Does age affect reading speed

Answer 1

Assuming a child is already a reader (at any named age), then yes, the younger children commonly read a bit slower than older children. But this is only because the younger child has less experience in reading.

HOWEVER, the REVERSE is true when you talk about the potential for reading faster with good comprehension. I've been teaching Speed Reading for over 15 years to children as well as adults (I even wrote a book: SPEED READING 4 KIDS speedreading4kids(dot)com ). And the children--almost without exception--can read faster than their parents can, if they are only taught a few simple speed reading skills. And if they take 15 minutes per day to use these skills on a daily basis for a few months, in fun, easy-to-read books, their improved reading speed (with good comprehension) stays with them permanently.

The younger the child, the faster their capability, on average. There are exceptions, of course. It's not uncommon at all to have 3rd and 4th graders reading over 700 words per minute with excellent comprehension. I've even had some who could read thousands of words per minute, with very good recall.

I hope this answers your question.