Fluency

Timed Reading Procedures

You will need:

• Two copies of the assessment passage—one for the student and one for the instructor

• Stopwatch or clock

• Pencil

Administer a one-minute reading, starting the stopwatch when the student begins the first word of the passage (the student will not read titles). Tell the student that if she or he has trouble (struggling for more than 3 to 5 seconds), you will say the word so she or he can keep reading. After one minute, say "Stop," stop the stopwatch, and circle the last word read.

During the reading, resist the urge to correct mistakes. Mistakes and self-correction will be accounted for in the score. If the student has extreme difficulty, stop the test. Reassure the student that she or he will redo the assessment after further reading practice. You should select a lower level passage for the next assessment.

Follow along on your copy word by word with your pencil. Make a slash ( / ) through any words the student misses or cannot read without help. Mark a dash above words skipped. Errors include:

• Skipped words

• Mispronounced words

• Word substitutions, including incorrect forms of the word

• Words in the wrong order; both or all words are counted as wrong

• Struggling that lasts for 3 to 5 seconds, or more

The following are not considered misses:

• Added words

• Varying pronunciation due to accent, dialect, or speech impediment

• Repetitions in which the wording is correct

• Self-correcting a mistake; the word is scored as correct.