Which term is defined as the ability to read accurately, quickly, with good prosody, and effective comprehension?

• A. Fluency
• B. Phonemic awareness
• C. Reading Fluency
• D. Decoding

Answer: (C)

Reading Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly, with natural expression, and with understanding. When a reader is fluent, decoding happens almost automatically, so attention can shift to the meaning of the text rather than sounding out every word. Prosody, or the expressive tone and phrasing, helps convey punctuation and sentence structure, which further supports comprehension. In short, fluency combines accuracy, rate, and expression in a way that makes meaning easier to grasp. The other terms describe parts of the process—like recognizing sounds in words or turning letters into sounds—whereas fluency specifically ties those skills together to support understanding.