What is Reading Fluency

1
What is Reading Fluency?

• Dr. Peterson

2
What is Reading Fluency?

• Involves the ability to read text smoothly and at
  a reasonable rate.
• Fluent readers read effortlessly
• Speed
• Accuracy
• Proper expression as though they are speaking
• Automatic nature of reading
• Fluent readers are able to focus on ideas in the
  text and comprehend the authors message.

3
What Skills Do Fluent Readers Possess?

• Automaticity involves translating letters to
  sounds to words effortlessly and accurately.
• Quality refers to the readers ability to use
  proper intonation or expression (i.e., prosodic
  features pitch, juncture, and stress) in ones
  voice.
• Rate involves attaining appropriate reading
  speed according to the readers purpose or the
  type of passage.

4
What is an Appropriate Rate?
5
Developing Reading Fluency

• The research-based methods identified to develop
  the ability to read fluently are
• Direct instruction using guided oral reading
• Guidance from teachers, peers, or parents had
  significant and positive impact on word
  recognition, fluency, and comprehension across a
  range of grade levels (National Reading Panel,
  2000).
• When students practice a single text repeatedly,
  their oral reading becomes fluent.

6
Developing Reading Fluency

• Supporting students using strategies such as
  choral reading, buddy or dyad reading, and
  computer-assisted reading can be most effective
  in a well-conceived reading fluency program.
• Use a good deal of modeling.
• Observing, listening to, and imitating fluent
  reading models help children learn how to become
  fluent readers themselves.

7
Developing Reading Fluency

• Students need massive amounts of practice.
• Independent reading of stories of interest
• Buddy reading
• Guided oral reading
• Research is clear
• Proficient readers spend more time reading
  silently than do students having reading problems.

8
Developing Reading Fluency

• Provide students with access to easy reading
  materials.
• Proficient readers spend more time reading easier
  texts than students having reading problems.
• Reading easy books may help proficient readers
  make a transition from word by word reading to
  fluent reading, while poorer readers spend more
  time reading materials that are relatively
  difficult.
• This practice denies students with reading
  problems access to reading materials that could
  help them develop fluent reading abilities.

9
Organizing for Instruction

• Choose a balanced diet of reading materials for
  practice exercises (i.e., stories, nonfiction
  materials, poetry) and provide adequate teacher
  modeling, student practice with peers, and
  independent practice.

10
Organizing for Instruction
Reutzel, D. R., Cooter, R. B. Jr. (2005). The
essentials of teaching children to read What
every teacher needs to know. Upper Saddle River,
NJ Merrill/Prentice Hall.
11
Organizing for Instruction
Reutzel, D. R., Cooter, R. B. Jr. (2005). The
essentials of teaching children to read What
every teacher needs to know. Upper Saddle
River, NJ Merrill/Prentice Hall.
12
Guided Oral Reading Practice
13
Other Research-Based Methods to Build Fluency

• Guided Reading
• Is an essential part of a comprehensive reading
  program.
• Purposes (a) to develop reading fluency
  strategies, (b) to move children toward
  independent reading.
• Leveled Books
• Books categorized according to their difficulty
  so that they can be matched to students at that
  level.

14
Other Research-Based Methods to Build Fluency

• Choral Reading
• Unison reading
• Echo reading
• Buddy Reading or partner reading
• Partnered with a more fluent reader or one of
  equal fluency

• Book Buddy
• Classroom volunteer tutoring in a one-to-one
  setting.
• Independent Practice
• Repeated readings
• Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)
• Performance Reading for Fluency
• Readers Theater

15
Other Research-Based Methods to Build Fluency

• Student-Assisted Strategies Neurological Impress
  Method (NIM)
• Involves the student and a more fluent reader
  reading the same text aloud simultaneously.
• Both readers read at the same volume in unison at
  first, then the models voice gradually fades as
  the student becomes more confident.
• Thought to impress the fluent reading patterns
  of the teacher/student onto the student through
  direct modeling.

16
NIM (Neurological Impress Method)

• Each NIM session is aimed at reading as much
  material as is possible in 10 minutes.
• Reading material for the first few sessions
  should be easy and predictable and make sense for
  the reader.
• The students sit next to each other with the book
  facing both of them. The more fluent reader
  moves her/his finger beneath the words as they
  are spoken in near-unison fashion.
• The more fluent readers goal is to keep the pace
  when the student starts to slow down.
• Pausing for analyzing unknown words is not
  permitted.
• The more fluent readers voice is directed at the
  students ear so that the words are seen, heard,
  and said simultaneously.
• Usually three sessions per week are sufficient to
  obtain noticeable results. This routine should
  be followed for a minimum of 10 consecutive
  weeks.
• This method can be adapted by the teacher through
  the use of tape recorded stories (10 minutes).
  The individual student can read along with the
  tape while following the text independently or
  the tape can be used at a listening center.
• More fluent readers one-to-one interactions with
  individual students results in a better
  instructional experience.

17
Reutzel Cooter text page 252.
18
Reutzel Cooter text page 253.
19

• This presentation was prepared with the use of
  research and images from
• Reutzel, D. R., Cooter, R. B. Jr. (2005).
  The essentials of teaching children to read What
  every teacher needs to know.
• Upper Saddle River, NJ Merrill/Prentice Hall.