Even young readers with dyslexia show the practice effect on the Wilkins Rate of Reading Test

The Wilkins Rate of Reading Test (WRRT) has been developed in the field of optometry to assess visual performance in a reading-like task. The test’s structure, comprising sequences of unrelated words, allows for the availability of equivalent passages for serial measurements of performance under multiple different conditions. A recent study demonstrated a significant practice effect in adult readers’ reading speed when consecutively reading different passages. The present study aimed to verify the presence of the practice effect in a sample of young readers with developmental dyslexia. Twenty-one participants (aged 11-18), recruited from the “Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi” in Varese, consecutively read 8 different passages of the standard Italian WRRT. While reading accuracy remained consistent, reading speed showed a significant difference across the passages (repeated-measures ANOVA; p = 0.004). This effect was due to the differences between the first reading and the others. This finding suggests excluding the first trial when assessing the effect of different experimental conditions or interventions on reading performance in this population.