Reading Fluency: A Bridge from Decoding to Comprehension

Written by Marcie Penner-Wilger
Cognitive Scientist, AutoSkill International Inc.

Abstract

Reading fluency forms a bridge from decoding to comprehension (Rasinski, 2004). The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical review of research, theory, and instructional practice related to reading fluency. This review paper includes:

• definition of reading fluency;
• discussion of the necessary component skills;
• importance of fluency to reading outcomes, including performance on state tests;
• practical information on fluency assessment, instructional approaches shown to improve fluency; and
• interventions for students with poor reading fluency.

Click here to download: "Reading Fluency: A Bridge from Decoding to Comprehension" (PDF, 115K)

About the Author
Marcie Penner-Wilger, a cognitive scientist leading the research team at AutoSkill, has a decade of experience investigating the predictors of student achievement in mathematics and reading. She has several years of experience in running large-scale longitudinal research studies with K-12 students. Marcie is a Ph.D. candidate who has been published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Memory and Cognition, and the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology; she has served as a reviewer for the Journal of Experimental Psychology and the European Journal of Cognitive Psychology.