Comprehension for Struggling Readers: Using Measures of Fluency as Interventions Lisa Skinner Lisa Skinner

What is Fluency? “Definition of fluency as containing the four components of accuracy, speed, prosody, and comprehension,” Deeney (2010)

One-minute reads…  Should be used… to guide interventions to guide interventions as a progress monitor as a progress monitor

One-Minute Timed Reads… 1. using timed fresh reads at the beginning of the week 2. followed by repeated practice reads during the week 3. retimed at the end the week improves a student’s fluency improves a student’s fluency

For upper grades… “Vocabulary and comprehension take on more salient role in students’ literacy development in the upper elementary grades and beyond,” Rasinki et al. (2009). build vocabulary build vocabulary increase nonfiction reads increase nonfiction reads more reading opportunities more reading opportunities

How to build endurance…  Readers’ theater  Poetry  Leveled reads  Magazines  Peer reads  Buddy reads  Choral reads  Guided reading

Timed Reads Work When…  concentrate on accuracy, intonation, rate, and endurance  not intended as the intervention  measure pre-reads, practice, and measure post-reads to monitor a specific result

One-Minute Reads…  one-minute reads are reliable when… – reads need to be accurately measured – in-services on how to administer test – administer measures are consistent

Why fluency… lack of fluency actually hinders a student’s comprehension lack of fluency actually hinders a student’s comprehension student reads with more intonations therefore their comprehension increases. student reads with more intonations therefore their comprehension increases.

When Fluency Increases Comprehension Increases fluency is more than reading quickly and without errors fluency is more than reading quickly and without errors fluency is reading with expression through phrasing, inflection, and responding to punctuation fluency is reading with expression through phrasing, inflection, and responding to punctuation making a strong connection with comprehension and fluency. making a strong connection with comprehension and fluency.

References Corn, J. (2006). A Tale of Unintended. Educational Leadership, November 2006, Coulter, K., Shavin, K., & Gichuru, M. (2009). Oral Reading Fluency: Accuracy of Assessing Errors and Classification of Readers Using a 1- Min Timed Reading Sample. Preventing School Failure, Washington, Fall 2009, 54:1, Deeney, T. (2010). One-Minute Fluency Measures: Mixed Messages in Assessment and Instruction. The Reading Teacher, 63:6, Rasinski, T., Rikli, A., & Johnston, S. (2009). Reading Fluency: More Than Automaticity? More Than a Concern for the Primary Grades? Literacy Research and Instructions, 48: