with

Phyllis Ferguson

www.save-the-teacher.com

RDA/TLS/EAC/MBM/4-03 2

What is Fluency?

Fluency is the ability to read most words in context quickly and accurately.

• Fluent readers recognize words automatically when reading silently and aloud.

• Fluent readers read with expression when reading aloud.

Stroop Test

Elements of Fluency

Automatic

Accurate

Quick

Expressive

Meaningful

Fluency Assessments

Why Assess Fluency?

Bridge between recognition and comprehension

Highly correlated with comprehension

More focus on meaning when fluent

Is a reflection of decoding, strategies, comprehension and self monitoring

Things to Note

Intonation, phrasing, inflection, expressionWhat strategies are missing that are influencing fluencyIs inattention to punctuation a factorIs the type of literature a factorIs the child reading with meaningDoes he/she know they should be reading for meaningAre miscues affecting meaningHow quickly self-correction occurs

What to UseQualitative Analysis—BRI, Running Record

• Accuracy and automaticity

CBM/ORF Oral Reading Fluency assessment1 minute timing

Instructional level text

Repeat with other texts

Mean score• Accuracy score %= wcr / wr• Rate = wcpm

Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)

Target Rate Norms

GradeFall

(WCPM)Winter(WCPM)

Spring(WCPM)

1234

30-6050-9070-110

10-3050-8070-10080-120

30-6070-10080-110

100-140

5678

80-120100-140110-150120-160

100-140110-150120-160130-170

110-15-120-160130-170140-180

Source: Adapted from “AIMSweb: Charting the Path to Literacy,” 2003, Edformation, Inc. Available at www.aimsweb.com/norms/reading_fluency.htm. Data are also adapted from “Curriculum-Based Oral Reading Fluency Norms for Students in Grades 2 Through 5,” by J. E. Hasbrouck and G. Tindal, 1992, Teaching Exceptional Children, 24, pp. 41-44.

Assessing Expressive Reading

• Appropriate expression and phrasing • Stress, pitch variations, intonation, rate, phrasing,

pausing• Shows that the reader is making sense of the text• Qualitative Rubric

Reads grade level passage/ as little as 60 seconds• Scores with rubric

Multidimensional Fluency Scale

Oral Fluency Rubric

4 Reads primarily in larger, meaningful phrase groups

3 Reads primarily in three- and four-word phrase groups

2 Reads primarily in two-word phrase groups with some three- and four-word groupings.

1 Reads primarily word-by-word

How to Develop Expressiveness

Modeling

Coaching and formative feedback

Involvement in Readers Theater or Choral reading

Practice, practice, practice in contexts that are:

Meaningful

Purposeful

Engaging

Multidimensional Fluency Scale

Expression and Volume

Phrasing

Smoothness

Pace

How Does Fluency Assessment Fit?

Quick and Easy to administerEasy to understandReflect the components of Fluency

AutomaticityAccuracyQuick- RateExpression Makes Meaning

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Fluency• Fluency is the ability to read most words in

context quickly and accurately.• Fluent readers recognize words

automatically when reading silently.• Fluent readers read with expression when

reading aloud.

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How is Fluency developed?

Fluency is best developed through modeling during teacher read alouds and students reading and re-reading of instructional level and independent level materials.

How to Increase Rate and Accuracy

Repeated Readings

Instruction for accuracy• Sight vocabulary• Phonics• Word Analysis

Warning: Don’t give students the idea that being fast is being a good reader

Rate must be coupled with comprehension

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How is fluency developed continued:

Data suggests that independent silent reading is not an effective practice when used as the only type of reading instruction to develop fluency and other reading skills, particularly with students who have not yet developed critical alphabetic and word reading skills.

9 Steps to Building Fluency

1. Develop orthographic/phonological foundations (phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, phonics).

2. Increase vocabulary and oral language skills.3. Effectively teach high-frequency vocabulary

and provide adequate practice.4. Teach common word-parts and spelling

patterns.

(Pikulski, J.J., & Chard, D.J. (2005). Fluency: Bridge between decoding and reading comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 58 (6), 510-519.

9 Steps to Building Fluency (2)5. Effectively teach decoding skills and provide

adequate practice.6. Provide students with appropriate texts to

assist in building fluent reading.7. Use guided oral repeated reading strategies

for struggling readers.8. Support, guide and encourage wide-reading.9. Implement appropriate screening and progress

monitoring assessments.

(Pikulski & Chard, 2005)

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How is Fluency supported through Balanced Literacy?

Read Aloud

• Provides a teacher model of

fluent and expressive reading

Shared Reading• Students develop fluency and phrasing

through repeated readings of shared text.

• Familiar Reading– Students read at their independent levels– Students choose books from a variety of texts– Teacher assesses two or three students for

accuracy level.– Teacher conducts one-minute timed rereading

of fluency passages.– Students practice reading high frequency

phrases for fluency.– Student monitors buddy rereading and graphs

fluency rate.

• Independent Reading– Rereading for the purpose of building fluency– Repeated practice with instructional level

word study tasks

– Independent practice to build automaticity

with previous learning • Encourages student choice• Increases motivation• Involves practicing reading strategies• Maximizes reading competence• Habituates monitoring and record keeping

• Repeated Oral Reading– Student-adult reading– Partner reading

• EEKK– I read/you read– Read together– I read you follow

– Supportive reading• Choral• Songs and chants – Casual• Reader’s Theatre• Tape assisted reading• Echo reading

• Phonics/Spelling– Instruction promotes automaticity.– Teacher uses connected text to provide

explicit instruction in fluency.– Teacher provides initial practice in

controlled, connected text in which students can practice their newly learned skills successfully.

– “Quick Write”– Dictation

Because fluent readers do not have to concentrate on decoding the words, they can focus their attention on what text means.

Speed Drills • Letters• Colors• Consonant sounds• Sight words—irregular words• Word families (such as the –am, -

at, -ame, -ate lists.• Change the ending consonant

(e.g., man, mat, map, mad).• Phrase cards

One minute timing – Self Monitor—set new goal

Chunking and PhrasingHook, 2001

• In Guided Reading– In Book Selection?

• Fluency develops as a result of many opportunities to practice reading with a high degree of success.

– During the introduction ?• An overview provides context for the story• Meaning is built the moment the reader

picks up the text and anticipates reading it so that the reader draws continually on meaningful information, synthesizes and organizes it, and responds to what she understands.

–During the first reading? • Guidance and feedback are critical to

fluent reading.

–After Reading? • Teaching points, based on observed

needs, provide an opportunity for explicit instruction.

–Through the extension? • Repeated rereading promotes fluency

–Choral reading–Reader’s theatre–Familiar Reading box