Evaluating the efficacy of reading fluency education

Abstract

Students with weak reading skills are at risk for school difficulty. Among the indicators of reading difficulty, reading fluency is a strong predictor of overall reading problems. A multiple baseline design across small groups of students was used to evaluate the effects of explicit oral reading fluency instruction. Based on universal screening data, six fourth-grade students who scored between the 25th and 50th percentile were provided with 30 minutes of explicit reading fluency instruction four or five days per week, for a total of 40 sessions each. The explicit instruction included multiple components of reading fluency, including repeated reading, phrase drill error correction, explicit word analysis, and metacognitive reflection using reading-level controlled text. To examine differential effects over time, three of the students received the instruction after a short baseline, and the other students received it after an extended baseline period. Maintenance of skills was evaluated at four and eight weeks post treatment. Dependent variables included third and fourth grade oral reading fluency (ORF) measures as well as scores on the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE) and the Word Identification and Spelling Test (WIST). One student left the study because he was referred for a special education evaluation. Of the remaining five students, three showed reading improvements on weekly progress measures and at four and eight week's post-intervention. The other two students showed variable response to the intervention. The limitations and implications for instruction and future research are discussed.