Speed Reading Helps ADD/ADHD Students Improve Behavior and Overall Performance
Posted on July 22, 2008
Filed Under Education
Speed reading software helps ADD/ADHD students improve behavior and overall performance by engaging students in interactive exercises and helping them learn to focus on one task at a time.
According to the American Psychiatric Association 5-8% of children and approximately 4% of adults suffer from ADHD. ADD/ADHD is defined as a physiological/behavioral disorder characterized by inattentiveness or short attention spans, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and disorganization.
How Does ADD/ADHD Affect Reading?
It affects students that have difficulty focusing on study and general reading materials.
How Speed Reading Software can help: Speed reading software helps ADD/ADHD students by engaging them in interactive exercises (i.e. Drills and Games), by focusing on one task at a time, and by allowing the students to view reading material at a faster rate. Because they are engaged, and because they can adjust the text’s parameters to meet their needs, they may feel a sense of accomplishment at being able to do the work. Some instructors have found that using a speed reading program for a short period in the morning led to improved behavior and performance overall throughout the school day.
The Educational Research Institute of America (ERIA) reviewed (www.acereader.com/papers/ERIA_Review_of_ACEREADER_Research.pdf) four independent studies of a leading speed reading software program to determine if the results provided valid evidence of its instructional effectiveness. While using different age groups and training levels, each of the studies provided evidence that:
1. The program increased both users’ reading rate and their comprehension.
2. The program elicited a positive response in all test groups.
3. The program proved both easy to implement and effective to use among reading instructors.
The studies documented improvements with students at the elementary through the adult levels, as well as at a variety of ability levels. Perhaps most impressive was that the students’ scores exceeded expected gains in both the experimental groups and the general school populations.
Students and adults can establish a baseline to measure their improvement by taking a free online reading test at www.freereadingtest.com.
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About the Author:
Bernie Marasco is President of Stepware, Inc. developer of the award winning AceReader Speed Reading Software program. Keep up to date with the most recent literacy news by reading his blog at www.speedreadingsoftware.com and measure your reading speed and comprehension at www.freereadingtest.com
