Reading fluency is best understood by exploring its underlying factors or subskills. These are the specific skills necessary for a reader to read with adequate fluency. By understanding what these factors are and understanding how a child is performing with each subskill, we can better understand why the child is experiencing problems. When we understand the problem, it is much easier to develop activities and interventions to help the struggling reader.
The first component of reading fluency that I will explore is accuracy. Accuracy involves both the ability to decode words letter-by-letter and recognize how the letter/sound relationships work together to make words and the ability to recognize whole words and even phrases by sight.
The second component of reading fluency is speed or rate. Reading rate can be improved with practice. The third component of reading fluency is automaticity. Remember our driving analogy? Automaticity is the ability to read with relative ease and minimal effort. This involves the ability to quickly decode words and phrases and recognize a high number of words and phrases. Practice and memory activities are critical skill builders that promote automaticity.
The fourth component of reading fluency is the ability to read with accurate expressiveness. This means that a reader can read with natural rhythms, pitch, tone, phrasing, and stress that sounds like actual speech. Reading with accurate expression is important in understanding the correct meaning of what is being read. This skill is developed by listening to good reading and speaking role models and in practicing reading.
A fifth component of reading fluency is the development of a strong vocabulary. Good readers have both the ability to recognize and understand the meaning of a large number of words. This helps improve reading speed and comprehension.
Most of the skills described above can be improved with practice. The more a child reads, the stronger his skills will become. Research indicates that correct practice is important as well. Consequently, the more a child reads with the assistance of a skilled reader or teacher, the more likely his skills will develop correctly.
Strategies to Help Improve Reading Fluency:
- Reading with an Adult – The adult serves as a role model by reading the passage first. The student then reads the same passage. The adult provides assistance ad needed. For example, if a child gets stuck on a word, the adult says it aloud for her. The student can re-read the passage a few times until he can read it with good fluency.
- Reading with a Buddy – This is similar to reading with an adult. A weaker reader is paired with a stronger reader. The strong reader reads the passage aloud, and then the weaker reader reads. The stronger reader corrects the weaker reader as needed. With this strategy, and with reading with an adult, it is important that correction be done with sensitivity and that the activity be kept enjoyable.
- Choral Reading – A strong reader reads the passage aloud, and a group of learning readers repeats the passage.
- Stereo Reading – A strong reader models a passage and then reads along with a weaker reader in unison.
- Reading with a Recording – A reader reads along with a book on tape or CD.
