Which term describes how a student reads in phrases or whole thoughts?

The term that best describes how a student reads in phrases or whole thoughts is fluency. Fluency in reading encompasses the ability to read text smoothly, accurately, and with appropriate expression. It involves not just the speed of reading but also the ability to group words into meaningful phrases and ideas, which leads to better comprehension. Fluent readers can focus on understanding the text as a whole rather than getting bogged down by decoding individual words.

Phrasing, while an important aspect of fluent reading, specifically refers to how groups of words are chunked together, rather than the broader concept of fluency that includes speed and expression. Cadence relates more to the rhythm of speech rather than the overall proficiency in reading, and articulation pertains to the clarity of speech sounds, which is not a direct measure of reading ability in the context of phrases or thoughts. Thus, fluency encapsulates the full breadth of reading competence that includes reading in phrases and understanding overall meaning in context.