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Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction
Journal of Literacy Research, Spring 2005 by Stahl, Steven A, Heubach, Kathleen M
We assumed that during the period of choice reading, children, both gifted and struggling, would choose to read material at their instructional levels. This assumption has not, to our knowledge, been previously tested. One purpose of this study, then, was to check whether students actually chose books that were instructionally appropriate. A second purpose was to develop a theory of children's book selection.
Method. We asked children in two classes to fill out logs of the books they read during DEAR time for two weeks. Subjects in this study were 43 students in the two Greensboro School classes during the first year of the program. After two weeks, we interviewed children individually about why they chose these particular books and what criteria they used for choosing books in general. We also did a running record on a small section of one of the books that the child had read during the preceding week to find out its relative level of difficulty for the child. We used oral reading error rate as a measure of relative difficulty.
Results. In the running records, all children except one chose books that were at or near their instructional level. With one exception, students were able to read their chosen book with 92% accuracy or higher; the average was 95.5% accuracy. This rate suggests that students chose material near their instructional level but considerably more difficult than their independent level, which has traditionally been thought of as 98% accuracy (Wixson & Lipson, 1991). As noted below, we have reason to reassess this traditional notion.
The one student whose accuracy was considerably below this level (62%) had been placed in a homogeneous above-average reading class for reasons unrelated to his reading, but read significantly below the class average. He chose books that looked like those his classmates were reading, even though they were too difficult for him. We feel, bolstered by his interview, that this student had chosen books for social reasons, to appear as if he were competitive with his peers. If these results can be replicated, it suggests that SSR is a valid way of increasing children's fluency, because they will most likely choose books that are instructionally appropriate. It also suggests that social pressures need to be taken into account in implementing SSR.
The students were also interviewed about their reasons for their choices. The teachers were a major influence. Books that teachers had read to the class were chosen often. In addition, one teacher encouraged her students to read chapter books that challenged their ability in reading. Her students often mentioned these exhortations. Students did not mention their peers as influences on their reading choice.
Discussion
As noted earlier, the studies used to evaluate this program were driven by a series of questions we had about the program. Some of the questions arose prior to planning the program; other questions arose during the implementation and came either from the researchers or from the participating teachers.
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