The effect of reading fluency practice on overall comprehension of non-fiction content-area texts in grade four English language learners

In spite of strong oral proficiency, many English language learners have a great deal of difficulty comprehending non-fiction texts. There are a variety of theories about why this is. This study examines one possible treatment, reading fluency practice, and its effect on reading comprehension in ELLs. Six fourth grade English language learners participated in a reading fluency practice group. The students\u27 comprehension was measured at four points during the twelve week study. Both non-standardized and standardized assessments were used. The results showed that the fluency practice was minimally effective in helping the ELLs raise their levels of comprehension. This suggests that fluency practice is not the only missing piece in helping ELL comprehension. Instead, it should be included along with other critical elements of literacy instruction in a balanced program for ELLs. Additional thoughts and ideas about what those elements might include are discussed