What two components does reading comprehension include?

Reading comprehension fundamentally involves the ability to understand and process text, which is often broken down into two key components: fluency and automaticity. Fluency refers to the ability to read text smoothly and accurately, allowing a reader to focus on comprehension rather than on decoding each word individually. Automaticity, on the other hand, is the capacity to recognize words and process language quickly and effortlessly. This seamless recognition enables readers to engage with meaning more effectively.

When a reader achieves high levels of fluency and automaticity, comprehension improves significantly because cognitive resources can be allocated to understanding the text rather than being consumed by word recognition. Thus, fluency and automaticity are essential for facilitating deeper understanding and retention of what is read, establishing them as fundamental components of reading comprehension.