Chapter 6: Developing Fluent Readers and Writers
Multiple Choice Items
1. To become a fluent reader, a student must:
a) define function words clearly
b) spell high frequency words correctly
c) articulate multi-syllabic words
d) automatically recognize high-frequency words
2. Six-year-old Bill said he could read the word will because it looked like his name. Bill used
the strategy of:
a) phonic analysis
b) syllabic analysis
c) analogies
d) morphemes
3. Every syllable must have at least one:
a) consonant
b) vowel
c) affix
d) digraph
4. The ability to orally read sentences expressively, with appropriate phrasing and intonation, is
known as:
a) prosody
b) automaticity
c) decoding
d) choral reading
5. Of the following, the most effective way for a teacher to help his students spell high-frequency
words correctly would be to:
a) conduct daily phonics drills
b) circle misspelled words on their compositions
c) post high-frequency words on a classroom word wall
d) give each student a dictionary
6. The ability to read silently for increasingly longer periods of time is known as reading:
a) fluency
b) stamina
c) prosody
d) automaticity
7. Students must develop a large stock of words that they recognize automatically because it is
impossible for them to analyze every word that they encounter while reading. These recognizable
words are known as:
a) predictable text
b) decodable text
c) function words
d) sight words
8. The best way to help children become fluent writers is to ask them to:
a) write sentences to express their ideas
b) copy sentences from the chalkboard
c) apply phonics generalizations
d) use dictionaries more frequently
9. Of the following, the best way to assess students’ reading fluency is to:
a) use a miscue analysis
b) use morphemic analysis
c) listen to them read aloud
d) engage in partner reading
10. A first grade teacher introduced the word cat on Monday. On Tuesday, the teacher could help
her students read the words bat, flat, and rat. This teacher was helping her students learn to
decode words by
a) analogy
b) prefixes and suffixes
c) root words and suffixes
d) syllables
11. Word Walls are appropriate:
a) only in kindergarten to grade 3
b) only for students above a first grade reading level
c) at any grade level
d) when students have visual disabilities
12. Words such as to, the, and could which occur frequently but carry little meaning are known
as:
a) environmental text
b) decodable text
c) readability words
d) function words
13. Of the following, the best way to help students develop reading fluency is to use:
a) round-robin reading
b) popcorn reading
c) phonics drills
d) readers theatre
14. Of the following, the best way for teachers to monitor students’ spelling of high-frequency
words is to:
a) analyze children’s writing samples
b) hold weekly spelling bees
c) administer weekly spelling tests
d) ask students to give frequent reports
15. A teacher read a passage. The students repeated each phrase or sentence after the teacher read
it. This class was participating in:
a) popcorn reading
b) round robin reading
c) parallel reading
d) echo reading
16. Most children should become fluent writers by:
a) the end of first grade
b) the end of third grade
c) the end of kindergarten
d) age7
17. Of the following, the best way to improve students’ reading speed is to use:
a) phonics drills
b) repeated readings
c) repetends
d) word walls
18. Reading fluency involves the three components known as:
a) reading speed, reading accuracy, and comprehension
b) reading speed, reading accuracy, and prosody
c) reading stamina, automaticity, and comprehension
d) reading stamina, prosody, and articulation
19. To help struggling readers and writers develop automaticity, teachers should do all of the
following except
a) decode every word they encounter while reading.
b) create word walls with high-frequency words and encourage students to use them in writing.
c) help students create word banks of high-frequency words they’ve learned to read.
d) focus on selected words each week through targeted classroom instruction.
20. Many older struggling readers are unfamiliar with word identification strategies. Teachers
can help students overcome this obstacle by doing all of the following except
a) providing more time for teaching and writing practice
b) teaching word-identification strategies
c) encouraging them to guess at unknown words based on the first letter.
d) develop students’ background knowledge and introduce new vocabulary words before reading.
21. Teachers help older students overcome the obstacle of slow reading speed by
a) assigning lots of homework.
b) requiring the students to read aloud in front of the class.
c) providing daily practice opportunities to develop students’ reading speed and stamina.
d) requiring them to read the same book over and over until they can read it quickly.
22. All of the following are ways to improve students’ writing speed except
a) writing and rewriting specified materials multiple times.
b) writing in simulated journals
c) completing learning logs and or reading logs.
d) quickwriting.
23. To help students develop prosody in reading, teachers can
a) encourage word by word reading.
b) model expressive reading when they read aloud and think aloud about their performance.
c) have students participate in round-robin reading.
d) have students watch others perform readers theatre.
24. To help older struggling readers develop voice in their writing, students should
a) practice copying text from a variety of sources.
b) do lots of reading and writing.
c) complete worksheets.
d) only analyzing voice in other people’s writing.
25. The most important recommendation for students who struggle with fluency is to
a) drill and practice sight word recognition.
b) have them complete numerous worksheets.
c) send them to special classes.
d) dramatically increase the amount of reading and writing they do every day.
1. Describe three techniques teachers can use to assess writing fluency.
2. Describe three techniques teachers can use to help students develop reading fluency.
3. Students who struggle with fluency may face numerous obstacles in both reading and writing.
Discuss three of these potential obstacles and describe ways that teachers can intervene and
help students become more fluent readers and writers.
Chapter 6 Answer Key for Multiple Choice Items
1. Describe three techniques teachers can use to assess writing fluency.
2. Describe three techniques teachers can use to help students develop reading fluency.
3. Students who struggle with fluency may face numerous obstacles in both reading and
writing. Discuss three of these potential obstacles and describe ways that teachers can
intervene and help students become more fluent readers and writers. [Below are the
obstacles, discussions and descriptions will vary. See text for details.]