Report of the National Reading Panel, Ch. 3: Fluency (guided repeated oral reading; sustained silent reading)
National Reading Panel (NICHD) · 2000
grade Cmeta-analysisindependentreplicated
Sample
~16 guided-repeated-oral-reading studies + ~14 SSR studies
Population
Mostly grades 1-4 plus some older struggling/LD readers; US.
Design
Subgroup meta of guided repeated oral reading plus a narrative review of sustained silent reading / encouraging reading. Small/older underlying trials.
Key findings
Guided repeated oral reading reliably improves fluency (accuracy 0.55, rate 0.44) with a smaller comprehension gain (0.35). NRP found NO experimental evidence that sustained silent reading / simply encouraging more reading improves fluency or achievement. End-of-treatment only.
Genetic confound
Experimental subgroup; comprehension (g/language-loaded) moves least.
Replication notes
Guided oral reading effect broadly replicated; SSR null echoed since.
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading accuracy (guided repeated oral reading) | d | 0.55 | mixed | end-of-treatment | business-as-usual | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
| Reading rate/fluency | d | 0.44 | mixed | end-of-treatment | business-as-usual | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
| Reading comprehension | d | 0.35 | mixed | end-of-treatment | business-as-usual | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
| Sustained silent reading / encouraging reading | effect | no significant or attributable effect found | mixed | end-of-treatment | business-as-usual | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
Cited by
- Reading fluency — guided repeated oral reading, and whether repetition mattersmoderate supportconf: mediumgc: low