Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Assignment 5
Assignment 5
References:
Gan, Z., Davison, C., & Hamp-Lyons, L. (2009). Topic negotiation in peer group oral
assessment situations: A conversation analytic approach. Applied Linguistics, 30(3),
315–34.
Richards, J., & Schmidt, R. (2010). Longman dictionary of language teaching and
applied linguistics (4th ed.). London, England: Longman.
Winke, P. (2010). Using online tasks for formative language assessment. In A. Shehadeh
& C. Coombe (Eds.), Applications of task-based learning in TESOL (pp. 173–85).
Alexandria, VA: TESOL.
4. Measuring Reading Fluency
M. JEFFREY ZWICK
There are many different definitions of reading fluency: the orchestration of a
number of combined sub skills (Schwanenflugel and Ruston, 2008), fluency posits
(Grabe, 2009), stages of fluency development (Anderson, 2008, 2009). According to
Anderson's (2008) definition of reading fluency, teachers should enquire about suitable
rate and adequate comprehension. When discussing rate development, it is important to
consider automaticity (the rapid and accurate identification of letters, syllables, and high-
frequency words (The National Reading Panel, 2000)). Reading teachers can evaluate
reading rate by keeping track of time as their participants read a passage. Repeated
reading activities is an effective way to expedite the process of developing automaticity in
L2 reading because they also provide the student with repeated exposure to a particular
text (Anderson, 1999). Other activities which are effective in developing reading fluency
by increasing reading rate include rapid word recognition, rate buildup, class-paced
reading, and self-paced reading. However, a high reading rate is meaningless when
accompanied by a low level of comprehension. Participants must find an equal balance
between rate and comprehension. Schacter (2006) shares a variety of strategies that are
successful in fostering reading comprehension: developing thin questions (answers are
found in the text) and thick questions (answers must be inferred from the text), using
graphic organizers, and SQ3R (survey, question, read, recite, review). To increase reading
fluency, reading teachers must concentrate on both aspects of reading.
References:
Anderson, N. J. (1999). Exploring second language reading. Boston, MA: Thompson &
Heinle.
Anderson, N. J. (2008). Practical English language teaching: Reading. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
Anderson, N. J. (2009). ACTIVE reading: The research base for a pedagogical approach in
the reading classroom. In Z. H. A. Han & N. J. Anderson (Eds.), L2 reading research
and instruction: Crossing the boundaries (pp. 117–43). Ann Arbor: The University of
Michigan Press.
Schacter, J. (2006). The master teacher series: Reading comprehension. Stanford, CA: The
Teaching Doctors.
Schwanenflugel, P., & Ruston, H. (2008). Becoming a fluent reader: From theory to
practice. In M. Kuhn & P. Schwanenflugel (Eds.), Fluency in the classroom (pp. 1–
16). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
The National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence based
assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for
reading instruction (National Institute of Health Pub. No. 00-4769). Washington, DC:
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.