Eye-voice span (EVS)

The number of words which the eye perceives in advance of their evocation by the voice when a subject is reading aloud. Normally about four words for the average adult reader, the EVS is used by some teachers to measure reading progress of primary school children. Eye-voice span can be measured by asking a student to read aloud from words projected on a screen and suddenly turning off the projector. The number of words the student continues to recite before stopping is the EVS, representing the number of words the student’s eyes perceived before he could express them vocally. Building eye-voice span through measurement sessions helps develop silent reading skills and speed.