RESEARCH PAPER

Research Paper

Research Paper

Introduction

Reading fluency is gaining new recognition as an essential element of every reading program? especially for special students who struggle in reading. Reading fluency is one of the defining characteristics of good readers? and a lack of fluency is a common characteristic of poor readers. Differences in reading fluency not only distinguish good readers from poor? (Good and Kaminski? 2002) but a lack of reading fluency is also a reliable predictor of reading comprehension problems.

Once struggling readers learn sound-symbol relationships through intervention and become accurate decoders? their lack of fluency emerges as the next hurdle they face on their way to reading proficiency. This lack of fluent reading is a problem for poor readers because they tend to read in a labored? disconnected fashion with a focus on decoding at the word level that makes comprehension of the text difficult? if not impossible. (Hintze and Silberglitt? 2005)

The speed with which text is translated into spoken language has been identified as a major component of reading proficiency. Many struggling readers may not gain reading fluency incidentally or automatically. In contrast to skilled readers? they often need direct instruction in how to read fluently and sufficient opportunities for intense? fluencyfocused practice incorporated into their reading program. The National Research Council recommended that reading fluency be regularly assessed in the classroom and effective instruction be provided when dysfluent reading is detected. Despite the importance of reading fluency and the need for direct teaching? (Fuchs 2001) it is often neglected in reading instructional programs. Teachers who are concerned about meeting the needs of all special students in their classrooms should consider whether they know who their dysfluent readers are and what types of instruction they plan to provide for those readers. (Hintze 2000)

Fluent Reading

Fluent reading comprises three key elements: accurate reading of connected text at a conversational rate with appropriate prosody or expression. A fluent reader can maintain this performance for long periods of time? can retain the skill after long periods of no practice? and can generalize across texts. A fluent reader is also not easily distracted and reads in an effortless? (Buck and Torgesen? 2002) flowing manner. The most compelling reason to focus instructional efforts on special students becoming fluent readers is the strong correlation between reading fluency and reading comprehension. (Hintze 2002)Each aspect of fluency has a clear connection to text comprehension. Without accurate word reading? the reader will have no access to the author's intended meaning? and inaccurate word reading can lead to misinterpretations of the text. Poor automaticity in word reading or slow? laborious movement through the text taxes the reader's capacity to construct an ongoing interpretation of the text. Poor prosody can lead to confusion through inappropriate or meaningless groupings of words or through inappropriate applications of expression. (Barger 2003)

Automaticity and working memory

LaBerge and Samuels (1974) suggested that there is a limited capacity of attention and working memory in cognitive processing and that learning one aspect of reading to a criterion ...