1. What does the National Reading Panel say about Reading Fluency?

2. Fluency is…. n The ability to read a text accurately and quickly. n Empowers students to understand what they have read. n Can be motivating to students. n Reading fluency grows when it is modeled first (rate, expression, voice inflection, punctuation). n Is useful in evaluation and planning.

3. Techniques to enhance fluency… n Engage students in repeated oral readings. n Reading to students helps students hear fluency. n What about assessment? n Formal/informal n Timed readings, then compare with past timings. n Monitor charts track improvement.

4. For More Detailed Reading: n Visit the National Reading Panel at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publica tions/nrppubskey.cfm (continuation of readings from session I of this course). http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publica tions/nrppubskey.cfm http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publica tions/nrppubskey.cfm

5. What Skills Should A Strong Reader Possess? n n Language rich conversations. n n Listening and responding skills from oral reading activities. n n Letter name recognition. n n Connecting sounds to letters to decode words in reading. n n Reading often for automaticity. n n Internalize new words. n n Understanding of what is read.

6. What Activities Should Teachers Engage in to Impact Reading Growth? n Continued phonics instruction for strong letter-sound relationships. n Allow opportunities for practicing those relationships. n Assist students in letter-sound relationships by writing, messaging, and personal stories. n Demonstrating ways to think, comprehend, and internalize what the students are reading. n Include new vocabulary regularly. n Teach dictionary skills for personal vocabulary enhancement.

7. How Can Parents Support Reading Growth? n Make the home conversation rich and include the student. n Read together every day; parent reads and student reads. n Advocate reading progress. n Share the reading-writing connection. n Visit the library often. n Look for ways to add to reading opportunities through garage sales, thrift stores, book shares/trades.

8. Reading is a Part of everyday!