What's the Hurry? Fluency in the Classroom

In Precision Teaching, frequent measurements taken with curriculum-based instruments are summarized to illustrate trends in student learning. One of the basic elements of Precision Teaching is the use of rate data (number of responses per minute) to illustrate the fluency of a student's work. (Fluency may also be indicated by latency, the time between task presentation and the beginning of work; and duration, the time required to finish the task.) The use of rate data offers certain advantages and disadvantages that must be understood if teachers are to make good use of the technique.