 5:56 PM on February 12, 2013
I read fast - 800-1,400 wpm depending on the material
This claim is rather remarkable. This twenty-year survey found that those who read at 600-700 wpm could only answer general questions about gist. They could not answer questions about details at all. They weren't reading - they were skimming. Speed and comprehension are a trade-off. You may wish to test it unscientifically with this crude reading speed and comprehension test.
I see that QuickReader claims to teach to eliminate subvocalization. This is fiction. Everyone subvocalizes, even speed readers.
posted by Tanizaki at 6:35 PM on February 12, 2013
This claim is rather remarkable. This twenty-year survey found that those who read at 600-700 wpm could only answer general questions about gist. They could not answer questions about details at all. They weren't reading - they were skimming. Speed and comprehension are a trade-off. You may wish to test it unscientifically with this crude reading speed and comprehension test.
I see that QuickReader claims to teach to eliminate subvocalization. This is fiction. Everyone subvocalizes, even speed readers.
posted by Tanizaki at 6:35 PM on February 12, 2013
I got 1,164 on that. I seriously do read that fast for most texts. I slow down for more difficult pieces to work out what they're writing about or when I'm trying to memorize something, but I am able to comprehend what I'm reading and remember it for a long period at high speeds. I remember somewhat visually - when I'm recalling a text, the relevant page or text will float up in my head - but it's not the TV type photographic memory, just a visual echo. It's a useful quirk.
Except for mystery novels. I do not know why but I continually forget the ending of mystery novels so I wind up rereading them with pleasure again and again.
posted by viggorlijah at 7:17 PM on February 12, 2013
Except for mystery novels. I do not know why but I continually forget the ending of mystery novels so I wind up rereading them with pleasure again and again.
posted by viggorlijah at 7:17 PM on February 12, 2013
Best answer: When she's listening to audio books, could she put the print book in front of her and follow along with a finger on the page? I'm not an expert, but it seems to me that if she can't keep up, that would be another indicator of a problem to be diagnosed, and if she can keep up then spending an hour per day doing that would be good practice. Like Couch to 5K mentioned above, she could start with an hour using audio, then do 55 minutes with audio and the next 5 without, and increase the without time each week.
posted by CathyG at 8:01 PM on February 12, 2013
posted by CathyG at 8:01 PM on February 12, 2013
Best answer: Acceleread Speed Reading Trainer doesn't teach you to skim - it has lots of different exercises to train your eyes to focus on words correctly and stop you from 'subvocalising', (where you say all the words in your head as you read them), which tends to slow down reading while not necessarily increasing comprehension. Warn your friend that it can feel a bit frustrating, because many of the eye exercises are deliberately designed to feel just a bit too hard - it's because they're exercises.
posted by Acheman at 3:02 AM on February 13, 2013
posted by Acheman at 3:02 AM on February 13, 2013
Response by poster: Thank you so much for all of your answers! Metafilter is so lovely, because you all always think of possibilities that never would have even occurred to me. I'm really grateful for your help, and I'll pass your suggestions along. I've never seen anyone so frustrated as this friend when she was talking about books and reading: how much she loves books and yet how hard it is for her to read. Anyway, I think your suggestions will give her some good places to start. Thanks again!
posted by colfax at 5:09 AM on February 13, 2013
posted by colfax at 5:09 AM on February 13, 2013
One more thing: have her get her eyes tested and make sure she has enough light when reading. I love to read, but as I've gotten older, I find it physically just a bit more difficult to actually see the letters, so it's not as enjoyable for me. If I wear my glasses and use good light, it's much easier. I also make far more use of the "Big Print" editions of books, even if I don't really "need" them - it's just easier.
posted by CathyG at 5:19 AM on February 15, 2013
posted by CathyG at 5:19 AM on February 15, 2013
Best answer: I missed this question the first time around. I've mentioned this in AskMe before, but one of my (adult) students with diagnosed dyslexia found it helpful to listen to the audiobook at the same time as reading the print version. She said that over time, it increased her reading speed (which was painfully slow at first, probably comparable to your friend's reading speed) and helped her get to a place where she really enjoyed reading. Educational researchers have shown that this technique works with children, so I'm not surprised it also works with adults. Your friend already likes listening to audiobooks, so maybe she'd be willing to try this.
My student also found the large print versions of books much easier to read, got some reading glasses, and had a pink transparency she'd place over bright white paper (made it easier on her eyes).
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:38 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
My student also found the large print versions of books much easier to read, got some reading glasses, and had a pink transparency she'd place over bright white paper (made it easier on her eyes).
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:38 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
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A cousin of mine had some success getting faster by chewing gum while reading- it turned out she was mouthing the words with her tounge absent-mindedly and sped up once she blocked it.
posted by Blisterlips at 9:37 AM on February 12, 2013 [4 favorites]