How fast should my pupils be reading?

It is common for children to be unable to read with prosody when they are learning
to read – they are not reading at a fast enough rate to think about what they are
reading as they read. A reading speed of 90 words per minute is required to integrate
comprehension whilst reading (Armbruster et al, 2001). But be warned: a fast reading
speed alone is not a full measure of fluency. Both accuracy and prosody need to be
measured too.

Children are unlikely to be reading at 90 words per minute in Year 1, and so not able
to read with fluency and comprehension – yet. Children in Year 1 should be reading at
60–70+ words per minute at the end of the programme. Continued reading instruction
in Year 2 is therefore crucial in order to teach fluency and enable children to become
readers for life.