Reading fluency encompases the speed, or rate of reading as well as the ability to read materials with expression (Hill, 2006). At the basic level, reading fluency refers to the ability to read text
accurately, quickly, and with good expression so that time can be
allocated to understanding what is real (Meyer and Felton, 1999). Fluency requires a number of things: recognising words automatically, sentence understanding, text navigation and automaticity (http://www.ldonline.org/article/6354/). These strategies combined lead to reading comprehension.
If children read slowly, taking long pauses, paying little attention to syntax and punctuation, they tend to have difficulty understanding what they've read and creating understanding. The words stand alone with only their singular meaning, lacking their meaning as a chunk.
Improving fluency comes down to practice.
In order to read fluently, students must learn:
how to decode words (in isolation and in connected text),
how to automatically recognise words accurately and with little attention and effort and,
how to increase speed of rating while maintaing accuracy.
For students to develop these skills, there are a number of things teachers must provide for students:
opportunities for guided oral repeated reading that includes support and feedback from teachers, peers and parents,
reading materials and instruction that are specific to indoividual students, and
systematic classroom based instructional assessment to monitor student progress in both speed and accuracy.
(Information taken from meadowscentre.org)
So how can teachers provide these kind of opportunities for their students? As mentioned above, practice is the greatest way for students to achieve success with fluency. A number of activities are suitable for improving fluency. They include partner reading, reader's theatre, choral reading and chunking. Remember that as stand alone activities, they may not help students achieve a higher level of fluency. In order to achieve maximum results, these activities must be combined with appropriate reading materials (materials that are at a suitable level for the student and materials that are interesting and meaningful to the student), instruction and modeling from the teacher and time to practice.
Links to activity ideas are listed below:
Partner reading:
Reading Rockets- Paired reading strategies
Paired or partner reading is a strategy designed to improve fluency. Readers are paired together (low level readers with high level readers, or same level readers paired together) and read aloud to one another using a familiar text or one that they have already read. Students read together from the one text, providing help and encouragement. This activity is not limited to English subject areas, texts can be from any key learning area (KLA).
Reader's theatre:
Reader's Theatre Scripts and Plays
Reader's theatre allows students the chance to read from a script. However, lines are not memorised, no props or costumes are needed, reader's theatre simply provides the opportunity for students to read aloud a section of a script with the focus being on expression and fluency. When conducting reader's theatre, it is important that scripts and roles are given to student's with ample time for them to read their lines and practise reading with expression and fluency. This activity would be particularly good in a history class, how much more engaging would learning about Troy be, if students had the chance to recieve information in a new and exciting way?!
Choral reading:
ReadWriteThink- Choral Reading
Choral reading is when students read from the one piece of text aloud together as a group. The teacher begins by reading the piece aloud first, while students follow along. Then the piece of read again, in unison. From here, the teacher can ask different students, or groups to read certain lines, stanzas or paragraphs. This activity achieves the best results when the chosen text features vivid language, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and/or rhyming words. This activity could be useful to use with poetry, maths (reading procedures), science (remembering key words and ideas) or social studies ( reading through dates, lists of key people etc).
Chunking:
Chunking
Chunking is the process of breaking large pieces of text into smaller, more manageable 'chunks'. This process prevents word by word reading, which greatly impairs comprehension and fluency. Students may find reading a large piece of text less daunting when using chunking as it breaks large pieces of text into smaller pieces. This activity can be used across any KLA and for any type of text.
"Repeated reading procedures that offer guidance and feedback are
effective for improving word recognition, fluency, comprehension and
overall reading achievement through grade 5" (National Reading Panel,
2000).
Importantly, teachers must be aware that for students to progess with their levels of fluency, classrooms must be supportive and encouraging. Students must feel safe to take risks with their reading.
For students to progress with their level of fluency they must be provided with opportunities for guided oral reading with appropriate feedback, matched reading appropriate level materials and instruction and classroom based assessment and monitoring.
When students feel successful and have developed and maintained a high level of fluency, their comprehension of texts will increase.
If children read slowly, taking long pauses, paying little attention to syntax and punctuation, they tend to have difficulty understanding what they've read and creating understanding. The words stand alone with only their singular meaning, lacking their meaning as a chunk.
 |
| Image from http://www.rainbowreaders.com/carols-research/reading-buddy-program. This is a great website for helping struggling readers reach success. |
In order to read fluently, students must learn:
how to decode words (in isolation and in connected text),
how to automatically recognise words accurately and with little attention and effort and,
how to increase speed of rating while maintaing accuracy.
For students to develop these skills, there are a number of things teachers must provide for students:
opportunities for guided oral repeated reading that includes support and feedback from teachers, peers and parents,
reading materials and instruction that are specific to indoividual students, and
systematic classroom based instructional assessment to monitor student progress in both speed and accuracy.
(Information taken from meadowscentre.org)
So how can teachers provide these kind of opportunities for their students? As mentioned above, practice is the greatest way for students to achieve success with fluency. A number of activities are suitable for improving fluency. They include partner reading, reader's theatre, choral reading and chunking. Remember that as stand alone activities, they may not help students achieve a higher level of fluency. In order to achieve maximum results, these activities must be combined with appropriate reading materials (materials that are at a suitable level for the student and materials that are interesting and meaningful to the student), instruction and modeling from the teacher and time to practice.
Links to activity ideas are listed below:
Partner reading:
Reading Rockets- Paired reading strategies
Paired or partner reading is a strategy designed to improve fluency. Readers are paired together (low level readers with high level readers, or same level readers paired together) and read aloud to one another using a familiar text or one that they have already read. Students read together from the one text, providing help and encouragement. This activity is not limited to English subject areas, texts can be from any key learning area (KLA).
Reader's theatre:
Reader's Theatre Scripts and Plays
Reader's theatre allows students the chance to read from a script. However, lines are not memorised, no props or costumes are needed, reader's theatre simply provides the opportunity for students to read aloud a section of a script with the focus being on expression and fluency. When conducting reader's theatre, it is important that scripts and roles are given to student's with ample time for them to read their lines and practise reading with expression and fluency. This activity would be particularly good in a history class, how much more engaging would learning about Troy be, if students had the chance to recieve information in a new and exciting way?!
Choral reading:
ReadWriteThink- Choral Reading
Choral reading is when students read from the one piece of text aloud together as a group. The teacher begins by reading the piece aloud first, while students follow along. Then the piece of read again, in unison. From here, the teacher can ask different students, or groups to read certain lines, stanzas or paragraphs. This activity achieves the best results when the chosen text features vivid language, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and/or rhyming words. This activity could be useful to use with poetry, maths (reading procedures), science (remembering key words and ideas) or social studies ( reading through dates, lists of key people etc).
Chunking:
Chunking
Chunking is the process of breaking large pieces of text into smaller, more manageable 'chunks'. This process prevents word by word reading, which greatly impairs comprehension and fluency. Students may find reading a large piece of text less daunting when using chunking as it breaks large pieces of text into smaller pieces. This activity can be used across any KLA and for any type of text.
 | |
| Image thanks to Pioneer Drama Centre. These students are performing as a group as part of reader's theatre. They have chosen to use some face paint and decorated t-shirts. This may be useful later in the piece, in assisting students to really bring out their character's voice. |
Importantly, teachers must be aware that for students to progess with their levels of fluency, classrooms must be supportive and encouraging. Students must feel safe to take risks with their reading.
For students to progress with their level of fluency they must be provided with opportunities for guided oral reading with appropriate feedback, matched reading appropriate level materials and instruction and classroom based assessment and monitoring.
When students feel successful and have developed and maintained a high level of fluency, their comprehension of texts will increase.
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