Fluency

WHAT IT IS:

Fluent readers read accurately in a phrased, smooth manner, attending to meaning in silent and oral reading.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO TEACH:

It allows the proficient reader to focus on the meaning of the text and decoding unknown words.

• Provide many opportunities for children to reread familiar text. Set up book boxes of familiar texts so children can reread their favorite stories independently. Encourage students to read in pairs, sharing their favorite stories. Prepare a story to read to a younger child.
• Stage plays in the classroom. Instead of expecting children to memorize their lines, emphasize the importance of reading fluently. Children will need to reread their parts many times to prepare for Reader's Theater.
• Do choral reading of poetry charts. Such reading provides support for the student who is unsure and provides student modeling of fluent reading.
• Use pocket chart poems/stories to teach about phrasing. Arrange poems/stories in phrases to model for students how to read fluently.
• When rereading a teacher write-to, model the importance of "reading the punctuation".
• Talk about how the different punctuation affects how we read a passage.
• Tape record stories and have children read along with the tape.
• Model fluent reading during read aloud times. Read with expression, meaningful pauses and changes in the pitch and intonation of your voice. Students need frequent opportunities to see and hear fluent reading.
• Provide direct instruction and feedback. Prior to reading aloud, remind the class to listen to the expression in your voice, the speed at which the text is read, or when stops and pauses occur. Talk about their observations and yours following the reading. Provide feedback to students when they are working on fluency. Comment on what sounded fluent or what they did to be a fluent reader.