Reading Accuracy: Support for Teachers and Parents

What is reading accuracy?

Reading accuracy is being able to recognise and pronounce written words without errors. As children don't have to focus on decoding, they can instead focus their attention on understanding the meaning of the text that they are meaning.

Reading accuracy together with reading rate and reading expression are the key components of reading fluency.

Why is reading accuracy important?

• Children are able to focus on the meaning of the text, rather than the mechanics of decoding.

• If children do not read a passage accurately, for example, they miss out a word in a sentence, this can change the meaning of the passage entirely. For example, Josie got a cold as opposed to Josie got cold.

• Sometimes if children run through punctuation it can impact the meaning of the passage.

How do we support parents to understand reading accuracy?

On Pageticker, our online reading record, there is the option for parents or teachers to track fluency metrics, such as reading accuracy, if they wish to. We have provided a clear guide to support them, if they wish to rate these metrics.

Interested in digital reading records? Trial Pageticker now.