READING FLUENCY

Reading fluency is the ability of learners to read text with speed, accuracy, expression and comprehension. Learners with low reading fluency may find it difficult to comprehend what they are reading. This is because all of their attention is focused on sounding out the words with little attention to the meaning of the words. 

Reading fluency depends on a number of well-developed skills which include accuracy (the ability to correctly read words by sight or decoding), rate (the speed of reading), prosody (reading with expression so that it sounds just like talking in everyday conversation), and comprehension (understanding the meaning of the text).

To read words accurately, a learner should have a good understanding of the rules of spelling, be able to recognize and reproduce sounds, use context clues to identify words in a text, and have a large sight word vocabulary.

Educators can measure reading rate using Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM). This is the number of words a learner can correctly read from a passage in one minute. 

Prosodic reading means the reader makes appropriate use of paralinguistic elements such as volume, pitch, intonation, stress, and expression that match how that person would be speaking if telling the story in the text. 

A good indicator of comprehension is the ability of the learner to summarise the text or story that was read.

Using a number of techniques, educators can help learners improve their reading fluency. Needless to say that a teacher should model fluent reading. However, in order for learners to become fluent readers, they must be exposed to a variety of text and practice reading aloud with others.

STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING READING FLUENCY

It is important for educators to be able to select appropriate books for learners. Selection of books should take into consideration the age of learners and the lesson objectives. Read Aloud sessions present opportunities for interactions between teacher and learner. A Read Aloud session consists of three parts.

PRE-READING ACTIVITY

A good prereading activity helps to pique the interest of learners. Educators use a variety of methods during the pre-reading phase. They can:

Connect learner's prior knowledge to the text through questions;

Tell a personal story similar to the reading;

Show pictures of the author and read a brief biography;

Preteach vocabulary by providing student-friendly definitions for new words in the text;

Use images found in the text and ask learners to predict the story.

READING ACTIVITY

During the reading phase, students will listen to the teacher model fluid and expressive reading. The teacher can also ask learners to look for certain key facts, take notes or highlight points to share later in class. This activity can be further broken down into parts.

Echo Reading.

The learners listen to a teacher read and they repeat the same text. This helps emerging readers' accuracy, rate and prosody. 

Choral Reading.

Here, the learners read together with the teacher. In choral reading, learners receive immediate feedback by hearing 

how their reading fluency compares to the teacher and to other learners'.

Partner Reading

Learners are paired and the first learner reads while the other silently follows and gives feedback, they then switch roles with the other leaner also receiving feedback from the other.

During the reading activity. the teacher pauses intermittently and asks the pupils to think and share with a partner about what might happen next. Asking questions while reading allows the teacher and learner to monitor comprehension, explore information in the text, and address misunderstandings.

POST READING ACTIVITY

Asking questions after reading provides opportunities for learners to demonstrate understanding and respond to the text. The teacher invites learners to summarize, evaluate or recreate the text read. Giving students the opportunity to share their thoughts is a powerful tool in ensuring participation.