Teaching Reading Fluency Why is fluency important and how can we teach it?

Purpose and Scope To determine the effect that fluency has on reading level, discover the best methods for measuring fluency, and provide strategies for helping students achieve fluency in the classroom.

Background and Thesis A lack of reading fluency can be a problem for secondary students if it is not addressed and if efforts aren't continually made to improve it. There are simple and efficient ways to improve fluency in the secondary classroom and learning them can have far- reaching benefits for students. Among the many aspects of good reading that we need to foster in our students, I would argue that the most important is fluency. If we can help students achieve fluency, they will have better attitudes toward reading and be more likely to become life-long learners.

What is fluency? Fluency is "the ability to read smoothly and easily at a good pace with good phrasing and expression" (Beers 209). Fluency requires good single word and phrase recognition, along with the ability to use correct intonation and meaningful phrasing. Fluency and comprehension go hand in hand as comprehension results from fluency and is also necessary for improving fluency.

Methods for Measuring Fluency Measuring silent reading rate and comprehension Measuring oral reading rate and fluency o Have the student read a passage orally and listen for intonation and meaningful phrasing o Follow up with comprehension questions

Practical Ways to Improve Fluency

Conclusion Fluency is a complex skill, but a necessary one for success in secondary classrooms as well as in further education. Students who are not fluent are at a severe disadvantage and so it is our responsibility as teachers to help eliminate this disadvantage for students by implementing these simple, yet effective practices for improving fluency in our classrooms. If students can achieve fluency, reading will become a positive learning experience rather than a laborious task for struggling students.

Works Cited Beers, Kylene. Fluency and Automaticity. When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth: Heinemann, Print.