The Rate of
Reading Test is designed to measure the effects on reading of visuo-perceptual distortions
of text, distortions such as apparent movement of the words and letters,
blurring and coloured halos. Patients are required to read text that looks like
a passage of prose, but consists of random words. The reading is independent of
syntactic and semantic constraints but requires all the usual visual and
visuo-perceptual processing.
The Rate of
Reading Test is used to compare an individual's performance under one set of
visual conditions with that under another. For example, the test might be used
to compare the effects on reading with and without coloured overlays. The
effects of coloured overlays on reading fluency are reviewed elsewhere.
The test is
not a conventional reading test in which the words become progressively more
difficult. Such tests usually compare an individual's performance with that of
other individuals of similar age, and express the performance in terms of a
'reading age'. In the Rate of Reading Test, reading ability is assessed in
terms of rate and errors rather than in terms of the difficulty of the words
read. All the words are of very high frequency in the English language and
should be familiar to children of age 7 and above, as well as adults.
The
individual is required to read the text aloud as rapidly as possible. The
reading is timed and errors are noted.
Multiple
versions of the test are available so that the reading of equivalent passages
can be assessed under different visual conditions.
Performance
of the Rate of Reading Test is reliable on retest. Re-test scores can be
expected to be within 15% of the first test. Scores
are not strongly correlated with age in the range 7yrs-12yrs, even though fast
readers can read four times more quickly than slow. Among 7-8
year olds the correlation with the Young's Reading Test is 0.5, and
among 11 year olds the correlation with the London Reading Test is 0.4.
There is no
evidence that individuals who read faster do so because they tolerate a greater
number of errors. In general, the conditions that give rise to errors also give
rise to slower reading (Wilkins et al., 1996).
The text of
the test is available as MS doc files in English, German, Italian, and Portugese and Arabic.
The following
instructions on administration concern the test published by ioo Marketing. This has four versions, and the testing can
be given with, without, without and again with the overlay, so
as to balance the effects of practice.
The effects
of practice are now known to be maximal on the first test and minimal
thereafter. An alternative procedure, suggested in "Reading through
colour" by A. Wilkins (Wiley, 2003) is therefore to present the test
initially once, just for practice, without the overlay. Then, once the reader
is aquainted with the requirements of the test, and
practice effects are negligible, the test can be given once with the overlay
and once without. This gives a slightly less reliable assessment because there
is only one measurement per condition, but is certainly quicker.
1.The reading
test can only be given to patients who can correctly read the words printed in
large type. Ask the patient to read aloud all the words printed in large type.
If there are errors, correct them, and ask the patient to re-read the words. If
the patient continues to make errors, stop the test at this stage.
2. Tell the
patient the task is to read a passage with just these words in. (S)he has to read the words aloud as quickly as possible without
errors.
3. Choose
Version A of the test with the small typeface, unless the patient is unable to
read it, or it causes pain.
4. Note the
patient's name, date of testing, and the preferred overlay colour on the score
sheet.
5. Place the
preferred overlay on the text.
6. Start a
stopwatch as you instruct the patient to begin.
7. As the
patient reads, note each error by marking the score sheet above the word that
is misread. Use any marking system that suits you.
8. Stop the
patient after 1 minute and mark the score sheet with an oblique line ( / ) to indicate how far (s)he read. If (s)he finishes the
passage before the minute is up, then note how many seconds were taken to read
the passage.
It is
difficult to watch the time and note the errors. Keep the stopwatch where you
can see it out of the corner of your eye, or use your smartphone as a timer.
Most of the
errors will occur when readers lose their place and skip or repeat words or
lines. Other errors will be intrusions that may subsequently be corrected.