There is a strong and powerful correlation between students' fluency rate and their comprehension scores on standardized achievement tests (Fuchs et al., 1998; Fuchs & Fuchs, 1999; Kame'enui & Simmons, 2001).
An Oral Fluency Assessment (OFA) is an accurate and easy way to predict your children's comprehension ability, determine their reading fluency, and plan their decoding instruction. Use an OFA to measure the number of words correct per minute (WCPM) students read, beginning in mid-Grade 1.
What Is an OFA? An Oral Fluency Assessment measures the number of words correct per minute (WCPM) that children read. You can compare your children's WCPM scores with an overall average of WCPM scores at their grade level to see if their fluency levels are above, below, or on grade level. This assessment involves taking one minute samples of children's oral readings of three brief grade-level passages.
When and How? An OFA should be administered one-on-one, three times a year, with three grade-level passages. The passages need to be chosen for reliability. You will use the same three passages all year for each assessment.
- Tell the child to read the passages aloud. Begin timing as he or she begins reading.
- As your child reads, mark words read incorrectly on your copy of the passage. Words read correctly are those read correctly in context.
- Self-corrections within three seconds are counted as correct.
- If the child has not attempted the word within three seconds, say the word for him or her and count the word as incorrect.
- Mispronunciations, substitutions, insertions, and omissions are counted as incorrect.
- At the end of one minute, make a vertical line after the last word read.
- Repeat with the other two passages.
- For each passage, count the number of words read correctly (WCPM).
- Take the median (middle) of the three scores. For example, if your second grader's scores are 60, 39, and 55, the median score is 55.
In addition to the OFA, there are other tests, such as the Gray Oral Reading Test, that give an overall reading fluency/comprehension accuracy quotient for reading grade-level text.
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It is important that readers whose skills are developing more slowly than those of their classmates get the motivational boosts and extra help they need to achieve success. Help children understand that they need more exposure to words to remember them and that more practice gives their brain the chances it needs to form lasting images of words.
Give children ample time outside of the classroom to practice their reading and recognition so they are not distracted by noise or activity while being assessed. Allowing these children extra time before assessments will help them to catch up with the more proficient readers in the class while working at their own pace. |
