Which statement accurately describes what ORF measures?

• A. Reading speed
• B. Words correct per minute
• C. Comprehension only
• D. Fluency with punctuation

Answer: (B)

ORF measures how fluently a student reads aloud by combining speed and accuracy into a single score: the number of words read correctly in one minute. In practice, a passage is read aloud for a minute, and the number of words read correctly is counted to produce words correct per minute. This captures fluency, which depends on both decoding quickly and saying words accurately enough to maintain smooth reading, supporting comprehension.

Other statements miss the mark because reading speed alone ignores errors, so a fast reader who mispronounces many words wouldn’t be truly fluent. Comprehension on its own is a separate outcome and isn’t what ORF directly measures. Fluency with punctuation isn’t the standard metric either; punctuation affects phrasing but the key measure is how many words are read correctly per minute.