Reading speed is measured in words read per minute; it’s also known as reading fluency. Some people are faster readers than others, but those who take longer to decode words might lag in their reading speed. Reading too slow might impact comprehension; if children are having trouble decoding, their mind might not be able to fully process what they read.

When children read slower, there are some exercises parents can use to help them increase reading fluency. Here’s how to increase reading speed and help children feel more confident reading aloud.

• Use timed reading exercises

• Encourage children to read aloud

• Read books at the right level

• Practice sight words regularly

• Use a reading app or program

Decoding a Reading Problem

Literacy expert Timothy Shanahan noted that slow reading speed could lead to an issue with comprehension but the exact word per minute measurement of when this struggle actually becomes an issue is murky. In working to decode and decipher the text, they might lose the meaning of what they read and not fully comprehend it.

When children are slower readers, parents might take note of this and work to find out the reason for the struggle. While some children might not feel confident reading aloud, others are slow readers because of deeper reading struggles. Shanahan explains that slow reading might be a symptom, not the actual problem.

To help children with a possible decoding issue, parents might need to reach out to a teacher or even schedule an evaluation with their pediatrician (who could recommend other specialists and evaluations). Decoding the reading issue is crucial to helping a child gain proficiency and confidence and, hopefully, catch up to the grade-level expectations.

For children who just don’t feel confident reading aloud, there are some tips for parents to help them feel more confident and read more fluently.

Timed Reading Exercises

To measure reading fluency, parents might ask students to read a paragraph of text for one minute. Parents should have a copy of this paragraph and scratch off any incorrectly read word. At the end of one minute, parents can calculate reading fluency by subtracting the missed words from the total words read.

These timed reading exercises can help parents understand their child’s reading fluency. To help them gain confidence and read with greater accuracy, parents can use these timed reading exercises. Reading fluency paragraphs can be found on the site Think Fluency. Passages are sorted by grade level.

Encourage Children to Read Aloud

Depending on the child’s age, parents might still read stories aloud each night. However, to help children gain fluency and reading confidence; parents should encourage children to begin to ‘help’ with the nightly reading.

Have children read every other page or take turns reading different paragraphs. Reading aloud helps children practice their reading skills, but this activity also helps parents understand if their child needs more help.

As children read aloud, parents might need to help them sound out more difficult words. While reading together, parents also should ask children questions about the story to ensure that children comprehend what they read.

Read Books at the Right Level

Children could feel more confident reading a book that’s slightly below their level. However, parents should make sure that children aren’t reading a book that is beyond their reading level or ability.

Children could read slower because the book is too mature for their age or if it is written too far beyond their reading level. To truly understand a child’s reading fluency, parents need to help children choose books at the correct reading level.

Typically, teachers send a reading report home to parents that includes a child’s reading level and their reading growth, too. The report also could include a range of book levels that are appropriate for the child; parents can use these reading reports to better understand their child’s reading growth and fluency and to understand the best book levels for their child.

Practice Sight Words

Sight words are words that children should know immediately when they see them in the text. Children are expected to memorize and master a list of sight words in early elementary grade levels. Even kindergartners need to memorize a list.

Mastering sight words also could help children increase their reading speed. If children know the word on sight, they don’t have to think about sounding it out. The knowledge of the word is ingrained and instinctual.

Parents should work with children to help them master their list of sight words. Many children might gain mastery just through flash cards. However, parents should make sure the cards are shuffled each time so that children are not simply memorizing the words in a specific order.

There are other games parents can play with children to help them master these words, too. Play sight word matching games by creating two cards of each sight word. Shuffle the cards and then place them face down. Children and parents can take turns making matches of each word; make sure children say or read the word when they flip the card.

Parents also could play Go Fish with sight words. To play the game, parents should make four cards of each sight word. Shuffle the cards and then play the game per the original rules. Players need four matches of each word. The player with the most sight word matches is the winner.

In addition, both the App Store and Google Play offer a variety of apps that can help children practice their sight words. These apps might feature a game format and many are free. However, some offer in-app purchases and parents might want to disable the in-app purchase on their phone to keep children from accruing charges to their account.

Use a Reading App to Increase Reading Speed

A reading app like Readability also can help children increase their reading speed. Readability requires children to read stories aloud during lessons; the program features a built-in AI tutor that is designed with voice-recognition software. The tutor recognizes each child’s voice, and if a child struggles with a word, the tutor provides help.

At the end of each story, the tutor also asks questions to better understand the child’s comprehension of what they read. The tutor not only measures comprehension, but it’s also designed to keep track of a child’s reading fluency; the tutor counts and tracks the child’s words read per minute for every story in the program.

When parents begin to use Readability with their child, they can set their child’s reading level in the program to ensure that lessons are appropriate for their child’s ability. However, some parents don’t know their child’s reading level; Readability can work with the child to determine the best baseline reading level for each child.

Parents can follow their child’s reading progress via a private portal called the program dashboard. This space includes all the reading data for each child; parents can review their child’s reading fluency (measured in words read per minute), their comprehension, their reading level, and parents also can see how long their child used Readability.

Reading aloud can help children gain reading fluency and confidence, and Readability provides guided read-aloud lessons to ensure that children always have the help they need. The program can be used from preschool through fifth grade, and parents can sign up for a free seven-day trial to explore the content with their child and work with the AI tutor.