Episode 12: Silent Reading Rate and Comprehension with Dr. Emily Hayden

Does what we do in oral reading fluency transfer to silent reading? That may not be a question you’ve thought much about- I know I certainly didn’t before I was introduced to today’s topic. Oral reading fluency is a major milestone on the way to building a successful reader, but most authentic reading in the world is done silently. So how does oral reading fluency relate to silent reading fluency, and what do each of those mean for comprehension? My guest today recently completed a today that investigated those questions. Her name is Dr. Emily Hayden and she is an assistant professor in the School of Education at Iowa State University We have an excellent conversation about a recent study she conducted investigating comprehension based silent reading rate in 2nd and 4th graders. We discuss how oral reading transfers to silent reading, the inverse relationship between silent reading rate and comprehension on NAEP-like passages, and differences between reading narrative and informational passages. It’s a great interview, with lots of takeaways for any classroom teacher. Reference Emily Hayden, Elfrieda H. Hiebert & Guy Trainin (2019) Patterns of Silent Reading Rate and Comprehension as a Function of Developmental Status, Genre, and Text Position, Reading Psychology, 40:8, 731-767, DOI: 10.1080/02702711.2019.1673602 Dr. Hiebert’s book Teaching Stamina and Silent Reading in the Digital-Global Age