Word Hunts

Independent Reading

FrontPage

Cindy Boles

Automaticity refers to the speed and accuracy of word recognition and spelling. It is the goal of word study instruction (Bear,D., 2004).

La Barge and Samuels (as cited in Hudson,R., Lane,H., Pullen,P., 2005) suggested that working memory and attention have a limited capacity in cognitive processing and that learning one part of reading (word identification as a part of automaticity) frees cognitive resources for higher order thinking (comprehension). More resources are available for comprehension if word identification processes happens fluently. Because comprehension requires higher order processes that cannot become automatic, word identification must become the automatic process.

The most persuasive reason for helping students become fluent readers is the strong correlation between reading fluency and reading comprehension (Hudson, R., Lane, H., Pullen, P., 2005).

References

Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., Johnston, F. (2004). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. (3rd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Hudson, R.F., Lane, H.B., Pullen, P.C. (2005). Reading fluency assessment and instruction: What, why, and how? The Reading Teacher. 58(8), 702-714.