Processing speed explained

Processing speed is the rate at which a child can perceive, understand, and respond to information. It involves recognising patterns, scanning visual information, and completing tasks efficiently. While processing speed doesn’t reflect intelligence, slower processing can make learning feel more effortful and time-consuming.


Our Processing Speed Tests, including Pattern Recognition and Sentence Reading Fluency, measure how quickly children can identify sequences or respond to true/false statements under time constraints. These tests provide insight into a child’s ability to handle time-sensitive tasks.

Processing speed explained

Processing speed is the rate at which a child can perceive, understand, and respond to information. It involves recognising patterns, scanning visual information, and completing tasks efficiently. While processing speed doesn’t reflect intelligence, slower processing can make learning feel more effortful and time-consuming.


Our Processing Speed Tests, including Pattern Recognition and Sentence Reading Fluency, measure how quickly children can identify sequences or respond to true/false statements under time constraints. These tests provide insight into a child’s ability to handle time-sensitive tasks.

Processing speed explained

Processing speed is the rate at which a child can perceive, understand, and respond to information. It involves recognising patterns, scanning visual information, and completing tasks efficiently. While processing speed doesn’t reflect intelligence, slower processing can make learning feel more effortful and time-consuming.


Our Processing Speed Tests, including Pattern Recognition and Sentence Reading Fluency, measure how quickly children can identify sequences or respond to true/false statements under time constraints. These tests provide insight into a child’s ability to handle time-sensitive tasks.

Implications (in class and at home)

In class, slower processing speed can result in difficulty completing tasks on time, keeping up with fast-paced discussions, or following multi-step instructions. At home, this can translate into longer homework sessions and frustration with timed tasks like timed reading or maths exercises.

Implications of a low score in our test

A low score in processing speed tests indicates challenges in handling information quickly, potentially affecting performance in timed assessments and everyday learning tasks. However, given this is just a moment in time, we recommend continually testing processing speed, to get a proper understanding.

A note!

Slow processing speed and poor working memory are different but do have an overlap, many of the strategies to help apply to both and many who have slow processing also have poorer working memory. 

© Talamo 2025

Terms & conditions

© Talamo 2025

Terms & conditions

© Talamo 2025

Terms & conditions