Proficient readers use and engage with a variety of texts, including books, online articles and social media. They can find information, understand the literal and the implied meaning, and reflect critically on content and form. But before students can become proficient readers, they must become fluent readers. In every language, once students read fluently, they can devote their effort and attention to higher-level comprehension tasks and engage more deeply with texts. This policy brief examines what we can learn from the results of the assessment of students' reading fluency within the 2018 PISA test, and its importance for teachers.