Effect of Repeated Reading on Reading Fluency for Adults with Specific Learning Disabilities

Two adults with specific learning disabilities met online with a tutor for three-minute repeated-reading sessions. They read the same short passage until they hit a fluency goal of 120 words per minute with few errors.

The tutor used an alternating-treatments design. Some passages had the fluency goal, others did not, so the team could see which condition drove progress.

Both adults reached the 120-word target on every passage that included the goal. One month later they still read near that speed.

Sessions averaged only five minutes, showing that brief, telehealth repeated reading can deliver lasting fluency gains for adults.

Alqahtani (2020) tested repeated reading with young adults who have intellectual disability. That study saw equal comprehension gains between repeated reading and iPad text-to-speech, but iPad was three times faster. Halkowski et al. (2024) focused on reading speed, not comprehension, so the two papers do not clash—they simply target different skills.

Braren et al. (2022) also used single-case, alternating-treatments methods with adults who have ID/DD. Both studies show precision-teaching tactics work with adult learners, though Braren looked at error-correction assessment instead of reading rate.

Bailey et al. (2022) tried an online literacy game plus parent-shared reading for autistic children and saw no gains after 16 hours. Halkowski’s brief, goal-driven sessions produced clear results, hinting that tight fluency criteria may outdo broad software packages.

If you serve adults with learning disabilities, you can add a three-minute repeated-reading warm-up to any telehealth visit. Set a clear fluency aim, time the reading, and repeat until the learner hits it. The low time cost and one-month retention make this an easy win for busy schedules.