Reading Rates

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Updated June 14, 2025
Documenting print reading rates is an essential component of evaluating a student’s reading efficiency and determining whether print is an appropriate primary literacy medium. The Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) should assess whether the student:
  • Completes academic tasks efficiently using print,
  • Makes expected academic progress over time, and
  • Performs comparably to sighted peers using preferred reading media and low vision devices.

Beyond Short Passages: Considering Visual Fatigue

While short passage assessments are helpful for monitoring progress, they do not reflect whether visual fatigue is impacting reading over time. To get a complete picture, TVIs should:
  • Assess reading performance during longer reading tasks
  • Collaborate with classroom teachers to evaluate reading during class assessments
  • Compare reading performance in the morning vs. end of day, especially if fatigue is suspected

Factors to Consider in Media Decision-Making

When determining the continued appropriateness of print, the IEP team should consider:
  • Academic achievement trends
  • Performance on standardized and state competency tests
  • The magnitude of discrepancy between the student and their sighted peers
  • The presence of reading fatigue or slowed progress
Suggested Solutions
As outlined on page 262 of Foundations of Low Vision: Clinical and Functional Perspectives (Corn & Koenig, AFB), possible recommendations include:
  • Continue to use print as the primary literacy medium, supplemented by additional tools (e.g., audiobooks, reader services).
  • Continuing with print, but providing targeted, intensive instruction to increase reading efficiency and academic achievement.
  • Introduce braille reading and writing while continuing to use print and other tools. This allows the student to continue progressing academically while building braille proficiency. Braille may eventually become the primary or secondary medium.

Grade-Level Reading Rate Benchmarks

​Reading rates are typically measured in Words Per Minute (WPM) and can vary based on the tool and whether the student is reading orally or silently.
Fountas & Pinnell Benchmarks (Oral Reading – Sighted Students):
  • End of 1st Grade (J–K): 75–100 WPM
  • End of 2nd–3rd Grade (L–M–N): 90–120 WPM
  • End of 3rd Grade (N–O–P): 100–140 WPM
  • End of 4th Grade (Q–R–S): 120–160 WPM
  • End of 5th Grade (T–U–V): 140–180 WPM
  • End of 6th Grade (W–X–Y): 160–200 WPM
  • End of 7th–8th Grade (Y–Z): 180–220 WPM
Note: These benchmarks reflect reading rates for students with unimpaired vision and may be higher than other tools.

​Corn & Koenig Benchmarks

The following describes the typical oral and silent reading rates for students without visual impairments from Foundations of Low Vision: Clinical and Functional Perspectives
  • 1st grade – 60WPM oral reading, less than 81 WPM silent reading
  • 2nd grade – 70 WPM oral reading, 82-108 WPM silent reading
  • 3rd grade – 90 WPM oral reading, 109-130 WPM silent reading
  • 4th grade – 120 WPM oral reading, 131-147 WPM silent reading
  • 5th grade – 120 WPM oral reading, 148-161 WPM silent reading
  • 6th grade – 150 WPM oral reading, 162-174 WPM silent reading
  • 7th grade – 150 WPM oral reading, 175-185 WPM silent reading
  • 8th grade – 186-197 WPM silent reading
  • 9th grade – 198-209 WPM silent reading
  • 10th grade – 210-224 WPM silent reading
  • 11th grade – 225-240 WPM silent reading
  • 12th grade – 241-255+ WPM silent reading

​Calculating Reading Rate (WPM)

Use the following formula to determine reading rate:
  • Step 1: Record the number of seconds the student takes to read a passage.
  • Step 2: Divide the number of words in the passage by the number of seconds.
  • Step 3: Multiply the result by 60 to get words per minute.
Example:
120 words ÷ 90 seconds = 1.33
1.33 × 60 = 80 WPM
Alternatively, divide the number of words by the number of minutes taken to read the passage.

​Reading Rates in Students with Visual Impairments

It is common for students with visual impairments to have slower reading rates than sighted peers. This does not automatically mean that print is inappropriate. The IEP team should consider:
  • Year-to-year academic progress
  • Reading efficiency vs. effort
  • Long-term implications for academic competitiveness
The goal is to ensure the student has equal access to the curriculum using the media that supports independence, speed, comprehension, and endurance.

Additional Resources...

  • Basic Reading Inventory (Jerry Johns)
    An informal reading inventory available in Large Print and Braille from APH. Assesses instructional, independent, and frustration reading levels and helps determine optimal literacy media.
  • Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) Learning Media Assessment
    Comprehensive tools and guidance for conducting LMAs.
  • Functional Vision and Learning Media Assessment (FVLMA) – APH
    A digital tool to store, track, and analyze visual functioning and media use to support media decisions. aph.org/product/fvlma-kit/

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Reading Rates Handout
Reading Rates Handout