Reading Flexibility of Learning Disabled and Normal Students at Three Grade Levels

Reading flexibility refers to a person's ability to adjust both reading rate and method to the specific purpose for reading. Proficient readers exhibit reading flexibility by paying attention to the information in print that is most relevant to their purpose. Poor readers, on the other hand, do not exhibit reading flexibility and, instead, become bound to the print. Only limited research has been undertaken to investigate the degree of reading flexibility in the learning disabled population. This study compared reading flexibility among learning disabled and normal students at three grade levels. Methods included a measure of reading rate and reading comprehension under two separate conditions or purposes for reading. Results are reported in terms of differences between the two populations as well as trends across grade levels for each population.