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Developing Fluent Readers

Developing Fluent Readers

What should fluency instruction look like? And what can teachers do to help students whose fluency is far behind their peers’? This article can help practitioners effectively use fluency-based assessments and select instructional practices.

Difficulties With Fluency

Difficulties With Fluency

While the ability to read words accurately is a necessary skill in learning to read, the speed at which this is done becomes a critical factor in ensuring that children understand what they read.

two young children using laptops and headphones in class

Extending Readers Theatre: A Powerful and Purposeful Match with Podcasting

The struggling second and third graders in this study increased their reading comprehension after a 10-week Readers Theatre podcasting project. Podcasting made the students aware of a wider audience, which enhanced the authenticity and social nature of the strategy, and made their performances permanent so they could be stored and conveniently retrieved for later listening and evaluation.

Young girl pointing at text as she reads aloud

Fluency: Instructional Guidelines and Student Activities

The best strategy for developing reading fluency is to provide your students with many opportunities to read the same passage orally several times. To do this, you should first know what to have your students read. Second, you should know how to have your students read aloud repeatedly.
Fluency: Activities for Your Second Grader

Fluency: An Introduction

Fluency develops gradually over time and through practice. At the earliest stage of reading development, students’ oral reading is slow and labored because students are just learning to “break the code” – to attach sounds to letters and to blend letter sounds into recognizable words.

Fluency Matters

Fluency Matters

If you’ve been around classrooms and teachers, you’ve probably heard the term “fluency.” Fluency is something worth knowing more about! Read on to find out what it is and how to develop it in your young learner.

Fluency Norms Chart (2017 Update)

Fluency Norms Chart (2017 Update)

View the results of the updated 2017 study on oral reading fluency (ORF) by Jan Hasbrouck and Gerald Tindal, with compiled ORF norms for grades 1-6. You’ll also find an analysis of how the 2017 norms differ from the 2006 norms.

Young girl pointing at text as she reads aloud

Fluent, Automatic Reading of Text

Being a fluent reader is an important part of being a successful reader. Here is an overview of considerations related to fluency, and techniques teachers can use for promoting fluency in the classroom.
For Students Who Are Not Yet Fluent, Silent Reading Is Not the Best Use of Classroom Time

For Students Who Are Not Yet Fluent, Silent Reading Is Not the Best Use of Classroom Time

Teachers do their best to improve students’ fluency, but sometimes the information they have to work with is incomplete and, therefore, leads them down the wrong path. For example, silent reading or ‘Round Robin’ reading seem like good ways to improve fluency. But, in fact, increasing fluency requires more practice, more support, and more guided oral reading than either of these strategies can deliver.

young red-headed boy outside writing in a notebook

Goals for Second Grade: Transitional Reading and Writing

Children go through phases of reading development from preschool through third grade — from exploration of books to independent reading. In second grade, children begin to read more fluently and write various text forms using simple and more complex sentences. Find out what parents and teachers can do to support second grade literacy skills.
Elementary student in class thinking pensively about the lesson

Goals for Third Grade: Independent and Productive Reading and Writing

Children go through phases of reading development from preschool through third grade — from exploration of books to independent reading. In third grade, children continue to extend and refine their reading and writing to suit varying purposes and audiences. Find out what parents and teachers can do to support third grade literacy skills.
Guidance for Educators Using a Balanced Literacy Program

Guidance for Educators Using a Balanced Literacy Program

Improve instruction and help all students achieve at high levels by making these research-based adjustments to your balanced literacy program. This guidance outlines some of the most common challenges of a balanced literacy model, how they can impede students’ learning, and how you can adapt your reading program to better serve students.

How Do Children Learn to Read?

How Do Children Learn to Read?

Learning to read is a complex process involving multiple skills and knowledge. Read about the challenges children face as they learn how sounds are connected to print, as they develop fluency and learn to construct meaning from print.

Learning to Read, Reading to Learn

Learning to Read, Reading to Learn

From decades of research about how young children can best learn to read, we know that there are core skills and cognitive processes that need to be taught. In this basic overview, you’ll find concrete strategies to help children build a solid foundation for reading.

Listen and Learn with Audiobooks

Listen and Learn with Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a wonderful way to expose your child to complex language, expressive reading, and fantastic stories. Listening to audiobooks also gives kids the valuable and enjoyable experience of using their own imaginations to visualize the people and places they’re hearing about. Here, you’ll find guidance on what to look for in choosing audiobooks as well as listening tips.

A New Model for Teaching High-Frequency Words

A New Model for Teaching High-Frequency Words

Integrating high-frequency words into phonics lessons allows students to make sense of spelling patterns for these words. To do this, high-frequency words need to be categorized according to whether they are spelled entirely regularly or not. This article describes how to “rethink” teaching of high-frequency words.

Performance Reading

Performance Reading

Research has shown that fluent oral reading learned through performance reading leads boosts engagement and strengthens comprehension. Learn how to integrate performance reading activities into your classroom.

Poems at Home

Poems at Home

Sharing poetry with kids is a great way to highlight language. Poems offer humor, interesting words, tongue twisters, alliteration, and opportunities for choral reading (reading together). Find out how to plan a lively and fun family poetry jam!

Elementary boy in yellow plaid shirt taking a test

Reading Accuracy

An informal assessment of reading accuracy, including what the assessment measures, when is should be assessed, examples of questions, and the age or grade at which the assessment should be mastered.
Elementary boy in yellow plaid shirt taking a test

Reading Fluency: Assessment

An informal assessment of reading fluency, including what the assessment measures, when is should be assessed, examples of questions, and the age or grade at which the assessment should be mastered.

Dad reading picture book with first grade daughter

Reading Tips for Parents of First Graders

Give your child lots of opportunities to read aloud. Inspire your young reader to practice every day! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.

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