The Effect of Oral Reading Fluency on Analysis Skills

The effect oral reading fluency has on comprehension is still being ascertained. This project examines the role of fluency and the effect it has on analysis skills. The purpose of this study is to show that fluency effects overall reading comprehension. Literature supports the view that fluent reading frees up capacity for the comprehension of text. This study utilizes both a quantitative and qualitative approach in analyzing oral reading fluency in young children. Thirteen third-grade Title 1 students from an elementary school located north of San Francisco were assessed using the Qualitative Reading Inventory-II. Students read a passage orally to assess for fluency and prosody; the passage was timed and miscues were noted. This was followed by 8 text implicit- explicit questions. Students were given a second passage to read; however, with the second passage the students were permitted to practice reading it 3 times prior to their assessment. All students showed an increase in the number of words read correctly per minute from the pretest to the posttest, as well as in the area of prosody. Six of the students showed an increase in their comprehension scores, while 3 showed no increase, and 3 students indicated a decrease in their comprehension scores. While the repeated reading of text does lead to an increase in the number of words read correctly per minute and an increase in student s accuracy, there were too many variables that influenced the results to show a significant correlation between oral reading fluency and comprehension. Further research is needed with a variety of age groups over an extended period of time