In teaching, what does 'fluency' refer to?

Fluency in teaching, particularly in the context of skill acquisition, refers to the ability to perform a task with both accuracy and speed. This concept emphasizes that a learner should not only be able to correctly execute a skill but also do so in a timely manner. When students achieve fluency, they can respond swiftly and accurately, which enhances their overall proficiency and effectiveness in various tasks.

Fluency is particularly important as it indicates a level of mastery where the skill can be performed more effortlessly, allowing for better focus on higher-level cognitive processes or other complex aspects of a task. For example, a fluent reader can quickly decode words while maintaining comprehension, illustrating how fluency aids overall performance.

Other options might involve aspects of skill execution or related attitudes; however, they do not capture the essence of fluency, which is fundamentally about the balance between speed and accuracy in response.