72. Ms. Beck, a second-grade teacher, is designing reading lessons for her students. Before she implements the following mastery skills is Ms. Beck primarily looking for when assessing fluency?

Answer: A

Explanation:

Ms. Beck is primarily looking for that the students can read with automaticity and retell the events in the text.

In assessing fluency, Ms. Beck is focused on ensuring that her students can read text smoothly and automatically, which is a critical component of reading fluency. Additionally, the ability to retell events demonstrates comprehension, showing that students not only read the text but also understand its content.

A) That the students can read with automaticity and retell the events in the text

This option is correct as it directly addresses the key aspects of reading fluency. Automaticity in reading allows students to read quickly and accurately, while retelling events indicates their understanding of the material, both of which are essential for developing reading proficiency.

B) That the students can correctly describe the illustrations in the text

This option is incorrect because describing illustrations does not directly assess reading fluency. While understanding illustrations can aid comprehension, it does not measure how well students can read text fluently or their ability to process the narrative.

C) That the students can transcribe complete sentences from the text

This option is not aligned with fluency assessment as transcribing complete sentences emphasizes writing skills rather than reading fluency. Fluency focuses on the ability to read smoothly and comprehend the text, rather than the ability to write or transcribe it.

D) That the students can correctly spell the new vocabulary words in the text

This option is also incorrect as spelling new vocabulary words is related to writing and vocabulary acquisition, not reading fluency. Fluency encompasses reading speed and comprehension, which are not assessed by spelling abilities.

Conclusion

Option A is definitively the correct answer because it encapsulates both the speed of reading (automaticity) and understanding of the text (retelling events), which are vital components of fluency. The other options focus on unrelated skills such as describing illustrations, transcribing, and spelling, which do not directly measure a student's reading fluency.