Fostering Fluent Reading
- Ashley Daugherty
- Sep 15, 2020
- 3 min read
As your child moves on from foundational reading, you might start hearing the word “fluency” more and more from their teachers. This is because once children learn to decode words properly and phonetically, they are able to start reading more fluently.
Reading fluency was defined by the National Reading Panel (2000) as reading with “speed, accuracy, and proper expression.” Readers are taught in school to recognize words and punctuation automatically so that they can read with prosody, or having natural stress and intonation.
However, Reading fluency doesn’t just mean reading with expression. It involves many different components. We are used to telling children “Don’t read like a robot!” But how do we teach them to not to do this? We can do this by modeling what good reading looks like! Read alouds and shared reading techniques are used in school, but can also be done at home!
Read Aloud: When only you are reading aloud and modeling good reading!
Shared Reading: When both you and your child(ren) read a book together out loud.
How do I model good reading?
1. Make sure to pause at commas, and ending punctuation.
2. Teach how to “scoop” up words in longer phrases. This can include high frequency words that they should know automatically without having to decode.
3. Read with expression! Don’t be afraid to be silly! Those kiddos eat that up and will try to do the same when it’s their turn to read aloud!
Before we move on to activities that can help with reading fluency, we need to talk about reading levels. Teaching good reading fluency can only work if students are working at their independent reading level. You can talk with your teacher about what level your child is on or I can help! You can always message me for more information.
Reading Levels:
Independent Level: Children can read the text without any assistance! This is a great level at which to practice reading fluency.
Instructional Level: Children receive some reading instruction and guidance. This is considered a challenging level that should stimulate reading growth!
Frustration Level: Children are not able to read the text adequately and tend to get frustrated easily.
Activities to foster reading fluency:
1. Reader’s Theater
Reading with friends should be fun! When children read together, they get to play around with how they read. However, this should only be done in a low-pressured environment where children feel comfortable reading with others! What is reader’s theater? It is simply reading a play script! This is one of our favorite activities in the classroom- all the way up to 5th grade and beyond! Reading from a script relieves the pressure of having to read out loud because they are able to practice their lines again and again! Need an idea for your child’s next play date? Download some play scripts for them to read and act out! I’ll link some below.
2. Reread their favorite books
When students read a book that they have already read, it is giving them a chance to read for decoding and fluency instead of comprehension. They should already know the plot and what is happening with the characters, so now they can focus on paying attention to the punctuation and phrasing of the sentences. Also if they already know how the characters in the book are feeling, they can practice reading with expression to match.
3. Record their reading
When students are able to hear themselves reading aloud, they are better able to understand what they need to work on to make their reading more fluent. I mean, athletes watch their own film, why not readers?! However, remember to teach them patience. Hearing their mistakes could lead to frustrations. Tell them that just like we practice our favorite hobby or sport to get better, we can practice reading in the same way!
Once readers are able to read more fluently, they are able to comprehend what they are reading much easier. Fluency bridges the gap between recognition and comprehension, or the ability to decode and comprehend at the same time. So don’t delay! Check to see if your child is a fluent reader. What will you read with them today?
Happy learning!
Ashley
Reader's Theater Resources:
Teacher Pay Teachers has tons of scripts that you can purchase!
Reading A to Z: You can sign up for a free trial and find reader's theaters scripts (by grade level) to download!
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