Does this mean I should interpret my MLs’ improvement in WCPM as growth in overall reading ability?
Does this mean all of my fluency lessons should aim to increase my students' WCPM?
Automaticity: Only Part of the Equation
Concerns have been expressed that ORF assessment that is confined to WCPM can lead to instruction that places an overemphasis on speed at the expense of prosody and comprehension (Ardoin et al., 2013; Kuhn et al., 2010; Shin, 2020) and that automaticity - whether in assessment or instruction - “should be only part of the equation because it is missing any focus on reading expression” (Schwanenflugel & Knapp, 2016, p.113).
Take Caution
Instruction and practice geared towards improving automaticity in word recognition must continue. However, educators should take caution when preparing and delivering a fluency lesson targeting speed. Importantly, what we know and assume about the link between L1 reading fluency and reading comprehension may not always apply to MLs.
Research Shows...
The correlation between WCPM and reading comprehension tends to be weaker for MLs due to their oral language affecting their ORF performance (e.g., Crosson & Lesaux, 2010). In addition, improvements in WCPM do not necessarily lead to better comprehension in struggling readers (Ardoin et al., 2013; Kuhn & Stahl, 2003; Wexler et al, 2008).
Word Calling
Some students, especially MLs, might read with adequate WCPM but without attending to the meaning of the text hence with limited comprehension, a phenomenon called ‘word calling.’ Quirk and Beem (2012) found as many as 55.5% of MLs in 2nd and 3rd grades to fit this profile in which reading fluency scores (WCPM) were significantly higher than their reading comprehension scores.
An overemphasis on word instruction in isolation can actually work against students’ development as skilled readers… [B]y looking at students’ fluency represented by WCPM [emphasis added] as part of their overall reading development, instead of as a proxy for it, educators are likely to develop the kind of nuanced understanding of learners’ reading ability that will make effective literacy instruction possible.
Kuhn et al. (2010. p.247-248)
