Reading fluency assessment and instruction : What , why , and how ?

Reading fluency is gaining new recognition as an essential element of every reading program, especially for students who struggle in reading. Reading fluency is one of the defining characteristics of good readers, and a lack of fluency is a common characteristic of poor readers. Differences in reading fluency not only distinguish good readers from poor, but a lack of reading fluency is also a reliable predictor of reading comprehension problems (Stanovich, 1991). Once struggling readers learn sound–symbol relationships through intervention and become accurate decoders, their lack of fluency emerges as the next hurdle they face on their way to reading proficiency (Torgesen et al., 2001; Torgesen, Rashotte, Alexander, Alexander, & MacPhee, 2003). This lack of fluent reading is a problem for poor readers because they tend to read in a labored, disconnected fashion with a focus on decoding at the word level that makes comprehension of the text difficult, if not impossible. The speed with which text is translated into spoken language has been identified as a major component of reading proficiency (Adams, 1990; Allington, 1983; Fuchs, Fuchs, Hosp, & Jenkins, 2001; Hasbrouk & Tindal, 1992; Samuels, Schermer, & Reinking, 1992). Many struggling readers may not gain reading fluency incidentally or automatically. In contrast to skilled readers, they often need direct instruction in how to read fluently and sufficient opportunities for intense, fluencyfocused practice incorporated into their reading program (Allinder, Dunse, Brunken, & ObermillerKrolikowski, 2001). The National Research Council (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998) recommended that reading fluency be regularly assessed in the classroom and effective instruction be provided when dysfluent reading is detected. Despite the importance of reading fluency and the need for direct teaching (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000), it is often neglected in reading instructional programs (Allington, 1983; Kame’enui & Simmons, 2001). Teachers who are concerned about meeting the needs of all students in their classrooms should consider whether they know who their dysfluent readers are and what types of instruction they plan to provide for those readers.