What is Reading Fluency?

Written by: Brianna Guild, MHSc SLP

Updated: June 28, 2024

Have you ever wondered exactly what reading fluency entails? 

Hasbrouck and Glaser (2019) define fluency as “reasonably accurate reading, at an appropriate rate, with suitable expression, that leads to accurate and deep comprehension and motivation to read.”

Essentially, there are 3 key characteristics of fluent oral reading: accuracy, rate, and expression.

1. Accuracy

Accuracy is the first priority! Individual words in a text must be decoded correctly for the reader to abstract meaning from the words and the text as a whole. I remind students to read the words “exactly as the author wrote them.”

Here’s a guide to help you assess reading accuracy:

• Students can read texts independently without assistance at 99-100% accuracy. 

• Students should read texts with assistance if they are at 92-98% accuracy. 

• Below 92% accuracy is the marker for the “frustration level”— the point at which text is most likely too difficult to read, even with assistance. 

However, accurate reading alone does not ensure comprehension.

Think about it: If someone covered over 10% of the words on a page of text, you would likely miss key information and have a difficult time understanding what you were reading.

2. Rate / Automaticity

Rate is the number of words read correctly per minute (WCPM), and measures a reader’s ability to read words automatically. A fluent reader decodes words effortlessly and automatically. They recognize words on sight.

This automaticity frees up working memory and cognitive resources, which can then be used to make sense of the text (comprehension). This is important because comprehension is the overall goal of reading!

Here’s a guide to help you assess reading rate:

• Students should be at or above the 50th percentile for WCPM at their grade level.

• Refer to normal oral reading fluency rates, such as Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data

• Use assessments such as DIBELS 8th Edition - a set of procedures and measures for assessing literacy skills, which are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures. DIBELS materials are free and include administration guides, scoring guides, and benchmarks.

Keep in mind, a faster reading rate is not necessarily better. Text should be read at an appropriate conversational pace to promote comprehension.

Think about it: If you read a page of text in a laboured, word-by-word manner, your slow rate will impact your understanding of the text by the time you get to the end of the page (or even the sentence). If you read a page of text as fast as possible, you are more likely to make errors, disregard punctuation, and overlook or forget key information. Our brains are wired for conversational speech, so that is the pace that best promotes comprehension.

3. Expression / Prosody

A fluent reader embeds appropriate expression into oral reading. They appropriately raise and lower the volume and pitch of their voice, read words in meaningful phrases, use emphasis, read with rhythm, and pause at punctuation. These are all elements of expression or prosody— the melody of oral language (spoken or read). When we embed prosody into oral language, we are adding meaning.

Here’s a guide to help you assess reading expression:

• Expression can be assessed using a descriptive rubric that may include: expression, volume, phrasing, rhythm, smoothness, and pace.

Think about it: We abstract meaning from prosody. For example, the sentence “I went for a run” tells the listener what happened, but the speaker’s prosody provides additional important information. For example, the meaning of this sentence changes depending on the speaker’s expression (e.g., happy or sad), emphasis (e.g, “I went for a run” versus “I went for a run”), and other elements of prosody.

Overall, “Reading fluency refers to the ability of readers to read the words in text effortlessly and efficiently (automaticity) with meaningful expression that enhances the meaning of the text (prosody). Fluency takes phonics or word recognition to the next level” - Timothy V. Rasinski, The Fluent Reader.

Check out my book summary of The Fluent Reader by Timothy V. Rasinski for more information on reading fluency and activities that help students develop reading fluency.

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References:
Hasbrouck, J. & Glaser, G. (2019). Reading fluency: Understand. Assess. Teach. Benchmark Education Company

Rasinski, T. V. (2019). The Fluent Reader: Oral Reading Strategies for Building Word Recognition, Fluency, and Comprehension. (2nd ed). Scholastics.