RICA Competency 8, Fluency: Role in Reading Development and Factors that Affect the

Development of Fluency, this focuses on how accurately, what appropriate rate, and appropriate
expression in which the reader reads (Zarrillo, 2011, pg. 65). RICA Competency 9, Fluency:
Instruction and Assessment, this focuses on the instructional strategies that help improve the
components of fluency (Accuracy, rate, and prosody), as well as how to assess fluency (Zarrillo,
2011, pg. 69).
Three experiences I have had with this competency include encounters with my tutees,
observations in the classroom, and witnessing it being modeled. For tutoring as we prepare for
our Readers Theatre come December, I have picked two different scripts for my tutee to practice
reading from. As they read I am assessing on how fluently they are reading. I am checking if they
are able to apply their knowledge of phonics, sight word, structural analysis skills, syllabic
analysis skills, and orthographic knowledge assisting them in reading with accuracy. I am
checking at which rate they are reading, is it too fast, too slow, or is it at an easy pace. I am also
checking for their ability to show the appropriate expression, showing a variation in pitch and
pausing when intended by the script (Zarrillo, 2011, pg. 66). In my master teachers classroom I
have been able to observe her model to the children the three indicators of reading fluently
(accuracy, rate, and prosody) during large group, she has done this by demonstrating the teacher
model, Children listen to models of fluent, efficient reading (Zarrillo, 2011, pg. 69). In this
placement my teacher is very big on I do, we do, and you do model. After she models, she has
the students read with her, and then they do it without her but she provides them with feedback,
guiding them in the right direction of becoming fluent.
This relates to TPE 2.2, Candidates pace instruction and re-teach content based on
evidence gathered using assessment strategies such as questioning students and examining
student work and product (California Teaching Performance Expectations, 2013). With the I
do, we do, you do model the teacher is pacing instruction and re-teaching base on what she
observes while monitoring their progress in fluency. This teacher understands that fluent reading
is far more than reading words smoothly out loud; but recognizes that fluency is the core of
comprehension ((Vacca, et al., 2015, pp. 221).
I can apply RICA Competency 8, Fluency: Role in Reading Development and Factors
that Affect the Development of Fluency, and RICA Competency 9, Fluency: Instruction and
Assessment by pairing them together. It is one thing to understand that fluency is the core of
comprehension, but its another to teach it appropriately and assess if effectively.

Works Cited
Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2013). California teaching performance
Expectations. Retrieved from http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educatorprep/TPA-files/TPEs-Full Version.pdf
Vacca, J. A., Vacca, R. T., Gove, M. K., Burkey, L. C., Lenhart, L. A., & McKeon, C. A.
(2015). Reading & Learning to Read. Upper Saddle River : Pearson .
Zarrillo, J. J. (2011). Ready for Revised RICA: A Test Preparation Guide For Californias
Reading
Instruction Competence Assessment. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.