What is fluency?
Fluency is the ability
to read, speak, or write easily, smoothly
and with expression. In reading,
fluency skills are the ability to see the
"big picture" rather than
reading word for word.
Reading fluency is often
associated with smooth and
Fluent readers can
immediately recognize text or frequent clusters of letters. They have a
good site word vocabulary and can see phrases as whole thoughts and not
If a reader struggles over these common letter patterns,
their reading becomes choppy. Students lose the ability to
comprehend when they are struggling over words. Their energy and
focus is often spent on just figuring out the word and not understanding
the text in front of them. To help these children, we must identify why
they are having difficulty decoding words. Interventions need to be
included in their daily instruction.
Fluent readers read aloud
almost effortlessly and with varied expressions. They sound natural and
unrehearsed. Fluent readers are reading and comprehending simultaneously.
Fluency develops over time
with practice. Young readers inevitably will sound choppy as they
are just beginning to understand how language works and how to break the
text into natural sounding chunks. With time and many opportunities
to practice reading, young readers develop these skills. Young readers
also need to hear stories being read aloud. Modeling fluent reading
is something children of all ages can benefit from. Teachers often set
aside time each day to read aloud to their class. Sadly, many parents drop
the nightly bedtime stories once their children can read independently.
Parents need to continue reading aloud to their children throughout their
Fluency is not a stage of development at which readers can read all
words quickly and easily. It is important to remember that fluency can
change as readers reader different materials. Science and Technology
textbooks often contain large words that even good readers have to stop
and think about. Reading may slow down as the reader struggles with
these big words. This is normal. It is important to look at what a child
is reading when assessing their fluency.
|Students need to participate
in repetitive readings of the same
materials- teacher reads, students read with a partner, choral
readings of the same passages...
tape record their oral reading, listen
to it, evaluate and then repeat.
and silent reading practice of at least 20 minutes!
||Read to a buddy- A position that worked well
for me in the past was Shoulder-to-Shoulder. One student sits facing
one direction and the other student faces the other direction. They
sit shoulder to shoulder (ear to ear).
read aloud to a parent, sibling, a
relative, the dog, anyone who will listen!
a passage with expression and fluency
to the child and then ask them to read it (Echo Reading). Some
children need to hear fluent reading first before attempting to
model it themselves.
the same passage several times aloud prior to
reading it to the class. I used to send home passages on Friday's
for the next week's story. Students were required to read it several
times out loud in private and then several times to a parent.
Parents were required to date and sign the passage every time the
children read aloud to them. When we read the story aloud in class
the next week, the students' anxiety about reading aloud were
greatly reduced. They had many opportunities to practice reading
fluently in the privacy of their own home and their reading in class
had improved dramatically. My students (and their parents) really
appreciated this extra practice.
||Choral reading- everyone reads together with the
teacher leading them in fluent reading. As the children progress,
the teacher can back off a little and let the children lead.
metronome to help choppy readers develop a
nice pace to their reading
reading a short passage. Record how
many words they can read in one minute. Different reading
series/assessments may vary in the number of correct words read per
minute but a guideline* would be
1st Grade- 20-40 correct words
2nd Grade- 70-90 correct words
3-5th Grades-100-135 correct words
6th Grade- 135-155 correct words
*These numbers are approximate and it is suggested they be reached by the end of
the school year.
at home as part of their weekly homework. Silent reading DOES
increase fluency, but it has to be done daily. The more children
read the more automatic it becomes.
||Invite students to
participate in READERS THEATER-
students read from a script. Props and costumes a few if any.
Children focus on their reading not the props.
has a great site of plays.
SPEED + ACCURACY= FLUENCY
Fluency = Increased Comprehension