What is the normal speed children should read at?
Parents often ask me whether their child is reading at the “right” speed. Some children read accurately but very slowly, others rush through text with little understanding, and many become anxious or fatigued when asked to read aloud. These concerns are especially common for parents of neurodivergent children, where reading difficulties often sit alongside challenges with attention, working memory and processing speed.
Reading speed is important, but it must always be considered alongside comprehension and regulation. In my therapy centre, I rarely see reading speed as an isolated issue. Instead, it reflects how efficiently the brain is processing language, visual information, and meaningful simultaneously.
Understanding what is typical, and when slow reading signals a deeper difficulty, helps parents know when support is needed.
“When a child reads fluently, the brain is no longer required to work hard to decode individual words, allowing it to focus on understanding and learning from the text.”
Understanding reading speed and fluency
Reading speed is typically measured in words per minute, but fluency encompasses more than just pace alone. True fluency requires accuracy, rhythm, comprehension, and cognitive ease. When a child reads fluently, the brain is no longer required to work hard to decode individual words, allowing it to focus on understanding and learning from the text.
There is a wide range of what is considered “normal” by age, and children develop at different rates. However, by primary school, reading should gradually become more automatic. When reading remains slow and effortful, it places a heavy load on the brain, leaving little capacity for comprehension.
For neurodivergent children, including those with dyslexia, ADHD, or autism, fluency often breaks down because the brain systems that support reading are under strain. This is not a lack of intelligence or motivation. It is a neurological processing issue.
Why does my child hate reading?
Why some children read more slowly
In my experience, slow reading is most often linked to underlying cognitive and neurological factors. One of the most significant is working memory. A child must hold sounds, words, and meaning in mind while progressing through a sentence. If working memory capacity is limited, reading becomes slow, fragmented, and exhausting.
Visual processing and eye movement control also plays a major role. Some children struggle to track text smoothly across a page, causing them to reread lines or lose their place. Others process information too slowly to keep pace with classroom demands.
For some children, retained primitive reflexes affect posture, head control, and visual stability, which directly impact reading efficiency. Anxiety and nervous system dysregulation further compound these difficulties, particularly in school environments where pressure and comparison are high.
These children do not need more pressure or repetition. They need targeted support that addresses how their brain is processing information.
“A key indicator I look for is the gap between listening comprehension and reading performance. ”
When reading speed becomes a concern
Reading speed becomes a concern when it interferes with learning, confidence, or emotional well-being. Warning signs include avoidance of reading, fatigue, headaches, declining self-esteem, or distress during homework.
A key indicator I look for is the gap between listening comprehension and reading performance. When a child understands complex material when it is read to them but struggles to read independently, this points clearly to a processing difficulty rather than a learning deficit.
Left unaddressed, these challenges increase stress within the nervous system, making learning feel unsafe and overwhelming.
“One of the key programs I use is Silent Speed Reading, which trains the brain to process text more efficiently without subvocalization ”
Supporting healthy reading development
Effective reading support must strengthen the cognitive foundations that fluency depend on. At Raviv Practice London, I assess the neurological systems underlying reading, including working memory, processing speed, attention regulation, and visual efficiency.
One of the key programs I use is Silent Speed Reading, which trains the brain to process text more efficiently without subvocalization. This approach helps children increase reading speed while maintaining, and often improving, comprehension. Importantly, it reduces cognitive load, allowing the brain to work with greater ease and confidence.
Silent Speed Reading is particularly beneficial for neurodivergent learners who read accurately but slowly, tire easily, or struggle to keep up academically. When combined with other interventions such as working memory training or reflex integration, it can significantly improve learning readiness and academic engagement.
If you are concerned about your child’s reading speed or fluency, early intervention makes a meaningful difference. Reading should not feel like a battle.
At Raviv Practice London, we work one-to-one with children to support reading at its foundation. I invite you to book an initial consultation to explore how Silent Speed Reading and tailored neurocognitive support can help your child read with greater ease, confidence, and understanding.
Dyslexia? Dyspraxia? ADHD? ASD? Speech & Language? Developmental Delay? Anxiety?
Is every school day a struggle? As a parent, you may feel exhausted and on this journey alone. Each year you see the gap getting wider. You need to do something - change the approach, help your child learn for themselves, find a way to turn this around - to help while you can - do this NOW. the first step is free.
About the Author
Usha Patel is a Neurocognitive Therapist and Director at Raviv Practice London. Parents searching to help their suspected/neurodiverse child can get evidence-based solutions with results in as little as 8 weeks. Those in search of jargon-free help can get started straight away.
