Because you can read effortlessly, it is easy to forget that reading is a skill that is made possible by several sub skills, or components, working together. On this website, we have selected five of the components to picture different patterns of reading strengths and weaknesses:

• word recognition
• spelling
• word meaning
• silent reading comprehension
• oral reading rate

A picture of a reader's abilities on the component skills is called a "reading profile." It can be presented in several ways:

Here is an example of a reading profile presented as a table:

We can also use bar graphs to present the same reading profile. (We graph Oral Reading Rate separately because it is measured in different units--wpm (words per minute) instead of GEs (Grade Equivalents). Here is the sample reading profile presented as bar graphs:
On this website, we present profiles as line graphs (except Oral Reading Rate, which we will always show as a bar graph). Here is our sample profile shown as a line graph:

Why Are Reading Profiles Important?

• Profiles provide a guide for instruction. Once a teacher has assessed a learner's reading skills, he or she can then direct instruction to those skills that need strengthening.
  
  
• Profiles illustrate a learner's pattern of scores on skills that underlie reading ability.
  
  
• Profiles are a tool for classroom practitioners and programs. Learners with similar needs can be grouped for more focused instruction.