What is the fluency rate for 1st grade?
For example, according to one published norm, students should be reading approximately 60 words per minute correctly by the end of first grade, 90-100 words per minute correctly by the end of second grade, and approxi- mately 114 words per minute correctly by the end of third grade.
How many words per minute should my students be reading? The following are the number of words students should be able to read correctly at the end of each year: 1st grade: 60. 2nd grade: 90.
Rasinski Words Correct Per Minute Target Rates* Words Per Minute (WPM) | ||
---|---|---|
Grade | Fall | Spring |
3 | 50-110 | 80-140 |
4 | 70-120 | 90-140 |
5 | 80-130 | 100-150 |
Reading fluency is calculated by taking the total number of words read in one minute and subtracting the number of errors. Only count one error per word. This gives you the words correct per minute (wpm). The words correct per minute represent students' fluency levels.
Range of Typical reading Levels in First Grade
In the fall, first graders typically independently read at a Level 4. By the end of first grade, a typical first grader will independently read at Level 16. It is important to note that some students may have DRA scores that are above or below the grade-level expectation.
What should a 1st grader be able to read? By 1st grade your child should have at least the following variety of reading skills: They should be able to recognize about 150 sight words or high-frequency words. They are able to distinguish between fiction and nonfiction texts.
The average reading rates for kids in grades 1-6 are between 80 and 185 words per minute (wpm). Teens have an average reading speed of 195 to 204 wpm.
As a guide, beginners between the ages of 6 to 11 years old typically type at a rate of 15 wpm, beginners between the ages of 12 to 16 years old at a rate of 30 wpm, and intermediate typists at a rate of 40 wpm. While these are the targets we recommend, they're not set in stone.
Age range | Beginner | Intermediate |
---|---|---|
6 to 11 years old | 15 wpm (75 cpm) 80% accuracy | 25 wpm (125 cpm) 85% accuracy |
12 to 16 years old | 30 wpm (150 cpm) 85% accuracy | 40 wpm (200 cpm) 90% accuracy |
17 years old and over | 45 wpm (225 cpm) 90% accuracy | 55 wpm (275 cpm) 95% accuracy |
The experts generally agree that fluency should be measured on text that a student can read independently with 95% accuracy and a Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) between the 50-75th percentile for the student's grade level.
How well should a 7 year old read?
First and Second Grade (Ages 6–7)
read familiar stories. "sound out" or decode unfamiliar words. use pictures and context to figure out unfamiliar words. use some common punctuation and capitalization in writing.
Educators can assess students' fluency by using grade-level passages that have been controlled for level of difficulty and having students read aloud a new passage for one minute. Accuracy: Notate which words students misread, skipped, or substituted with another word.

Grade | Percentile | Winter WCPM* |
---|---|---|
1 | 90 75 50 25 10 | 97 59 29 16 9 |
2 | 90 75 50 25 10 | 131 109 84 59 35 |
3 | 90 75 50 25 10 | 161 137 97 79 62 |
4 | 90 75 50 25 10 | 168 143 120 95 71 |
Reading fluency is a reader's ability to read quickly and with appropriate expression. Reading rate is part of the broader umbrella of fluency and is measured in words read per minute, while fluency is a bit more subjective. Rate is a key factor in fluency as a whole.
To Meet the “Guided Reading” Benchmark, 1st-grade students should be instructional at Level G (independent F) by January and Level J (independent I) by June.
LEVEL E BOOKS usually have between three and eight lines of print on each page. The stories have more complex ideas and words with endings (such as -ed and -ing). The vocabulary should be familiar to your child and the pictures should illustrate the meaning of the word.
First Grade (ages 6-7): Learns about 100 common words. By mid-first grade, many students can read simple books on their own. They also learn to write the alphabet and sound out words when they're unable to read them on sight.
By the end of the first grade, children should know around 200 sight words – with spellings. The kids will often come across these words in the texts they read or speeches they hear. Creatively incorporating these sight words in different activities can help kids become better readers and writers.
Children in first grade are able to write simple but complete sentences, and they are beginning to understand when to use capital letters, commas, and periods. First graders also begin to use “story language” in their own writing, for example, incorporating phrases such as “once upon a time” and “happily ever after.”
How fast should kids type? As a general rule, keyboarding speeds should be measured as “5 words per minute (wpm) x grade level”. Therefore, a student in third grade should have a goal of at least 15 words per minute.
