Appendix A:

Fluency scale
Skill 1. Pre-fluent 2. Developing 3. Approaching 4. Fluent

Expression and  no or little expres-  some expression  consistently uses

sion but inconsistent natural sounding
volume  uses expression
 word by word read- (does not always expression that is
throughout most of
 expression ing of decodable match the mean- easy to understand
the text to match
matches and familiar texts ing)  varying intonation,
meaning
meaning  focus is on reading  emphasis remains tone and volume to
 varying intonation,
 varied individual words largely on saying match meaning
tone and volume
volume, inton- individual words  reads with confid-
but can be incon-
ation, and  lacks confidence ence
sistent
tone  shows confidence
 reads with but inconsistently
confidence
Rhythm and  reads word-by-word  reads in two and/  generally reads  reads in an ex-
 reads in a mono- or three word phrase by phrase pressive well
phrasing
tonic manner or phrases  usually responds phrased manner
 reads phrase- with improper inton-  inappropriate in- to punctuation and  responds effect-
by- phrase ation tonation and paus- reads with intona- ively to punctu-
chunks  no sense of phrase ing at punctuation tion and pausing ation, demonstrat-
 attention to boundaries  easier to listen to ing appropriate in-
punctuation tonation and paus-
with intonation ing where needed
and pauses
 easy to listen
to
Accuracy and  sounds stilted  slightly stilted for  mostly smooth  reads smoothly
(many long pauses example long sounding with oc- with minimal hesit-
smoothness and false starts) pauses that are casional hesita- ations
 smooth-  word level inac- disruptive tions and breaks in  predominately
sounding curacies (sound-  inconsistently smoothness reads words accur-
outs, insertions, reads words ac-  read most words ately
 accurate word omissions, repeti- curately accurately  words and struc-
recognition tions, mispronunci-  self-corrections,  fewer difficulties ture difficulties are
 minimal hesit- ations) hesitations and re- with specific words resolved quickly
ations  is unaware of mis- reading that dis- and or structures usually through
takes rupts overall flow self-correction
 self-corrects
Automaticity  does not read  developing auto-  reads most words  reads words auto-
words automatically matic word recall automatically matically and effort-
and pace and frequently and has to stop to  mostly well-paced lessly
 reads auto- stops to recognise with some slow  appropriate pace
recognise words
matically and words reading for the nature of the
 moderately slow
effortlessly  slow and laborious text, consistently
 pace matches conversational
text (rate)

Student fluency score: ____/16 WCPM: _____

Adapted from D. Konza (2016), T. Rasinski & M. Cheesman Smith (2018)

2 Fluency assessment tool