Fluency

1
Fluency

• What are the important issues surrounding the
  development of fluency in reading?

2
Fluency

• What is it?
• ABCD? EFG! HI? JKL. MN? OPQ. RST! UVWX.
  YZ!
• Whisper phones, echo reading, radio reading
• Explicit instruction in fluency?

3
Fluency

• The ability to read quickly, accurately and with
  proper expression
• Freedom from word identification problems that
  might hinder comprehension
• Is oral reading as important as silent reading?
  Should oral reading be receiving the attention
  that it is?

4
Fluency

• Is fluency an outgrowth of or a contributor to
  comprehension?
• Fluency has a reciprocal influence with
  comprehension

5
Fluency

• Reading fluency refers to efficient, effective
  word recognition skills that permit a reader to
  construct the meaning of text. Fluency is
  manifested in accurate, rapid, expressive oral
  reading and is applied during, and makes
  possible, silent reading comprehension.
  (combination of definitions)

6
Fluency

• Two things are really taking place simultaneously
• Decoding (word identification, word recognition)
• Comprehension (construction of meaning)
• If attention is on decoding, comprehension
  suffers
• Automaticity of decoding is necessary for
  comprehension
• Readers who achieve some fluency are apt to read
  more extensively (because it is not so difficult)

7
Fluency

• Repeated oral reading
• Guided reading
• Independent reading

8
Consolidated Alphabetic Stage

• Recognize words instantly
• Use decoding skills
• Store words as units
• Store letter patterns across words
• Increased vocabulary development

9
Instruction for Fluency

• Build the graphophonic foundations for fluency
• Build and extend vocabulary
• Provide expert instruction and practice in use of
  high-frequency words
• Teach common word parts and spelling patterns
• Teach, model, and provide practice in applying
  decoding strategies

10
Instruction for Fluency

• Use appropriate texts to coach strategic
  behaviors and build reading speed
• Use repeated reading as an intervention approach
  for struggling readers
• Extend fluency through wide independent reading
• Monitor fluency development through appropriate
  assessment procedures

11
Instruction for Fluency

• Teach letters, sounds, and segmenting and
  blending
• Extend vocabulary (4 types of voc instruction)
• Use word walls for high frequency words and teach
  the regularities of irregular words
• Introduce students to multiple-letter units
• Teach decoding strategies (letters left to right,
  think about sounds of letters, blend sounds, Ask
  Is this a word I know? Does it make sense?, if
  it doesnt make sense think of other strategies,
  use context along with other strategies

12
Instruction for Fluency

• 6. Match text to readers, use Guided Reading
• Use repeated reading, neurological impress, radio
  reading, paired reading
• Encourage wide independent reading-is very
  beneficial for those making adequate progress
  with fluency
• Assess-oral reading accuracy, oral reading rate,
  quality of oral reading, and reading
  comprehension
• How often do you assess?

13
Instruction for Fluency

• Fluency without accompanying high levels of
  reading comprehension is of very limited value.
• Pikulski Chard. (2005). Fluency Bridge
  between decoding and reading comprehension. The
  Reading Teacher. March 2005.

14
Reading Fluency and Assessment

• Fluency-three elements
• Accurate reading
• At a conversational rate
• With appropriate prosody or expression
• Access the authors meaning
• Attending to the print
• Proper phrasing and intonation

15
Reading Fluency and Assessment

• Fluent readers do not need as many eye fixations
  or regressions
• Fluent readers make shorter fixations, longer
  jumps between fixations, and fewer regressions
  than slow readers
• How do you conduct timed readings?