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Words Correct Per Minute

Oral Reading Fluency Norms by Grade

Percentile norms for grades 1 to 6 in words correct per minute (WCPM), for the fall, winter, and spring, from Hasbrouck & Tindal (2017).

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Words correct per minute by grade: quick answer

The typical (50th percentile) WCPM score for each grade and season. Below this table you will find the full percentile tables for each grade.

Grade FallWinterSpring
Grade 1 –2960
Grade 2 5084100
Grade 3 8397112
Grade 4 94120133
Grade 5 121133146
Grade 6 132145146
Grade 7 (2006) 128136150
Grade 8 (2006) 133146151

Grades 1 to 6: Hasbrouck & Tindal (2017). Grades 7 and 8 are not in the 2017 update, so their values come from the 2006 norms. A student reading ten or more WCPM below these numbers may need fluency support.

How to use these norms

  1. Score the student's reading as words correct per minute with the WCPM Calculator.
  2. Find the student's grade and the current season (fall, winter, or spring) in the tables below.
  3. See which percentile row the score reaches. A score at or above the 50th percentile is at or above the typical student; a score between the 25th and 75th percentiles is in the typical range.

Or let the Reading Age Estimator do the lookup and show the percentile for you.

The norms describe how students scored; they are not a pass-fail line. Hasbrouck and Tindal's earlier guidance (2006) suggests that a student reading ten or more words correct per minute below the 50th percentile may benefit from a fluency-building program. Use norms together with accuracy, expression, and comprehension, not on their own.

2017 ORF norms by grade, percentile, and season

Words correct per minute (WCPM). The 50th percentile is the typical score; 25th to 75th is the typical range.

Grade 1 oral reading fluency norms

Percentile FallWinterSpring
90th –97116
75th –5991
50th –2960
25th –1634
10th –918

Grade 2 oral reading fluency norms

Percentile FallWinterSpring
90th 111131148
75th 84109124
50th 5084100
25th 365972
10th 233543

Grade 3 oral reading fluency norms

Percentile FallWinterSpring
90th 134161166
75th 104137139
50th 8397112
25th 597991
10th 406263

Grade 4 oral reading fluency norms

Percentile FallWinterSpring
90th 153168184
75th 125143160
50th 94120133
25th 7595105
10th 607183

Grade 5 oral reading fluency norms

Percentile FallWinterSpring
90th 179183195
75th 153160169
50th 121133146
25th 87109119
10th 6484102

Grade 6 oral reading fluency norms

Percentile FallWinterSpring
90th 185195204
75th 159166173
50th 132145146
25th 112116122
10th 899191

Source: Hasbrouck, J., & Tindal, G. (2017). An update to compiled ORF norms (Technical Report No. 1702). Eugene, OR: Behavioral Research and Teaching, University of Oregon, Table 4. The table covers grades 1 to 6; first grade has no fall norms (shown as –). For grades 7 and 8, the Reading Age Estimator uses the earlier 2006 norms.

What changed from the 2006 norms?

Hasbrouck and Tindal first published compiled ORF norms in 2006 and updated them in 2017, using newer data from DIBELS 6th Edition, DIBELS Next, and easyCBM. The updated numbers are not the same as the older ones. For example, the 50th percentile for 3rd grade in the fall is 83 WCPM in 2017, compared with 71 in the 2006 norms.

If you use the older table, make sure you and your school are comparing students with the same edition each time, and note which edition you used when you share scores.

ORF norms FAQ

What are oral reading fluency norms? expand_more
Oral reading fluency (ORF) norms show how many words correct per minute (WCPM) students at each percentile read in the fall, winter, and spring of each grade. Comparing a student's WCPM score with the norms for their grade and season tells you whether the score is typical, well above, or well below what other students achieve.
What is a good WCPM score for a 3rd grader? expand_more
In the 2017 norms, the 50th percentile for 3rd grade is 83 WCPM in the fall, 97 in the winter, and 112 in the spring. The typical range, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, is 59 to 104 in the fall, 79 to 137 in the winter, and 91 to 139 in the spring.
What is a good WCPM score for a 2nd grader? expand_more
In the 2017 norms, the 50th percentile for 2nd grade is 50 WCPM in the fall, 84 in the winter, and 100 in the spring. The typical range, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, is 36 to 84 in the fall, 59 to 109 in the winter, and 72 to 124 in the spring.
What is a good WCPM score for a 4th grader? expand_more
In the 2017 norms, the 50th percentile for 4th grade is 94 WCPM in the fall, 120 in the winter, and 133 in the spring. The typical range, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, is 75 to 125 in the fall, 95 to 143 in the winter, and 105 to 160 in the spring.
Why does 1st grade have no fall norms? expand_more
The 2017 table starts first grade in the winter. Most first graders are only beginning to read connected text at the start of the school year, so there are no fall norms for that grade.
Do the 2017 norms cover grades 7 and 8? expand_more
No. The 2017 update covers grades 1 to 6. The Reading Age Estimator on this site still includes grades 7 and 8, using the earlier 2006 Hasbrouck & Tindal norms, and marks those rows with (2006).
How were the 2017 norms created? expand_more
Hasbrouck and Tindal compiled them from three assessments: DIBELS 6th Edition (2009-2010 data), DIBELS Next (2010-2011 data), and easyCBM (2013-2014 data). The assessment-specific norms were averaged to produce one compiled set.
How often should I compare a student with the norms? expand_more
Most schools compare students with the norms three times a year, in the fall, winter, and spring. Students who receive reading intervention are often checked more often, and their own progress over time matters as much as their rank on the norms.