Over at The Poem Farm, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is celebrating National Poetry Month by writing a poem inspired by each daily Wonder at Wonderopolis. The Wonder posted yesterday was all about speed limits (Why Can’t You Drive as Fast as You Want?). I immediately thought about young readers who set no speed limits with their oral reading, especially when they are being assessed for fluency. Somehow they think good reading means reading fast, and this often compromises their comprehension. I was also intrigued by the website where you can create and print a custom speed limit sign. Since I kept thinking about these things all day, I decided to join in the fun and try a poem.
 
The Reading Race
 
The timer is set, I see the words,
I’m on the starting line.
I hear the beep and then I’m off!
Victory will be mine.
 
I zoom through multi-syllables,
Efficient word rec I control.
Racing down that reading road,
More words per minute is my goal.
 
I reach the end – hooray, hoorah!
But what was it I was reading?
Could it be that reading fast
Might just be misleading?
 
I see the sign my teacher holds
“Caution – Slow Down and Think!”
I guess the message is important
Words and understanding must be in sync.
 
So now I know the secret –
Readers have to find the pace
That helps them understand the meaning.
Remember – reading’s not a race!