What component should a teacher focus on to assess the reading fluency of her students?

Focusing on the number of words read correctly per minute and the expression used while reading is essential for assessing reading fluency. Reading fluency encompasses not only the ability to read words accurately and at a reasonable pace but also to convey meaning through expression and prosody. This means that fluency is measured by how smoothly a student can read aloud while maintaining comprehension.

Accurate timing and expression are critical indicators of fluency since they reflect a reader's ability to recognize words quickly and appropriately interpret punctuation and intended emotional tone, which aids comprehension. When these components are neglected, it becomes challenging to determine a student's overall reading proficiency. Thus, assessing these aspects provides a comprehensive measure of a student's reading fluency.