How to Measure Reading Fluency
If you know us, you know that we are obsessed with data. Data can provide us with concrete information about how our students are performing in a specific area which allows us the opportunity to target our instruction to meet their needs. But there is a lot that goes into this and many questions we might have as we work on gathering data to inform our instruction.
The first question you might be asking is -
Where do I get the data to drive my reading instruction?
There are a few different ways we can collect data to drive our instruction. We can use standardized assessment or we can use progress monitoring probes/curriculum-based assessment. You can learn more about the differences between these two types of assessments here.
In this blog, we are going to talk about how to use progress monitoring probes because it’s the most easily accessible way to collect data if you don’t have access to standardized assessments that provide you with the right kind of data (you know the data that actually informs your instruction 🙌).
You can easily use progress monitoring probes as often as needed to continue gathering data on your students.
Okay, so you might be wondering -
What is a progress monitoring probe?
A progress monitoring probe is simply an activity or question you are providing to students to gather information.
When assessing reading fluency, you can simply use any passage provided at a student’s grade level or reading level as a progress monitoring probe. Typically if we are doing a progress monitoring probe we will pick a passage for our student to read (we love using our “Fast 5” passages from the 5CCL Activity Library but you can use anything you have!).
Once you have your passage(s) picked out you can begin collecting data. So -
How do I get reading fluency data?
Reading fluency is one of the simpler measures to assess because there are many norms available to help us understand where students should be across different grade levels. One of the most commonly used measures is called “Correct Words Per Minute (CWPM).” To gather data, you will want to have a timer and your passage(s) ready.
Before you begin -
Decide how you will measure CWPM. You can have students read an entire passage and mark the time they complete their reading and calculate CWPM or you can set your timer for 60 seconds and mark the word they finished at 60 seconds to calculate CWPM (this is slightly easier).
Tell your student what to expect, we often say something like, “I’m going to show you a page with a story. I want you to read the story out loud to me. Point to each word as you read it. If you don’t know a word, skip it and continue reading. I’m going to time you, but you have as long as you need to finish.” (Set timer).
When you and your student are ready -
Start the timer
Have your student read the passage aloud while you follow along completing a “running record” of their responses. We recommend that if the student is unable to provide the word in 5 seconds, you provide the word to them.
As you are following along you can mark the errors your student makes as they are reading.
We like to use passages that have word counts available for us (who doesn’t love saving time?!)
What is a running record?
A running record is simply a notation of errors a student makes as he or she reads.
As a student reads you listen for repetitions of words, words that are misread, words or parts of words that are omitted (left out), transpositions of words within text, etc.
You can mark this in any way that makes sense for you but you will want to have a consistent marking system. You can see an example of one of our running records to the right. This student was timed for one minute and finished on the word “achievement.”
How do I calculate reading rate?
To find the raw score for rate:
Count the total number of correct words completed in 60 seconds. (In the example the student read 150 WPM)
Use the total words completed minus student errors to determine the correct words per minute. This will be the CWPM rate. (In the example, the student had 18 errors so 150-18 = 132 CWPM).
You then take that WPM and use the rubric to assign a point value for the number of correct words (In the example, this student is in 5th grade, so we would use the 5th grade reading rubric, and 132 CWPM = 4 on the rubric) or you can measure against norms like Hasbrouck and Tindal, 2017 to get a grade level equivalency. (based on these norms this student is reading at the 50th percentile for 5th graders during the “winter” term).
How do I calculate reading accuracy?
To find the rate score for accuracy:
Count the total number of words completed by the student in 60 seconds (TWPM). (In the example the student had 150 TWPM; Note: WPM and TWPM are the same thing!)
Subtract the error to calculate the student's correct words per minute (CWPM). (In the example, the student had 18 errors so 150-18 = 132 CWPM).
Divide CWPM/TWPM. This will give you a percent accuracy. (In the example, 132 CWPM/150 TWPM = 88% accuracy).
Then use the rubric to assign a point value for the number of correct words (In the example, 88% accuracy = 3 on the rubric) or simply provide the percent accuracy.
Raw Data vs. Rubric Scores
You can always report on your raw data (the reading accuracy % and the CWPM rate), as those are the best metrics you have to demonstrate growth in an individual area.
However, we use rubric scores to help "normalize" the fluency scores so we can compare them against other measures.
Phonological awareness, phonics, reading comprehension, and vocabulary don't have words per minute or percent accuracy (or other clear raw data measures). Those other areas of literacy don't have great data that you can just report out, like rate and accuracy scores. So the rubric scoring provides a way to compare fluency scores with other student scores, like vocabulary, phonological awareness, etc. The rubric score compares fluency scores to other measures, not necessarily how a student compares to themselves.
Raw data is always superior to rubric-based data, but rubrics give us a way to look at multiple measures on one scale. If the fluency rubric score doesn't make sense in your setting, then we recommend that you report your raw data. Raw data is the best metric you have to demonstrate growth in an individual area.
How can I score reading fluency using a rubric?
Grab our Rubrics in the 5CCL Activity Library!
We take the fluency data from rate and accuracy and put it into a rubric to “normalize” the score so that we can compare it against other scores.
Let’s walk through an example!
Using the examples above, we're taking accuracy (88% accuracy) and assigning that a 3 on the rubric. Then, we're taking the CWPM (132 in the example above) and assigning that a 4 on the rubric. These two scores together give us a total rubric score for fluency.
The scores in this example (Rate = 4 + Accuracy = 3) would give a score of 7. On the rubric, the total score for passage level fluency and rate = 10, so in the case of the example, the total fluency score is 7 out of a possible 10 or 70% overall rubric score.
And that’s it!
What if I don’t have the tools or resources I need to measure reading fluency?
The great news is that there are tons of tools and resources available!!! An important note on rubrics and other tools that measure fluency -
Make sure the bands that are created for fluency rubrcis are developmentally appropriate. For example, when developing the Fluency Rubrics for the SMARTER Intervention, we cross-referenced pre-existing normative data including information from standardized assessments such as the TOWRE-2, Hasbrouck and Tindal’s Oral Reading Fluency metrics, reference to the DRA and DIBELS assessment, and many other measures. You will want to make sure that if you are creating a rubric, you have data to support the bands you are using to measure proficiency.
If you want to grab our favorite reading fluency rubrics and activities, jump into our 5 Core Components of Literacy Activity Library where we share some of our favorite fluency-building activities along with several passages you can use !