Fluency Timed Reading Assessments

Instructional Tips

• Determine the desired reading rate: Use the Fluency Standards Table to review recommendations for reading rates.
• Assess with the appropriate passages: Choose from passages with a range of complexity to match students' needs.

Timed Reading Procedures and Scoring

Materials:

• Two copies of the passage, one for the student and one for the teacher
• Stopwatch or other timer

Procedure:

• Administer a one-minute timed reading assessment.
• Begin timing when the student reads the first word.
• Say the word if the student is struggling to read it after 3-5 seconds, and have the student continue to the next word.
• Follow along and record errors as the student reads, making a slash through words that the student misses or cannot read and writing a dash above skipped words.

  Errors include:

  • Skipped words
  • Mispronounced words
  • Word substitutions
  • Words in the wrong order (both or all words counted as errors)
  • Struggling that lasts 3-5 seconds

  Errors do not include:

  • Added words
  • Varying pronunciations resulting from accent, dialect, or difficulty with speech
  • Repetitions
  • Self-correcting a mistake
• Stop the timer after one minute.

Instructional Tips

1. Write the student's goal rate in the box provided.
2. Use the words-per-line totals in the margin to count the number of words read to find the words-per-minute (WPM) rate. Write this number and the date in the chart at the bottom.
3. In the "Errors" line, record the number of mistakes (slashes) under Read 1 if this is the first reading, Read 2 if it is the second reading, and so on.
4. Subtract the mistakes from the total number of words read to find the words correct per minute (WCPM).
5. Divide the words correct per minute (WCPM) by the words per minute (WPM) and multiply this result by 100. This is the student's Accuracy/Reading Rate percentage.
6. Record this number in the box.

After about four to six readings, students should reach the target WPM standard for their grade level with an accuracy rate of 90 to 95 percent.

Example:

Words Per Minute (WPM): 80
Errors: 6

Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM):
80 - 6 = 74

Accuracy/Reading Rate percentage:
74/80 = 0.9
0.9 x 100 = 90%