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Oral Reading FluencyIE Team2014-01-28T17:27:30-05:00 Oral Reading FluencyPrepared by Caitlin Rasplica & Kelli D. Cummings, Ph.D., NCSP University of Oregon What is Oral Reading Fluency?Oral reading fluency is the ability to read connected text quickly, accurately, and with expression. In doing so, there is no noticeable cognitive effort that is associated with decoding the words on the page. Oral reading fluency is one of several critical components required for successful reading comprehension. Students who read with automaticity and have appropriate speed, accuracy, and proper expression are more likely to comprehend material because they are able to focus on the meaning of the text. Why is Oral Reading Fluency an Important Skill to Assess?A student’s level of verbal reading proficiency has a 30-year evidence base as one of the most common, reliable, and efficient indicators of student reading comprehension (Reschly, Busch, Betts, Deno, & Long, 2009; Wayman, Wallace, Wiley, Tichá, & Espin, 2007). When used as a predictor of higher stakes reading comprehension tasks, an assessment of oral reading fluency performs as well as or better than many other comprehensive tests of reading (see Baker et al., 2008). Because reading fluency tasks are designed to be brief, reliable, and repeatable, they serve well as tools for universal screening for early intervention across Grades 1 – 6 (Reschly et al., 2009). Reading fluency tasks are also used for monitoring the progress of individual students who are at risk for later detrimental reading outcomes. Curriculum-Based Measurement of oral reading (CBM-R) is a universal term that encompasses multiple types of oral reading fluency assessments (e.g., aimsweb.com; dibels.uoregon.edu; easyCBM.com; edcheckup.com; fastforteachers.org; isteep.com). Taken together, measures of CBM-R are some of the most widely used and researched tools in educational assessment for screening and progress monitoring (Graney & Shinn, 2005). Any CBM-R set is typically represented by a standardized set of passages designed to identify students who may require additional support (through universal screening) and to monitor progress toward instructional goals. A student’s current level of performance is measured by the number of words read correctly in one minute and also typically includes the accuracy of the reading expressed as a percentage. When CBM-R is used as a screening tool, it is most commonly administered to students at three different time points during the school year. What are the Key Features of Oral Fluency Instruction across Grade Levels?To facilitate fluency with connected text, students should read text that is at their independent completion level (i.e., materials in which students can read highly accurately, 99% accuracy or better, when asked to read on their own). Even in very early grades, when students are just learning to decode, it is important that they have sufficient opportunities for independent, deliberate practice reading connected text (Ericsson, Charness, Feltovich, & Hoffman, 2006; Ericsson, Nandagopal, & Roring, 2009; Gunn, Smolkowski, & Vadasy, 2011). Independent reading practice is critical in the upper grades, too. Across the grade ranges, the goal of fluency practice is intended to focus on the strategic integration of decoding, fluency, and comprehension tasks. Targeted fluency intervention becomes increasingly rare in the upper grades, but still occurs when the data indicate very accurate, and also very slow, readers. The following research-based instructional practices can be used to build oral reading fluency for struggling readers:
Where Can I Find Information About Evidence-based Practices in Building Oral Fluency?The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews the research base for several programs and interventions, and uses the following eligibility criteria when identifying studies to review: (i) the study is published within the last 20 years; (ii) it includes a primary analysis of the effect of an intervention; and (iii) it is a randomized controlled trial, quasi-experimental, regression discontinuity, or single-subject design type. Studies that do not meet criteria are often excluded because they do not use a comparison group, the study was not conducted within the time frame specified in the protocol, or the study does not provide adequate information about the design. To search for a review of fluency-based interventions completed by the WWC, use the following link: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/findwhatworks.aspx. In Table 1, we display the results of a recent (summer 2013) search for peer-reviewed oral fluency interventions, including the level of evidence supporting the intervention. Table 1 Oral Fluency interventions reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). Names in parentheses are the publishers for the listed intervention materials.
Note. The level of evidence listed in this table refers to fluency effects only. These programs may have other levels of efficacy for other domains. Additional Web ResourcesDoing What Works: http://dww.ed.gov IES Practice Guide for Literacy: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide.aspx?sid=6 National Center on Intensive Interventions: http://www.intensiveintervention.org/chart/instructional-intervention-tools?grade=all&subject=reading National Reading Panel: http://www.Nationalreadingpanel.org Promising Practices Network: http://www.promisingpractices.net ReferencesBaker, S. K., Smolkowski, K., Katz, R., Fien, H., Seeley, J. R., Kame’enui, E. J., & Beck, C. T. (2008). Reading fluency as a predictor of reading proficiency in low-performing, high-poverty schools. School Psychology Review, 37(1), 18-37. Ericsson, K. A., Charness, N., Feltovich, P., & Hoffman, R. R. (2006). Cambridge Handbook on Expertise and Expert Performance. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Ericsson, K. A., Nandagopal, K., & Roring, R. W. (2009). Toward a science of exceptional achievement: Attaining superior performance through deliberate practice. Annals of New York Academy of Science, 1172, 199-217. Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Kazdan, S., & Allen, S. (1999). Effects of peer-assisted learning strategies in reading with and without training in elaborated help giving. Elementary School Journal, 99, 201-219. Graney, S., & Shinn, M. (2005). The effects of reading curriculum-based measurement (R-CBM) teacher feedback in general education classrooms. School Psychology Review, 34, 184-201. Gunn, B., Smolkowski, K., & Vadasy, P. (2011). Evaluating the effectiveness of Read Well Kindergarten. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 4(1), 53-86. Mathes, P. G., & Babyak, A. E. (2001). The effects of Peer-Assisted Literacy Strategies for first-grade readers with and without additional mini-skills lessons. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 16, 28-44. Reschly, A. L., Busch, T. W., Betts, J., Deno, S. L., & Long, J. D. (2009). Curriculum-based measurement oral reading as an indicator of reading achievement: A meta analysis of the correlational evidence. Journal of School Psychology, 47, 427-269. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2009.07.001 Wayman, M. M., Wallace, T., Wiley, H. I., Tichá, R., & Espin, C. A. (2007). Literature synthesis on curriculum-based measurement in reading. The Journal of Special Education, 41(2), 85-120. doi: 10.1177/00224669070410020401 For a downloadable PDF copy of Oral Reading FluencyPage load linkWhat guidelines or critical points should be considered in assessing a student's reading fluency?A full assessment of reading fluency includes consideration of the three indicators – accuracy, pacing, and prosody.
What are the important key points in assessing reading fluency?Reading fluency actually has four parts: accuracy, speed, expression and comprehension. Each part is important, but no single part is enough on its own. A fluent reader is able to coordinate all four aspects of fluency. Accuracy: Reading words correctly is a key to developing fluency.
What criteria are used when assessing reading fluency?Three interdependent but distinct elements characterize fluent reading: accuracy, rate, and prosody. Accuracy relates to the ability to decode words in text (not in isolation) without error. Rate refers to the ability to automatically decode words.
How do you measure a student's reading fluency?Subtract the number of errors from the total number of words read to find the words correct per minute (WCPM). Divide the words correct per minute (WCPM) by the words per minute (WPM) and multiply this result by 100. This is the student's Accuracy/Reading Rate percentage. Record this number in the box.
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