All members of Profiles 7-9 have silent reading comprehension scores between GE 3 and 5. This page compares these profiles using the information presented in the line graph and tables below. Both the line graph and the table beneath it present the average scores of Profiles 7-9.

All three patterns of reading strengths can be found in Silent Reading GE 6-8 classrooms.

The graph shows the three profiles of Low Intermediate readers (silent reading comprehension GE 3-5). Profile 7 (blue) and Profile 8 (red) have opposite strengths; Profile 7 has stronger print than meaning skills while Profile 8 readers show their strength to be the opposite - stronger meaning (word meaning) than print abilities.

Profile 7 has a large number of Non-native Speakers of English (NNSE), which accounts for the lower word meaning average. NNSE have fewer words and may not know them in isolation well enough to express their meanings but may understand them in supporting connected text. Because they have moderately strong decoding skills, we can expect this group to progress well. They have the tools to decode words and will be able to read more advanced text if they receive vocabulary and comprehension strategy instruction.

Profile 8 is 75% Native Speakers of English (NSE). Although they know the meanings of words in intermediate level text, they do not know how to decode them. They need much more instruction and practice in word analysis and recognition.

Profile 9 (green), at lower GEs, has a similar shape to Profile 7, but it does not have the big difference between print and meaning skills as seen in Profile 7. Profile 9 learners are low across all components.

The background information for each profile given below supports the test scores seen in the graph above. Readers in the two profiles with the poorest print skills, 8 and 9, give histories of reading problems in K-12 with a very large percentage reporting trouble with initial reading acquisition. They also report a greater number of blood relations who have had reading problems.