The Connecticut Association for Reading Research (CARR) is deeply concerned regarding H.B. 6620,
evidence-based instruction that focuses on competency in the five areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development and fluency, including oral skills and reading comprehension.
This definition is seriously problematic in that it subordinates comprehension to fluency. Furthermore, fluency is used twice in the definition which suggests it is the paramount objective of reading instruction. As literacy teachers, consultants, professors, and administrators, we know that the overarching goal of reading is the deep comprehension of text.
Fluency is one outcome of good comprehension. But fluency, in and of itself is not comprehension as evidenced by those students identified as word callers who read short assessment passages