A Definition of Reading Fluency

Accuracy and Automaticity in Reading

Fluent readers decode words accurately and automatically, without (or with minimal) use of their limited attention or conscious cognitive resources.

The theory that supports this aspect of fluency begins with the notion that readers have limited attentional resources. If they have to use a large portion of those resources for word decoding, those resources will not be available for use in comprehension.

The theory of automaticity in reading suggests that proficient word decoding occurs when readers move beyond conscious, accurate decoding to automatic, accurate decoding (LaBerge & Samuels, 1974; Samuels, 2002; Stanovich, 1991).

At the automatic level, readers are able to decode words with minimal attention to the activity of decoding. Most adult readers are at this level of processing. They do not have to examine closely or sound out most of the words they encounter; they simply recognize the words instantly and accurately on sight. This type of processing frees the reader’s conscious attention to comprehend or construct meaning from the text.

Rasinski, T., (2004), Assessing Reading Fluency, http://www.prel.org/products/re_/assessing-fluency.htm.