FLUENCY AND COMPREHENSION CHECK USING CONTENT MATERIALS

The purpose of conducting a fluency and comprehension check using content materials is to determine how well the student can read the text he/she will be expected to use in class. The teacher has the opportunity to listen to each student read and retell a passage from the text that is to be used for instruction. Based on the student’s performance, the teacher determines if the student can use the text independently, use the text with teacher and/or peer support, or if the text is too difficult for the student to read.

Procedure

1. Select a representative passage of approximately 200 words from the primary text that will be used for instruction.
2. Have the student read the passage silently.
3. Have the student read the passage orally. Indicate if the student is fluent (able to read the text quickly, accurately, and with proper expression), accurate (accurate in word recognition, but the process is slow and effortful), or struggling (has difficulty decoding words accurately).
4. Have the student tell you, without looking back, what he/she read. Indicate if the student’s retelling is good, satisfactory, or poor.
5. Have the student write a brief summary of what he/she read.

Note

Textbooks are usually not written on grade-level and the reading level may fluctuate throughout the book.

It is natural for students to read more slowly when they are reading and constructing meaning from expository text that is unfamiliar to them.

Fluent readers sometimes encounter uncommon, low-frequency words that they cannot recognize automatically