"the ability to read most words in context quickly and accurately and with appropriate expression.
In simpler terms fluency could be described as:
quickly reading words+understanding those words in context+use of appropriate expression=fluency
I believe that it might be helpful for students to be more informed on what fluency is, so that they can specifically work on this aspect of their reading skill. Students could use this check list to evaluate themselves on their reading and fluency.
A student must have fluency in order to actually enjoy the story or book that they are reading. Without fluency, a student is unable to comprehend or understand the important concepts and the meaning of what they are reading. Why would one choose to read if they do not know what they are reading?
Poor fluency is the reason that many students have trouble with reading and end up disliking reading. Reading cannot be a fun activity for someone who has to sound out every word and not even understand those big words that they are having so much trouble with. In order to improve fluency, one of the primary things students can do is read books that are easy for them. If a student practices reading the books that they have no trouble with, this practice will work on their fluency and eventually improve this. Because one of the key elements to fluency is expression, another way you can improve fluency is through echo reading. Basically, a teacher reads a story with an expressive voice and the students mock the tone and sound that the teacher is using to read. This allows the students to hear how a book should be read and gives them the opportunity to give this a try.
Teachers could incorporate this fun reading activity/game in their classroom in order to practice expression, an important element of fluency.
Discussion Questions
1. Were you aware of fluency before this class? What are your experiences with fluency in school?
2. Do you remember using activities in school that focused on fluency?
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