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W H Y RE ADI NG
F LU ENC Y
SHOU LD BE
Timothy V. Rasinski
HOT!
I
n 2009, an annual survey of experts (Cassidy Why Fluency Is Not Hot
& Cassidy, 2010) in reading determined that There are several reasons why fluency has lost its
reading fluency was no longer a hot topic allure among reading educators and experts. The
for reading. Moreover, those same experts first problem lies in the way that fluency is generally
determined that fluency should also not be measured. Reading rate (the number of words a reader
considered a hot topic. The 2010 survey reports the can read on grade level text in a minute) has come to
same results (Cassidy, Ortlieb, & Shettel, 2011). How be the quintessential measure of reading fluency. This
could this be? comes from studies that have shown high correlations
The National Reading Panels (NRP; 2000) survey between reading rate and reading comprehension.
of research in reading determined that reading This correlational research has evolved into a
fluency was, indeed, one of the pillars of effective definition of reading fluency as reading fast. As a
reading instruction. Subsequent summaries of result, reading fluency instruction has become in
reading research have also determined that there is a many classrooms a quest for speed. Students are
solid body of research that supports reading fluency provided with instruction that emphasizes increasing
instruction (Chard, Vaughn, & Tyler, 2002; Kuhn & reading rate.
Stahl, 2003; Rasinski, 2010; Rasinski & Hoffman, If fluency is nothing more than reading fast, then
2003; Rasinski, Reutzel, Chard, & Linan-Thompson, fluency instruction should be considered cold. In its
2011). In this article, I explore why fluency has
become such a pariah in the reading field, and I
also discuss why it should be a central element to
Timothy V. Rasinski is a professor of literacy education at Kent State
any effective fluency curriculum and how this can University, Ohio, USA; e-mail trasinsk@kent.edu.
happen.
R T The Reading Teacher Vol. 65 Issue 8 pp. 516522 DOI:10.1002/TRTR.01077 2012 International Reading Association
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W H Y R E A DI NG F LU E NC Y SHOU LD BE HO T!
W H Y R E A DI NG F LU E NC Y SHOU LD BE HO T!
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W H Y R E A DI NG F LU E NC Y SHOU LD BE HO T!
W H Y R E A DI NG F LU E NC Y SHOU LD BE HO T!
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W H Y R E A DI NG F LU E NC Y SHOU LD BE HO T!
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