Fluency
Teaching
Strategies
Modeling fluent reading
Using Literature
Authentic, engaging repeated reading
Supported Reading
Assessing
Fluency |
Fluency is the ability to read accurately, expressively,
and meaningfully at an appropriate rate. Fluent readers can
automatically recognize words in print, so they are able to
devote their attention to the ultimate goal of reading: comprehension.
In this sense, fluency is the bridge between word recognition
and reading comprehension (Rasinksi & Padak, 2004).
Helping students improve fluency is currently a hot topic
across professional development workshops for elementary teachers,
but unfortunately, the emphasis is overly focused on rate.
It is important to remember that fluency is NOT simply the
ability to read words quickly. Students' reading rates (words
per minute) are only one measure of fluent reading. Reading
with expression, or prosody, is part of fluent reading that
is contributes to reading comprehension.
Fluent reading sounds very much like speaking (Stahl & Kuhn,
2002). In everyday conversation we group words into meaningful
phrases, talk faster or slower to create drama or suspense,
and vary the pitch or volume of our voices to convey emotion.
As fluent readers interpret text, they use many of these same
strategies to communicate the meaning of a text. These elements
of prosody may provide a link between fluency and comprehension
(Kuhn & Stahl, 2003).
Why fluency is Important for Struggling Readers
Less proficient readers typically lack fluency (Allington,
1983), which leads to difficulties with reading comprehension
(Rasinski & Padak, 2004). The more mental energy that readers
must spend to decode words, the less they are able to focus
on the meaning of a text. With practice and effective instruction,
however, students can become fluent, expressive, joyful readers.
With increased proficiency in fluent reading, students may
feel that reading gets easier and more fun. |
How can we help
children become fluent readers?
- Model fluent, expressive reading
at every opportunity -- Read all types of text aloud, including
picture books, chapter books,
newspaper
articles, magazines, poetry, songs, jokes, rhymes, riddles,
tongue twisters, and comics
- Give children lots of opportunities
to practice reading with easy text. Short books with dialogue
naturally encourage
children
to read
with expression and phrasing. Provide support and feedback
during oral reading activities.
- Select appropriate, engaging
texts that students can read independently (see Reader-appropriate-texts).
Asking readers
to read text that
is too difficult will focus their attention more
on decoding and make
it hard for them to read expressively and fluently.
- Make
reading fun for all children. Encourage students to read texts
that are enjoyable, interesting, and meaningful
to them.
(See Worthy "A
Matter of Interest.")
- Avoid unpracticed reading
and round-robin oral reading. Oral reading can play
an important, purposeful role
in classroom instruction.
Unrehearsed oral reading, such as round-robin or "popcorn" reading,
can be a source of anxiety, embarrassment, and boredom
for students. Look below for teaching strategies
that promote efficient use of class time and provide
authentic
reasons for
oral reading.
- Always link fluency instruction to
meaning. Avoid making fluency the focus of reading
instruction. Be
sure that
students understand
that fluent reading is an important aspect of reading
that helps them understand and enjoy text.
Resources
 Websites
Assessing Reading Fluency by Timothy V. Rasinski, Ph.D.
http://www.prel.org/products/re_/assessing-fluency.htm
5 Surefire
Strategies for Developing Reading Fluency by Lisa Blau
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachstrat/readingfluencystrategies.htm
Effective
Fluency Instruction
and Progress
Monitoring
PowerPoint
presentation
by The University
of
Texas Center
for Reading
and Language
Arts --
overview
of
fluency
instruction,
supporting
research,
and instructional
strategies
http://readingserver.edb.utexas.edu/downloads/primary/guides/Fluency_Presentation.PDF
Improving
Reading Fluency
In
Young Readers by
BusyTeachersCafe.com
-- Scroll
down the
page
for lots
of helpful
links
related
to instructional
strategies
and resources
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/units/fluency.htm
Articles
Creating
Fluent
Readers by
Timothy
Rasinski. Educational
Leadership,
March 2004.
**Full
Text available
online**
A
bright
student
has no
trouble
decoding
words,
but he
nevertheless
finds
reading
a
different
activity.
The source
of his
reading
difficulty
may
lie
in
that
gray
area between
phonics
and comprehension—in
reading
fluency.
The author
defines
the three
dimensions
of reading
fluency:
word
decoding,
automatic
processing,
and prosodic
reading.
He suggests
some
quick
assessments
that
provide
teachers
with
a method
for tracking
students'
reading
progress
as well
as strategies
for effectively
teaching
reading
fluency.
Fluency
beyond
the
primary grades:
From
group
performance to silent,
independent
reading by
Jo Worthy and Karen
Broaddus.
The
Reading
Teacher,
December
2001,
Vol.
55,
pp.
334-343.
Presents
suggestions
for
incorporating
fluency
practice
in
reading
classes.
Importance
of
fluency
to
comprehension;
Components
of
reading fluency;
Promotion
through
performance.
Books
The
Fluent
Reader:
Oral
Reading
Strategies
for
Building
Word
Recognition,
Fluency,
and
Comprehension by
Timothy
Rasinski (Scholastic,
2003)
Readers
theater
for building
fluency: Strategies
and
scripts for
making the
most of
this highly
effective,
motivating, and
research-based
approach
to oral
reading by
Jo Worthy
(Scholastic,
2005)
Goodbye
Round Robin:
25 Effective
Oral Reading
Strategies by
Michael F.
Opitz and
Timothy V.
Rasinski (Heinemann, 1998)
References
Allington, R. L. (1983). Fluency: The neglected reading
goal. The Reading Teacher, 36, 556-561.
Hoffman, J. V., Baumann,
J. F., & Afflerbach, P. (2000). Balancing
principles for teaching elementary reading. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum.
Caldwell, J. S. & Leslie, L. (2005). Intervention
strategies to follow informal reading inventory assessment: So
what do I do
now? Boston: Pearson.
Kuhn, M. R. & Stahl, S. A. (2003). Fluency:
A review of developmental and remedial practices. Journal
of Educational Psychology, 95, 3-21.
Rasinski, T. V. (2003). The
fluent reader: Oral reading strategies for building word recognition,
fluency, and comprehension. New
York: Scholastic.
Rasinski, T. V. & Padak, N. (2004). Effective reading strategies:
Teaching children who find reading difficult (3rd ed.). Columbus,
OH: Pearson.
Stahl, S. A. & Kuhn, M. R. (2002). Making it
sound like language: Developing fluency. The Reading Teacher,
55, 582-584.
Strickland, D. S., Ganske, K., & Monroe, J.
K. (2002). Supporting struggling readers and writers: Strategies
for classroom intervention
3-6. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Worthy, J. (2005). Readers theater
for building fluency: Strategies and scripts for making the most
of this highly effective, motivating,
and research-based approach to oral reading. New York: Scholastic.
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