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A primary reason for implementing fluency instruction is that it encourages basic reading skills development to the point of automaticity, so that cognitive resources can then be directed toward understanding and comprehending the passage that is being read. A reader who can decode a text with speed and accuracy, but cannot simultaneously comprehend what is being read, is not considered a fluent reader. Given this, it is important for educators to have a clear understanding of the components involved in reading fluency and considerations for measuring those components. In this article we will discuss what fluency is, the developmental stages of fluency, goals of fluency instruction, and how to measure it.
BASIC SKILLS ACQUISITION: The Importance of Automaticity
The key underlying factor with regard to decoding a text is found within the theory of automaticity. On any given task, a person reaches the point of automaticity when they are able to perform two complex tasks at the same time (LaBerge & Samuels, 1974). In the context of reading fluency, this means that a reader is able to decode and comprehend in tandem. Yet, how does the process of automaticity play out in the context of a real world example? To offer an analogy, hearken back to when first learning how to drive a car. Most likely, while sitting in the driver's seat, poised on the edge of potential freedom, the student driver's entire conscious effort and mental resources were focused on the sequencing of individual actions. The art of learning how to drive was a process. For example, the student driver may have begun by 'talking out' the procedure: first I push on the brake, next I use the key to turn on the ignition, then I put the car in drive, release the brake, then press the gas pedal. This verbal dialog that is used when learning how to drive is similar to what goes on in the reading process with beginning readers who are trying to decode the words on a printed page. Often a novice decoder might 'talk out' or sub-vocalize the words that they are attempting to read. Later, as the basic skills of reading develop, a reader no longer finds it helpful to talk their way through the passage...