Fluency: The Bridge from Decoding to Comprehension

FLUENCY? WHY??
With all the reading deficiencies many of our students have, we tend to focus more on reading components like phonics, decoding, comprehension, etc. We may assume fluency will come as students become better readers. The flaw in this idea is that without fluency, students cannot become better readers!

Six Dimensions of Fluency

Fluency is not determined only by rate, words per minute, or even accurate words per minute. Improving rate without addressing other components of fluency can actually undermine fluency. This chart will offer you specific ways to define areas of strength and weakness in fluency, and sample prompts for instructing. Pausing: the way the Phrasing: when readers Word Stress: emphasizing readers voice is guided by put words together in specific words to reflect punctuation. groups to reflect oral the meaning as speakers Take a short break when language. would do in oral language. you see a comma. Read it like this [model) Make this word sound important. Intonation: the way the Rate: the pace at which Integration: when readers reader varies the voice in the reader moves through consistently integrate all tone, pitch, and volume to the text. This momentum the previous five reflect meaning. is steady with few pauses dimensions of fluency. Make your voice go down to solve words. How do you think your at the period. Can you read this like you reading sounds? are talking?

Reading requires understanding of text. If you dont understand what you are reading, you cant call it reading!

Instructional Strategies for Fluency

Phrased Reading- reading should have a rhythm rather than sounding robotic. If
students need to practice phrasing, it helps to give them text with phrases marked for them. With a partner, students read silently first, then practice reading aloud the text using the phrasing marks you have made. Ex: /In the morning/ we went/ to school. /

In order to gain meaning from text, students must read fluently.

Fluent readers are able to simultaneously decode and comprehend text. Given that both decoding and comprehension are difficult tasks, at least one task must be automatic in fluent readers. Of course, fluency is the easiest task to make fluent.

Echo Reading- One way to use echo reading is to read aloud a sentence then have
students repeat it echoing your reading. Another way is to read a whole paragraph aloud while students follow aloud. Then have students read the paragraph with a partner, echoing your reading. Partners can critique each others reading and reread.

Rate Mover- Students sometimes read with high accuracy, but slowly. Select a
passage and read it aloud 3 times, modeling how to read a little faster each time but still controlling the reading to ensure all the other dimensions of fluency remain. Students need to hear reading that is fast, but still has expression. After listening to your model, students read the paragraph 3 times with a partner, reading it a little faster each time (but not too fast the expression is gone) while the listening reader critiques. Then partners reverse roles.

Readers Theatre- this strategy offers a fun and authentic reason to read aloud.
Assign parts and have students read silently first, then have them perform the voices. Its not necessary to make a production of the script, the enjoym ent and value is in the reading

Thats why!