How many wpm should a 2nd grader have?
The goal for the beginning of 2nd grade is that children can read 50-60 words a minute. By the end of the year, they will build up to reading 90 words a minute.
The average typing speed is around 40 words per minute. To achieve a high level of productivity, aim for 60 to 70 words per minute instead.
Grade Level and Age | Words-Per-Minute |
---|---|
5h Grade (Spring) 10-11 years old | 139 – 194 wpm |
6th-8th Grade (Spring) 11, 12, 13, 14 years old | 150 – 204 wpm |
Highschool 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 years old | 200 – 300 wpm |
College 18-23 years old | 300 – 350 wpm |
In 2nd grade reading, your child should be reading 50 to 60 words a minute at the beginning of the school year and 90 words per minute by the end of the year.
middle — 15-25 WPM; high — 20-35 WPM; college/adult — more than 30 WPM.
The Fastest Typing of the Alphabet in the Boys' 10-12 year old Category is 5.7 Seconds and was completed by Mirza in Abu Dhabi - Abu Dhabi, AE on August 21, 2022.
The average typing speed is around 40 words per minute (wpm). If you want to be very productive, you should aim for a typing speed of 65 to 70 words per minute. It's easy with the right technique!
By the end of the first grade, children should know around 200 sight words – with spellings. The kids will often come across these words in the texts they read or speeches they hear. Creatively incorporating these sight words in different activities can help kids become better readers and writers.
Grade Level and Age | Words-Per-Minute |
---|---|
1st Grade (Spring) 6-7 years old | 53 – 111 wpm |
2nd Grade (Spring) 7-8 years old | 89 – 149 wpm |
3rd Grade (Spring) 8-9 years old | 107 – 162 wpm |
4th Grade (Spring) 9-10 years old | 123 – 180 wpm |
Reading skill: Fluency
Sample IEP Goal: By the end of the school year, the student will read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression at 90 words per minute with 90% accuracy, as measured by teacher records on three consecutive occasions.
What should my child know before 1st grade checklist?
- Understand greater than, less than, lighter than, heavier than, the same as, etc.
- Recognize and write numbers up to 100.
- Count by twos, fives, and 10s to 100.
- Mentally add numbers to 10.
- Add and subtract to 20.
- Add and subtract with pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
- A, about, again, air, all, along, also, another, answer, any, are, around, away.
- Because, been, both.
- Carry, change, come, could.
- Do, does, don't.
- Earth, even, every, eye.
- Father, find, four, from.
- Give, good, great.
- Have, head, here, high.
By first grade, a child should be able to listen to and follow through with simple one- and two-step instructions. He should also be able to ask questions in complete sentences, participate verbally in discussions, and listen to others without constantly interrupting.
While most children have "learned to read" by age seven, they are still building confidence in their fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension skills as they grow into strong readers. Create a playful reading atmosphere at home by encouraging your child's curiosity about books and the world around them.
A first grader should read about 10 minutes a day Monday-Friday. This is a reasonable amount of time. 20-minutes may be too much for a struggling reader. Since reading can be a source of conflict, it's easy to put off long reading sessions day after day…and ultimately never get to them.
First and Second Grade (Ages 6–7)
read familiar stories. "sound out" or decode unfamiliar words. use pictures and context to figure out unfamiliar words. use some common punctuation and capitalization in writing.
The experts generally agree that fluency should be measured on text that a student can read independently with 95% accuracy and a Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) between the 50-75th percentile for the student's grade level.
During reading fluency practice, goal setting typically involves students quantifying a goal, such as “I will read 120 WCPM on my third reading of the passage.” Although goal setting is important, it should be based on accurate information and realistic expectations.
Fluency goals are targeted in speech-language therapy when an individual presents with a fluency disorder. Fluency disorders can include stuttering or cluttering. We briefly explain these disorders and how to write goals appropriate for treatment.
Subtract the number of errors from the total number of words read to find the words correct per minute (WCPM). Divide the words correct per minute (WCPM) by the words per minute (WPM) and multiply this result by 100. This is the student's Accuracy/Reading Rate percentage. Record this number in the box.
What is fluency in elementary reading?
Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. In order to understand what they read, children must be able to read fluently whether they are reading aloud or silently. When reading aloud, fluent readers read in phrases and add intonation appropriately.
The goal for the beginning of 2nd grade is that children can read 50-60 words a minute. By the end of the year, they will build up to reading 90 words a minute.