Abstract
This cross-sectional study examined eye movements during reading across grades in stu-dents with differing levels of reading efficiency. Eye-movement recordings were obtained while students in grades 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 silently read normed grade-leveled texts with demonstrated comprehension. Recordings from students in each reading rate quartile at each grade level were compared to characterize differences in reading rate, number of fixations, number of regressions, and fixation durations. Comparisons indicated that stu-dents in higher reading rate quartiles made fewer fixations and regressions per word, and had shorter fixation durations. These indices of greater efficiency were also characteristic of students in upper as compared to lower grades, with two exceptions: (a) between grades 6 and 8, fixations and regressions increased while reading rates stagnated and fixation durations continued to decline, and (b) beyond grade 6 there was relatively little growth in the reading efficiency of students in the lower two reading rate quartiles. These results suggest that declines in fixation duration across grades may in part reflect broader matura-tional processes, while higher fixation and regression rates may distinguish students who continue to struggle with word recognition during their high school years.
Highlights
The process of reading involves a succession of eye movements that strategically position the eyes at successive points along lines of print, alternating with fixations during which visual information is captured
This research provides a description of eye movement behavior during authentic, productive silent reading across a large sample of typically developing elementary through high school students exhibiting different levels of silent reading efficiency
National data on silent reading efficiency (Spichtig, et al, 2016) indicate that half of all students in the U.S complete high school with reading rates that are far below or at best comparable to typical conversational speaking rates in English. When reading is this slow and arduous, it is likely to be difficult for the reader to sustain the level of attention that close reading requires. Students who read this slowly are likely to be devoting a considerable portion of their cognitive resources to decoding and sounding out words or trying to figure out what words mean, and will find it difficult to focus on the broader meaning of what they are reading
Summary
The process of reading involves a succession of eye movements (saccades) that strategically position the eyes at successive points along lines of print, alternating with fixations (times of relative stability of the eyes) during which visual information is captured. The number of fixations per word, fixation durations, number of regres-. Received June 15, 2017; Published December 2, 2017. A Comparison of Eye Movement Measures across Reading Efficiency Groups in U.S Elementary, Middle, and High School Students.
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