As a teacher, one of the most rewarding things you can do is to help your students improve their reading fluency. A solid Reading Fluency Strategy is the number one way to do this.
Mastering this skill of reading fluently unlocks a wealth of knowledge and understanding, allowing them to excel in a variety of subjects.
But where do you start? In this blog post, we’ll discuss a simple but effective reading fluency strategy that can improve the reading fluency of your elementary students. We’ll take a closer look at the repeated reading strategy, how it works, and how you can use it in your classroom.
What is the Reading Fluency Strategy?
The repeated reading strategy is a routine that involves having students read a passage multiple times with the goal of improving their reading fluency. The strategy then repeats each week with a new passage or text.
What is Reading Fluency?
Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. In order to understand what they read, children must be able to read fluently, whether they are reading aloud or silently.
Let’s quickly define some terms.
- Speed- Reading at a pace to supports reading comprehension. When a child reads at a steady pace, it allows the student to comprehend the test.
- Accuracy- Reading the correct word which avoids misunderstandings of the text
- Expression- Reading with tone and fluctuation to support comprehension.
How the Reading Fluency Strategy Works
On day one, give your students a passage to read and a goal sheet to record their progress. Set a timer for one minute and have them read the passage as quickly as they can. Count the number of words they read and record it on their goal sheet.
Each day, have your students repeat the reading again while being timed. The goal is for the number of words read to increase with each reading by two or three words. This gradual increase allows the student to build their confidence, and seeing their progress on the goal sheet can be very motivating.
Reading Fluency Tips
Here are some additional tips to help make the repeated reading routine more effective:
- Provide feedback: Make sure to provide feedback to your students after each reading. Point out areas where they’ve improved and give them specific suggestions on how they can continue to improve.
- Pick appropriate passages: Choose passages that are appropriate for your student’s reading level. If the passage is too difficult, they won’t be able to read it fluently. If it’s too easy, they won’t see much progress.
- Be consistent: Try to do the repeated reading strategy at the same time each day so that it becomes part of your student’s routine. The more consistent you are, the more likely your students will develop good habits and progress steadily.
Extending the Reading Passages
To extend the reading fluency passage, use a Student Choice Board. The idea behind this board is to make learning activities available for the students, but each student has a choice in which activities they will participate in completing.
A few of the activities I use for my Student Choice Boards are:
- Grammar
- Sentence extension
- A small comprehension quiz
- Genre writing prompts (If you are interested in Narrative, Opinion, or Informative Writing tips, read these blog posts.
- Constructive response activity
- Author’s Purpose
- Rating the text
- Create a book cover for the reading text.
A Student Choice Board can help students engage more deeply with the passage and develop a better understanding of what they’re reading.
Final Thoughts
Improving reading fluency takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. The repeated reading strategy is a simple but effective strategy for helping your elementary students improve their reading fluency. By setting goals and gradually increasing the amount they read, and providing activities to engage with the text, you can help your students become confident readers who are better prepared for academic success.
So why not give it a try in your classroom today? Check out the many topics covered in these Reading Fluency Activity Packs.
- Friendship Reading Fluency & Choice Boards
- A Beach Trip Reading Fluency & Choice Boards
- Amusement Park Reading Fluency & Choice Boards
- Save the Bees! Reading Fluency & Choice Boards
- Earth Day Reading Fluency & Choice Boards
- St. Patrick’s Day Reading Fluency & Choice Boards
–Melissa
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