To show diversity; to stand out: The age at which a youngster is ready to read differs. To alter one's appearance, form, substance, or character, for example: As one goes south, the terrain begins to change. The boy's face was a study in misery. He was a very sensitive child, and his mother's indifference caused him to take its absence as evidence that she didn't love him. The term "variable" is used to describe a reader who changes his or her pace of reading depending on how quickly he or she is able to understand the content being read. Variable readers may start out slowly and then pick up speed as they become interested in what they are reading. It is common for young children to be variable readers because their brains are still developing and the ability to focus for an extended period of time isn't something that everyone is capable of doing. However, some adults also exhibit this trait because their minds are too active to sit down and read thoroughly. Some examples of variables include someone who reads a book page by page without taking time to think about what they are reading or someone who glances over words that they doesn't understand. There are several factors that go into determining whether you are a consistent or a variable reader. Age is only one of them; so is intelligence, attention span, motivation, and experience.