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If your child struggles with reading fluency\u2014and listening to him read aloud is a painful experience\u2014then this article is for you!<\/p>\r\n\r\n
We\u2019ve all heard kids who read aloud with a choppy, almost robotic tone. It\u2019s hard to grasp the meaning of what they\u2019re reading. They may read too fast<\/a>, or they may read too slowly and laboriously.<\/p>\r\n\r\n On the other hand, when someone reads aloud with fluency, it\u2019s easy to understand what they are reading, and it\u2019s a delight to listen to them. Fluent readers add emphasis to certain words and convey meaning with their expression.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Fluency is the ability to read with accuracy, proper speed<\/a>, and meaningful expression<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n \r\n Fluency is also a significant indicator of reading comprehension<\/a>. When children can read fluently, it means that instead of using brain power for decoding<\/a>, they can turn their attention to the meaning of the text.<\/p>\r\n \r\n And it gets even better. When students reach higher levels of fluency, they\u2019re able to tap into metacognitive strategies. This means that they can visualize<\/span>, question<\/span>, and interpret<\/span> what they are reading, and they can think about their own feelings and opinions<\/span> while reading text. This is the highest level of reading comprehension.<\/p>\r\n \r\n Obviously, fluency is highly desirable. So let\u2019s talk about how we can get your child to this point.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Don\u2019t even start working on fluency until your child can decode all the words in the text.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n Does\u00a0your child stumble over words? Substitute words? Need to sound out multiple words on the page? These are all signs that you need to work on decoding first; otherwise, you will both be frustrated<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n In All About Reading<\/a><\/cite>, we give a lot of attention to decoding before we expect fluency.<\/p>\r\n By this point, students have significantly expanded their sight word vocabulary<\/a>, and they have reached the point of automaticity<\/a> for most of the words in the story.<\/p>\r\n\r\n THEN\u2014and only then\u2014we work on fluency skills.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n Does your child understand the meaning of all the words he\u2019s reading?<\/p>\r\n\r\n If not, fluency will be an uphill battle for both of you. Even if he can decode the words properly, when he runs into a word he doesn\u2019t understand, he will be unable to read smoothly and with expression.<\/p> \r\n\r\nHave you<\/span> ever tried to read a book on a topic you were unfamiliar with? As you encountered words you didn\u2019t know or understand, your fluency probably faltered. And quite likely, by the time you reached the end of a sentence, you had probably forgotten what the first part of the sentence even said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n That\u2019s why we make sure students understand all the words in the short stories in our reading program<\/a>\u00a0without<\/span>\u00a0dumbing down the stories with simplistic words. On the contrary,\u00a0we purposely introduce words that are very likely new to the reader. We use interesting, mind-expanding geographic locations, as well as a large variety of historical settings and nationalities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But we don\u2019t leave readers stranded with no hope of\u00a0understanding what they are reading.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Instead, we have short attention-grabbing discussions before each story is read. We highlight new vocabulary words through illustrations, and take what the student already knows and use that as a \u201chook\u201d for the new vocabulary words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n With this method, the student is mentally prepared when he encounters the word again in the short stories. He can read the word smoothly because he knows how it should be pronounced, and he can continue visualizing the storyline in his mind because he isn\u2019t wrestling with the meaning.<\/p>\r\n\r\n When it comes to fluent reading, it's easy to see why it's a big help to have a good vocabulary<\/a> that is relative to what your child is reading about.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Another important factor in the development of fluency is the need for fluency role models. When your child hears fluent reading, it will be easier for him to mimic it and then eventually make it his own.<\/p>\r\n\r\n When you read aloud to your child, you\u2019re setting an example. Your child is mentally absorbing your tone, your speed, and your inflections. That\u2019s one of the reasons we encourage you to read aloud to your child for at least 20 minutes every day<\/a>. Your child will become familiar with how a reader\u2019s voice helps written text make sense.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Audiobooks are another fantastic resource for providing role models, not to mention they help you give your voice a rest! Here are some current favorites, to get you started.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Another thing that happens when your child hears books read aloud is that he learns \u201cphrasing.