Reading Fluency Assessment: The Role of Word-Level Automaticity

This study examined the use of an isolated word recognition assessment, the Appalachian State Word Reading Inventory (ASUWRI), to assess students’ automatic word recognition. Grade-leveled lists of isolated words were flashed individually, one word at a time, on a computer for a pre-determined amount of time, and students were scored on the percentage of words that were correctly identified. Multiple linear regressions (stepwise) were used to determine the predictability of students’ scores on the ASUWRI at three different presentation speeds (400 ms, 1000ms, 2000ms) and their scores on other reading assessments. Results from this study show that the 400 ms exposure time was significant in predicting scores on each of the reading assessments and was a better predictor in every analysis. Results are interpreted as evidence that flash rates for the ASUWRI should be set at a maximum speed of 400 ms to best predict reading performance.