Reading Fluency Assessments

Students reading fluency is assessed in the fall, winter, and spring in grades K-5 to measure progress in oral reading fluency, a measure of reading accuracy and rate. Reading fluency has a high correlation with students’ reading comprehension. There are different measures for fluency depending on the child’s grade level and primary language of instruction.

Each measure of fluency is outlined below by grade level and program:

GradeEnglishChineseSpanish
KLetter SoundPicture NamingLetter Sound
1Oral ReadingOral ReadingSyllable/Reading
2-5Oral ReadingOral ReadingOral Reading

What kind of information should I expect to receive about my child?

Parents can view information about their child’s performance on fluency assessments three times a year in Skyward. Parents will see a number to indicate the number of correct words, letters, syllables, pictures or characters. It will also indicate if this performance is at grade level. These descriptions match the order of the fluency measures in Skyward:

  1. LSF English (Letter Sound Fluency): When given a list of random letters, the student states as many sounds of the alphabet in one minute.
  2. ORF English (Oral Reading Fluency): The student reads a grade-level passage for one minute. The number of words read correctly is recorded. The student reads three different passages and the median (middle) score is recorded.
  3. MAZE English: This measure is used with mostly secondary students. It is a measure of reading comprehension by correctly completing missing words within a story.
  4. LSF Spanish (Letter Sound Fluency): When given a list of random letters, the student states as many sounds of the alphabet in one minute.
  5. SRF-Spanish (Syllable Reading Fluency): Students are asked to read only Spanish syllables in one minute. Once students are reading sentences they will be assessed on Spanish oral reading fluency.
  6. ORF Spanish (Oral Reading Fluency): The student reads a grade-level passage for one minute. The number of words read correctly is recorded. The student reads three different passages and the median (middle) score is recorded.
  7. PNF-Chinese (Picture Naming Fluency): Students name pictures of common items in Chinese in one minute. This measure is only assessed in the winter and spring.
  8. Pinyin-Chinese: The student reads a grade-level passage for one minute. The number read correctly is recorded. The student reads three different passages and the median (middle) score is recorded. As students move through the grades they will move from Pinyin to Character measures for fluency.
  9. Character-Chinese: The student reads a grade-level passage for one minute. The number of characters read correctly is recorded. The student reads three different passages and the median (middle) score is recorded.

How do I view the scores?

  1. Login through My SSO. (If you don’t know your login and password, contact family.helpdesk@minnetonka.k12.mn.us)
  2. Click the Skyward icon.
  3. Select the name of the child you wish to view scores for at the top of the screen.
  4. Click on "Test scores" on the left-hand side of the screen.
  5. You can then select "show scores" for the assessment you wish to view, in this case fluency. You will see fall, winter and spring data by looking at the fall test date.
  6. Your child WILL NOT have scores in all areas. Your child will have scores recorded in the box(es) that are appropriate for his or her grade level and program. For example, if your child is in Spanish or Chinese Immersion they will only have scores for Spanish or Chinese fluency until English instruction begins in third grade.

kids in class

Contacts

Dr. Matt Rega
District Director of Assessment and Evaluation
matt.rega@minnetonkaschools.org
952-401-5122

Laura Herbst
MHS Advanced Learning Coordinator (AP/IB)
laura.herbst@minnetonkaschools.org
952-401-5897

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