You've heard the acronyms and seen the numbers. Your child's teacher says they need to work on fluency. But what exactly do they mean?
Fluent reading is accurate, automatic, smooth and phrased with appropriate intonation and expression. Fluency is a sometimes called a bridge between phonics and comprehension. Fluent reading is an indication of proficiency, but also a skill that can be taught.
Aimsweb and Dibels are two of the main fluency assessments used by public schools today. These tests are used because fluency scores are often an indicator of reading difficulties. Exactly what tests are given depends on the grade level/time of year. The skills build in difficulty and complexity.
In Kindergarten and the beginning of 1st Grade, students are given 4 different fluency assessments. These are individually administered one minute tests. To some extent each of them builds on the next.
Fluent reading is accurate, automatic, smooth and phrased with appropriate intonation and expression. Fluency is a sometimes called a bridge between phonics and comprehension. Fluent reading is an indication of proficiency, but also a skill that can be taught.
Aimsweb and Dibels are two of the main fluency assessments used by public schools today. These tests are used because fluency scores are often an indicator of reading difficulties. Exactly what tests are given depends on the grade level/time of year. The skills build in difficulty and complexity.
In Kindergarten and the beginning of 1st Grade, students are given 4 different fluency assessments. These are individually administered one minute tests. To some extent each of them builds on the next.