Assessing early grade reading: the value and limits of ‘words per minute’

Abstract

Primary school enrolment in low-income countries has increased in recent years. The quality of education is, however, still a cause for concern. Better measurement of early reading progress has been suggested as a means of improving education quality. Benchmarks based on the number of 'words per minute' (WPM) students are able to read correctly have been proposed as a basis for assessment and comparison, even where languages and orthographies differ. This paper explores the extent to which WPM benchmarks, based mainly on research with native English speakers, are appropriate for cross-language comparisons. A quantitative study of early grade reading in two European (English and Dutch) and two African languages (Sabaot and Pokomo) analysed WPM and comprehension scores of over 300 children in three countries. Results indicate that similar comprehension scores were associated with diverse WPM rates. This suggests that WPM is not a reliable comparative measure of reading development since linguistic and orthographic features can differ considerably and are likely to influence the reading acquisition process. We argue that a good understanding of the languages of literacy (L1 and/or other) and their effects on reading acquisition are essential to the quest for quality education.

The role of home learning environments and socioeconomic status in children’s learning in Tanzania: A comparison study of naturalized refugee, rural majority, and urban majority population groups

“…These findings pinpoint the significant role of the language(s) other than the medium of instruction spoken at home (Brock-Utne and Desai, 2005). Available empirical evidence from sub-Saharan Africa (Brock-Utne, 2007; Nikiema, 2011; Qorro, 2013), and other parts of the world (Graham and Van Ginkel, 2014; Lau and Rao, 2013) has emphatically indicated that having a home language that is different from that of instruction may negatively affect learning attainments. This is more critical particularly during the early years of education (Kalia and Reese, 2009).…”

Enhance Learning through BrainDance Movements: An Empirical Study

“…They have focused on the children's reading skills in their second or third year of school years (Graham & Ginkel, 2014). Words per minute (WPM) is an oral fluency reading assessment to measure how many words per minute a child can read.…”

Examining oral reading fluency among Grade 5 rural English Second Language (ESL) learners in South Africa? An analysis of NEEDU 2013

“…As Fuchs et al (2001:242) For some languages, the practice of using WCPM as a predictor of comprehension has been criticized. In a quantitative study of early grade reading in two European (English and Dutch) and two African languages (Sabaot and Pokomo), Graham and Van Ginkel (2014) analysed WCPM and comprehension scores of over 300 children in three countries and found that similar comprehension scores were associated with diverse WPM rates. This, they suggest, indicates that fluency measured as WCPM is not a reliable comparative measure of reading development since linguistic and orthographic features differ considerably between languages and are likely to influence the reading acquisition process.…”