FLUENCY

Kids need to read fluently

Fluency has a reciprocal relationship with comprehension,

each fosters the other.

Fluency

• Definition: the ability to read accurately, quickly, effortlessly, and with appropriate expression and meaning. It also refers to silent reading.

AND• Efficient, effective word recognition skills that

permit a reader to construct the meaning of text.

Fluently read but cannot understand the text?

• Fast for fast sake: If you don’t understand what you are reading if doesn’t matter how quickly and smoothly you get through the text.

Struggling and reluctant readers read to get to the finish line.

How?

• Repeated rereading; once to decode, twice to understand, three times for fluency

• Don’t constantly interrupt readers when they are reading orally – as a result they learn to concentrate on the word level

• Allow students to prepare for oral reading by reading and rereading independently before a “public” reading

• Match students to text• One on one tutoring assists reading fluency• Use the PPPP method – Preview, Pause,

Prompt, Praise

PPPP method

• Preview Title and front cover to predict• Pause As the learner reads and hesitates, pause before

intervening. Give them a little time 2 – 5 seconds • Prompt If they cannot resolve the problem suggest “Let’s

read that again and allow them to reread. If they still don’t know the word, tell them.

Lastly…..

• Praise If they work it out, praise them and move on

More ideas….• Peer tutoring• Reader’s Theatre• Choral reading – whole class reads an enlarged

text at the same time• Oprah – learner is a character and teacher (and

audience) asks questions• Echo reading – teacher reads, then students read• Teacher modelling - students listen as teacher

demonstrates intonation, phrasing, pausing, whispering, etc to emphasis meaning

What about….

round robin reading?

Reading RatesGrade level Expected words pm Grade level Expected words pm

Grade 1 60- 90 Grade 7 215 -245

Grade 2 85- 120 Grade 8 235 - 270

Grade 3 115 - 140 Grade 9 250 - 270

Grade 4 140 - 170 Grade 10 250 - 270

Grade 5 170 - 195 Grade 11 250 - 270

Grade 6 195 - 220 Grade 12 250 - 300

Finally, • English language awareness and knowledge: Some

students, including non English background learners, need more teaching and guidance to build graphophonic foundations, phonological awareness, letter familiarity, phonics, and high frequency vocabulary.

• World knowledge: developing their prior knowledge through extensive reading of high quality information rich texts. Some learners do not automatically relate new information to their prior knowledge and they need to be taught to do this.