ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN READING FLUENCY AND READING COMPREHENSION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN UZBEKISTAN (BASED ON EGRA-2021, PIRLS-2021 AND PISA-2022 DATA)

The article analyses published results of the 2021 Early Grade Reading Assessment in Uzbekistan together with PIRLS-2021 and PISA-2022 data as a single trajectory. The technical foundation of reading proved strong, whereas comprehension scores mainly reflect literal understanding and decline as texts become longer. A rural–urban dissociation between fluency and comprehension is examined. The findings are interpreted through the “transparency paradox” and the “fluency threshold” hypothesis, and implications for primary reading methodology are proposed.