PR-6218IRE Reading for Success - Book 3

Fluency
Reading levels
When working on fluency development, it is important to select texts that are at pupils’ independent
reading levels. You will need to designate different passages for pupils to ensure that they are working with
text that is at the appropriate level.
Independent level
This refers to easy text in which only 1 in 20 words are difficult for the pupil. The pupil should have a 95%
success rate.
Instructional level
This text is more challenging, but not too difficult. The pupil should only encounter 1 in 10 difficult words
with a 90% success rate.
Difficult level
This level refers to text that is very challenging for the pupil, with more than 1 in 10 difficult words. The
pupil would have less than a 90% rate of success.
Rule of thumb
Teaching pupils to identify their own independent reading levels can be fairly difficult. While you can use
the information about the three levels to make determinations for your pupils, you can use the following
strategy to help pupils select books on their own. Tell your pupils to follow this procedure:
1. A pupil selects a book and begins to read the first page.
2. When the pupil encounters a difficult word, he or she holds up a finger. The pupil continues in this
manner while reading the page.
3. If the pupil finishes the passage without holding up all five fingers, the book is probably at an
appropriate reading level.
4. However, if the pupil holds up all four fingers and then reaches the thumb, the book is probably too
difficult.
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