Increasing Reading Fluency

Abstract

The most important issue that should be addressed by researchers engaged in the examination of reading fluency is the definition of reading fluency. The definition must be clear and measureable.

Appendices

The Research Questions

• 1. Based on a careful review of publications, what is the strongest definition of reading fluency?

• 2. Should reading rate be separated from reading comprehension in order to better understand the relationships between the two critical components of reading?

• 3. Using Anderson’s (2018) four quadrants of reading fluency, what are typical movement patterns through the quadrants?

• 4. What is the minimal reading fluency that a second language learner of English should have to successfully navigate through college/university reading assignments?

• 5. How does silent reading fluency differ from oral reading fluency for the same individuals?

• 6. Does reading fluency vary by language proficiency level?

• 7. How does reading fluency vary across learners when reading online versus reading hard copy?

• 8. How long does it take to break the cycle of word-by-word reading to fluent reading?

• 9. How does reading fluency correlate with course grades for students at different levels of academic achievement?

• 10. What classroom pedagogical activities could teachers draw upon to facilitate the development of reading fluency?

Suggested Resources

Anderson, N. J. (2018). (Ed.). The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, Volume IV, Teaching Reading, 1^st Edition. Edited by John I. Liontas (Project Editor: Margo DelliCarpini) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This resource is key to success in both L2 reading research and classroom pedagogical practices. As noted earlier, various factors ultimately influence the development of reading fluency (as defined by Anderson). This volume of the TESOL Encyclopedia includes 39 entries on a variety of second language reading topics central to research and pedagogical instruction. Researchers may want to review each entry to determine the impact each has on the development of reading fluency. Each entry follows a consistent format: framing the issue, making the case, pedagogical implications, references, and suggested readings. The entries could play a key role in using appropriate classroom activities to then research the impact on reading fluency.

Evans, N., Anderson, N. J., & Eggington, W. (Eds.) (2015). ESL readers and writers in higher education: Understanding challenges, providing support. New York, NY: Routledge.

This resource is valuable for researchers focusing on university learners of English as a second/foreign language. The 15 chapters focus on challenges that readers (and writers) face in university contexts and what support can be provided by institutions to address the challenges. This resource is valuable for researchers because of the contextual variables that influence the development of reading in adult learners. The support provided within university contexts could be a factor that ultimately influences reading fluency.

Anderson provides a key chapter in this volume that focuses on the academic reading expectations and challenges of university readers. Data gathered from 114 university departments across five majors resulted in the identification of 12 overall reading expectations that faculty have of readers and 15 challenges that faculty view in their learners.

Grabe, W. & Stoller, F. L. (2011). Teaching and researching reading (2nd ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson.

Grabe and Stoller provide an extremely valuable resource on both aspects of teaching and researching reading. It is important for both of these areas to be combined. Research should inform effective classroom practices and the realities of classroom practices should inform research. This resource allows us to keep both perspectives in mind.

The book is divided into five sections: understanding L2 reading, exploring research in reading, teaching reading using evidence-based practices, investigating reading through action research, and resources. The area of reading fluency is addressed within the section on action research. Key questions related to word recognition, oral reading and classroom practices are addressed in the chapter on reading fluency that can help inform any research project examining the questions raised in this entry.

Newton, J. M., Ferris, D. R., Goh, C. C. M., Grabe, W., Stoller, F. L., & Vandergrift, L. (2018). Teaching English to second language learners in academic contexts. New York, NY: Routledge.

Developing reading fluency while engaged in academic reading is extremely challenging, thus the need for examining this language skill and the need for additional research on this topic. One short section addresses the question of how fluent should L2 readers become. The authors suggest that reading at 200 words-per-minute is an appropriate goal to work towards, but they also recognize that when reading difficult texts, as in academic contexts, L2 readers will read slower just as L1 readers read more slowly when reading difficult texts.

In terms of building an effective reading curriculum, the authors suggest one (of 12) key principles that should be considered: Reading fluency—at word and passage levels—is essential for efficient reading comprehension abilities. One essential element addressed in this principle is that readers will vary their reading rate depending of the reading purpose. That is an important element to keep in mind when engaging in research on reading fluency.

Zadeh, Z. Y, Farnia, F., & Geva, E. (2012). Toward modeling reading comprehension and reading fluency in English language learners. Reading & Writing, 25, 163–187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-010-9252-0

This research article is valuable because of its focus on the simple view of reading (SVR) and the initial development of reading fluency and reading comprehension in young second language learners. The study follows 179 language learners from first grade through third grade (n = 308 in first grade, but due to attrition data was available from only 179 participants in year three). This article emphasizes the central role of phonological awareness, naming speed, and oral language in the long-term development of reading fluency and reading comprehension. Perhaps one of the most important outcomes of this research is the importance of early identification of foundational components of reading success even before reading problems emerge in second language readers.