Calculating Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) Fluency Rate
1. While listening to student recording (cold read and/or final read) mark reading errors
on a copy of the reading passage. Errors include omissions, substitutions, and
insertions. If the student corrects an error, it is considered a self-correction and not
included in the total error count.
2. Count the total number of errors and subtract that number from the total number of
words the student read. This is the number of words read correctly (WC). For
example, if a passage has 155 words and the student made 6 errors, the WC would be
155 – 6, or 149.
3. Convert the total time it took the student to read the passage into minutes. To do
this, multiply any whole minutes by 60 then add that number to the number of seconds
in the total time. For example, if a student took 2:35 to read the passage, multiply 2 x
20 (120) and add that number to the additional 35 seconds in the total time. The total
number of minutes would be 120 + 35, or 155 seconds.
4. Divide the number of words read correctly (WC) by the total number of seconds to
get the words correct per second rate. Then multiply that number by 60 seconds to
get the words correct per minute (WCPM) rate.
Sample Using Above Examples:
Passage: 155 words
Errors: 6
WC: 149
Total Time: 2:35
2x60 = 120 seconds + 35 seconds = 155 seconds
WCPM: 149 WC/155 seconds = .96 words correct per second x 60 seconds = 58 WCPM
Calculating Accuracy Fluency Rate
After determining the total number of words read correctly (WC – see above), divide that
number by the total number of words in the passage read. The answer is the accuracy rate
for the student’s reading
Sample Using Above Examples:
Passage: 155 words
Errors: 6
WC: 149
Accuracy Percentage Rate: 149/155 = 96% accuracy