CER Prep UPDATED Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Fluency - CORRECT ANSWER- Basic definition: rate and accuracy of oral reading or
proficiency in word recognition. Other components often included in the definition:
smoothness and automaticity of oral reading; rapid, accurate decoding; correct prosody;
anticipatory ability (P, intro section 4)
Fluency is reading at an appropriate rate, with accuracy and prosody. It is the ability to read
accurately yet quickly, with expression and comprehension. (L, ch 8)
Fluency is the rapid, prosodic flow with which a skilled later. When a fluent reader reads
aloud, it sounds as though he or she is speaking. The reading is fluid and accurate, with
adequate speed, appropriate phrasing, and correct intonation. (M, ch 6)
Why should students be told to "do their best reading" instead of to "read as fast as they can"?
- CORRECT ANSWER- Readers may be reading inaccurately or they may read too quickly
to think about what they are reading. Reading fast is not the same as reading fluently. (L, ch
8)
What is the general consensus about the level of accuracy required for comprehension? -
CORRECT ANSWER- Comprehension is impaired when text is read with less than 95%
accuracy. (L, ch 8)
What can we learn about a reader by the way they use expression while reading? -
CORRECT ANSWER- The extent to which a student uses correct expression while reading
orally can indicate how well they comprehend the text. (L, ch 8)
What is the relationship between working memory and reading fluency? - CORRECT
ANSWER- A rate of reading that is appropriate to the task, neither fast nor too slow, in order
for comprehension to be facilitated because working memory overloads if too much
information comes into the brain at once, and working memory cannot devote sufficient
attention to information coming into the brain too slowly. (L, ch 8)
Why does appropriate reading rate change with different types of reading material? -
CORRECT ANSWER- Interesting novels are typically read quickly and accurately, without
,thinking about decoding individual words. A physics textbook, by contrast, would likely be
read much slower, taking time to decode difficult words and to contemplate the meaning. (L,
ch 8)
What is considered "independent level text"? - CORRECT ANSWER-
What is considered "instructional level text"? - CORRECT ANSWER-
What is considered "frustration level text"? - CORRECT ANSWER-
How does the role of fluency change across the developmental stages of reading? -
CORRECT ANSWER- For emergent readers, accuracy of reading, rather than the rate,
should be the focus. Accuracy plays the most important role in comprehending in
kindergarten and early first grade. Once students are reading connected text with reasonable
accuracy, typically by the middle of first grade, the rate and accuracy of their reading is
strongly tied to their overall reading skill, including comprehension. Some researchers have
found that once a student's reading level is around the sixth grade level, factors other than
fluency become more important in the overall reading process, including vocabulary and
background knowledge. (L, ch 8)
What is the connection between Reading Fluency and motivation? - CORRECT ANSWER-
Assisting students to become fluent readers plays a role in helping them become motivated
readers who enjoy the process of reading and who can understand and learn from what they
read. (L, ch 8)
What is a good initial and informal assessment for evaluating reading fluency? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Listening to the student read; do they sound like they're speaking? (L, ch 8)
What tool can be used to qualitatively note a student's reading expression or prosody? Name
& describe the levels of prosody in this tool. - CORRECT ANSWER- Rubric from National
Assessment of Educational Progress. Level 4: reads with expressive interpretation. Level 3:
reads primarily in three- or four-word phrase groups. Level 2: reads primarily in two-word
phrases that are awkward and haphazardly grouped. Level 1: reads primarily word-by-word
How far below the 50th percentile score does a student's CBM ORF score need to be in order
for the student to be flagged for possible additional support? - CORRECT ANSWER- More
than 10 words below the 50th percentile (L, ch 8)
, +/- ....: (P, 4.?)
Why is it inappropriate for oral reading fluency standards to be set at the 75th percentile or a
similarly high range? - CORRECT ANSWER- There is no research to support the idea that
pushing student's to read above the 50th percentile has any benefit. This can be frustrating for
students and teachers to achieve this level of reading. Students who read in the average range
are on target to become effective readers. (L, ch 8)
What are expected Reading fluency gains for students in grades one through six? -
CORRECT ANSWER- *PER WEEK* Grade 1: 2 to 3 more words correct per minute; Grade
2: 1.5 to 2 more words correct per minute; Grade 3: 1 to 1.5 more words correct per minute;
Grade 4: 0.85 to 1.1 more words correct per minute; Grade 5: 0.5 to 0.8 more words correct
per minute; Grade 6: 0.3 to 0.65 more words correct per minute. Students reading at the first
grade level make more gains per week then older student. As students reach their optimal
fluency rate, the number of words gained levels off. (L, ch 8)
What are some false assumptions about reading fluency? - CORRECT ANSWER- 1.
Students who read fast are good readers. 2. Students who read slowly will become better
readers overall if they are simply taught how to read faster.
How should CBM be used to monitor progress of students receiving Tier 1 instruction? -
CORRECT ANSWER- Systematic progress monitoring involves simply repeating the CBM
screening assessment that were conducted in the beginning of the school year. These should
be done 3 to 4 times a year for all students, at least in primarily & intermediate levels of
elementary schools. Additional checks of prosody should be included periodically. For
students above a 6th grade reading level, using assessments other than ORF including
multiple choice cloze or maze may be more appropriate. (L, ch 8)
How should CBM be used to monitor the progress of students receiving Tier 2 or 3
instruction? - CORRECT ANSWER- These students should participate in the repeated
benchmark assessments along with their peers, & they will be evaluated closely in their
instructional programs and through observations of their daily reading and class work. But
assessment data needs to be collected on a more frequent basis than three times a year. Gains
can be small and difficult to detect in academically challenged students.
Using CBM assessments for progress monitoring in Tier 2 and 3 students has 4 main
differences:
