Reading Fluency: More Than Automaticity? More Than a Concern for the Primary Grades?

Abstract

Reading fluency has traditionally been viewed as a goal of reading that is taught and mastered in the elementary grades. In this article we challenge that notion by exploring the role of reading fluency as a contributor to reading proficiency and difficulty among intermediate and middle grade students. We assessed reading fluency development among a large number of third-, fifth-, and seventh-grade students, using prosody (expressiveness in oral reading) rather than reading rate (word recognition automaticity) as a measure of reading fluency. We found moderately strong correlations between fluency and silent reading comprehension as measured by a standardized achievement test at all three grade levels. Our findings suggest that reading fluency appears to be a significant variable in upper elementary and middle grade students' reading. Moreover, the findings add to mounting evidence that prosody is an important component in the full manifestation of reading fluency. Both components of fluency, automaticity and prosody, should be considered in measures of reading fluency and in instructional methodologies for improving reading fluency. We suggest that more research is called for into the role of reading fluency among adolescent students, especially those students experiencing difficulty in achieving high levels of literacy. We also call for continued research into the role of prosody in students' reading achievement.