For many typically developing readers, fluency develops effortlessly. Once the letter sounds are mastered, decoding rules are learned and good foundation of sight word knowledge is established, a child is able to read with speed, accuracy and expression. But for struggling readers, fluency is another major hurdle on their path to becoming proficient readers.
Before we discuss how to build fluent readers, it is important to ask the questions- What is reading fluency? According to the National Reading Panel's 2000 report, "Fluent readers are able to read orally with speed, accuracy and proper expression." Unfortunately, over the past few years many educators and reading coaches have equated fluency with speed. In other words, these professionals have defined fluency as "reading fast". When children read too fast without proper tone and expression, they do not comprehend what they read and the ultimate goal of reading is comprehension. Therefore intervention to build fluent readers should target all three aspects of fluency : appropriate rate, accuracy, and expression.
Here are 4 evidence based methods to build fluent readers:
- Repeated Reading - First choose a passage that is easily decodable and scan the passage to identify any words that you think will be hard for the child to read. Next, explain or decode the word out of the context of the passage. Then read the story aloud to the child and have him/her follow along in the text. After you finish reading the passage, have the child read the passage aloud 4-5 times until the text is fluent.
- Echo Reading - choose a passage that is easily decodable. First read aloud a line and text and then ask the child to read the same line. Continue taking turns reading and rereading the same lines from the passage.
- Readers Theater - this is a dramatic representation of a written text in the form of a script. This strategy would be used with a group of students where each child would be assigned a reading part from a script. The students do not need props, costumes or special lighting and will simply read their part in the script with appropriate rate and expression. Here is a link for some free readers theater scripts: http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm
- Contrastive Stress - A wonderful way to practice varying expression and tone, is to do an activity that shows the child how a change in stress can change the meaning of a sentence. Here are the steps: First, present the child with a sentence and ask questions about it. The child should use the sentence he/she is given to answer the question but should change the word he/she stresses, depending on the question.
Phrase for student Parent stress question Student stress reply
Tom is sleeping. Is Jim sleeping? Tom is sleeping.
Is Tom swimming? Tom is sleeping.
