1. What definition for reading fluency is offered by this article?
The definition of fluency that the article gives is the “ readers ability to develop control over surface level text processing so that he or she can focus on understanding the deeper levels of meaning embedded in the text” (46).
2. Describe the three dimensions of reading fluency that enable the reader to comprehend the text.
1st Dimension is Accuracy in word decoding: this is where the reader sounds out words in the text. They must be able to do so with little error. This dimension relies heavily on phonics.
2nd Dimension is Automatic processing: this where the meaning of the text is made.
3rd Dimension is Prosodic reading: this is where the reader is able to pause at periods, understand sentence structure, and use expression in their voices as they read. If they do not handle this dimension well it is likely that they will not fully understand the text.
3. How can these three dimensions of reading fluency be assessed?
It is easy for a teacher to asses each of the dimensions. To asses word decoding the teacher will calculate the percentage of words that the reader can decode on their grade level material. Automatic processing can be assessed by looking at the student’s reading rate. The target reading rate will increase as the student moves through school. Prosodic reading can be assessed by simply listening to a student read a grade-level passage. A rubric will be used in determining the results for this assessment.
4. *How do these measures differ from other assessments we will discuss in class? (Wait to answer this question until after we have discussed reading assessment in class.)
5. How can we, as teachers, help our students developed reading fluency?
There are two methods that can be used to help students develop reading fluency. The methods are assisted reading and repeated reading. Assisted reading consists of the teacher reading and then asking students to read along with him or her. Also a teacher could as a more fluent reader to read along with a less fluent reader or students could be asked to read with a partner who is at their same reading level. Repeated readings allow a student to practice which also helps with fluency.
6. Rasinski cautions against misunderstanding the aim of fluent reading. How might an overemphasis on reading fluency be detrimental to a child’s reading development?
There has been a trend that shows schools are wanting students to improve their reading rate so much that they have lost the importance of actually understanding the text. Some teachers regularly time their students and push them to beat their previous times. Things such as this emphasize more speed in reading than meaning.
7. Describe the Multidimensional Fluency Scale and how it is used to assess a child’s reading fluency.
This scale rates reader fluency in the areas of expression along with volume, phrasing, smoothness, and pace. Under each category there are numbers 1-4 where 4 is the highest score a reader could achieve and 1 is the lowest. For example a score of 4 under the category of pace would be “consistently reads at conversational pace; appropriate rate throughout reading” and a score of 1 under the same category would be “reads slowly and laboriously”.
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