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n Consider this sentence:<\/p>\r\n\r\n This sentence would be really boring to listen to if each word were spoken with even pacing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Fluent readers naturally group phrases, like this:<\/p>\r\n\r\n They automatically divide text into meaningful chunks, which\u00a0is called phrasing<\/span><\/em>. Children who have good phrasing intuitively know when to pause.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But what if your child doesn\u2019t know how to do this yet? How can you teach phrasing?<\/p>\r\n\r\n To help your child get the hang of it, you can use a pencil to \u201cswoop\u201d under each phrase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Phrasing usually occurs with prepositional phrases, but honestly, your own intuition will serve you well as you mark the page. Think of how you would read the text; there are no absolutely correct answers here, especially as you get into more advanced text.<\/p>\r\n\r\n If you use All About Reading<\/cite>, you'll see that our Level 1 readers<\/a> and Practice Sheets<\/a> from Levels 1-4 are designed with intentional line breaks to help your child learn and understand phrasing. Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\r\n\r\n The pages are formatted to allow beginning readers to read more smoothly and comprehend the text more easily. The line breaks promote natural phrasing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n After years of listening to read-alouds, your child is probably familiar with how to interpret dialogue\u2014reading text the way someone would say it. But it can still take some practice for novice readers to get the hang of adding expression to their own voices.<\/p>\r\n\r\n One way to encourage good expression is to model it with buddy reading<\/a>. There are several forms of buddy reading, but for encouraging expression, it is most helpful if you read a page and then have your student read the same page after you. Demonstrate how to pay attention to punctuation, and how to emphasize important words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Another great way to practice expressive reading<\/a> is with an activity like this one<\/a> from All About Reading<\/cite>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n In \"Round Up the Sheep,\" your child will discover that the same words can take on a completely different meaning when you say them with different expression. As you can see, encouraging expression and increasing fluency doesn't have to be boring!<\/p>\r\n\r\n This idea is probably clear from the previous sections, but it\u2019s important enough that I want to be sure to say it outright:<\/p>\r\n\r\n Have your child read aloud, not silently.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Silent reading certainly has its place, but oral reading practice is much more effective in developing fluency.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Having an audience can be motivating and can give your student an opportunity to practice meaningful expression. Encourage your child to read to someone else, such as a sibling, a visiting neighbor, Grandma, or a parent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n It can be really helpful for kids to hear themselves read. And recording themselves can be fun!<\/p>\r\n\r\n Need an easy way to record? Here\u2019s a recording program<\/a> you can download for free.<\/p>\r\n\r\n After recording, let your child assess his own reading. How did it sound? Did it sound natural? Choppy? Did he pay attention to punctuation? Encourage him to notice one thing he did well and one thing that needs improvement. Then he can re-record and try to improve. Even professional speakers do this!<\/p>\r\n\r\n Reading fluency develops gradually, but as you can see, there is a lot you can do to promote it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n As long as your child has strong enough decoding skills, the next steps are to:<\/p>\r\n\r\n And finally, keep encouraging your child<\/a>! With your help, he won\u2019t read like a robot forever. Fluency will come!<\/p>\r\n\r\n The All About Reading<\/a><\/cite> program walks you and your child through all the steps to help your child achieve fluency. The program is\u00a0multisensory, motivating, and complete, with everything you need to raise a strong reader. And if you need a helping hand, we\u2019re here for you<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n What\u2019s your take on teaching reading fluency? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many children struggle with fluency in reading. Follow these tips to help your child become a more fluent reader. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[77],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is Reading Fluency?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
Good Decoding Skills Come First<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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The Importance of Vocabulary for Fluency<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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Provide a Good Role Model<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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Why Phrasing Helps<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\nEncourage Expressive Reading<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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<\/a>Silent Reading Isn\u2019t as Effective for Improving Reading Fluency<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
Kids Can Self-Assess, Too!<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
The Bottom Line on Improving Reading Fluency<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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