Silent Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension: Two Halves of an Apple

Abstract

The fields of reading education and reading research in Turkey are filled with inconsistencies. In order to address these inconsistencies, the current study establishes the two skills that make up the ability to read: reading fluency and reading comprehension. Furthermore, the current study demonstrates that these are related but distinct skills with a cross-sectional correlation study. The silent reading fluency and reading comprehension skills of 257 3rd to 7th graders was evaluated. The results demonstrated that there was a moderate and positive relationship between these two skills. The lack of one-to-one correspondence between these two skills suggests that they require individual attention both in education and research. These results also have connotations for students with reading difficulties. Seeing that these skills are distinct, difficulty with one of these skills does not necessitate difficulty with the other. Hence, students’ reading fluency and reading comprehension skills both should be monitored.