What is Fluency?What is Fluency?

Quotes ActivityQuotes Activity

What is Fluency?What is Fluency?

Speed + Accuracy = FluencySpeed + Accuracy = Fluency Reading quickly and in a meaningful way Reading quickly and in a meaningful way

(prosody)(prosody) Decoding and comprehending simultaneouslyDecoding and comprehending simultaneously Freedom from word identification problemsFreedom from word identification problems Fluency Fluency is derived from the Latin word is derived from the Latin word fluens fluens

which means “to flow”which means “to flow” Smooth and effortless readingSmooth and effortless reading

Indicators of FluencyIndicators of Fluency

Reading with expressionReading with expression Recall/RetellingRecall/Retelling Words per minuteWords per minute

Some Factors that Inhibit Some Factors that Inhibit Fluency...Fluency...

Unfamiliarity with textUnfamiliarity with text Limited vocabularyLimited vocabulary Difficulty with syntaxDifficulty with syntax Decoding breakdownDecoding breakdown

Keep in Mind…Keep in Mind…

All three areas of reading fluency are intertwinedAll three areas of reading fluency are intertwined

Working on one area will most likely Working on one area will most likely improve the othersimprove the others

Attention to a single aspect of fluent Attention to a single aspect of fluent reading such as rate does not preclude reading such as rate does not preclude teaching attention to prosody and teaching attention to prosody and meaning.meaning.

Improving ProsodyImproving Prosody

Reading with Reading with recordings recordings

Partner readingPartner reading Reader’s TheatreReader’s Theatre

Reading Decodable Text and Reading Decodable Text and PhrasesPhrases

The bad catThe bad cat The bad cat sat.The bad cat sat. The mad cat sat.The mad cat sat. The mad cat’s hatThe mad cat’s hat The sad cat’s black hatThe sad cat’s black hat The black cat’s sad dadThe black cat’s sad dad

To develop fluency, students need to:To develop fluency, students need to:

Develop a high level of Develop a high level of accuracyaccuracy in word in word recognition recognition

Maintain a Maintain a raterate of reading brisk enough to of reading brisk enough to facilitate comprehension facilitate comprehension

Use Use phrasing and expressionphrasing and expression so that so that oral reading sounds like speech oral reading sounds like speech

Transform deliberate strategies for word Transform deliberate strategies for word recognition and comprehension into recognition and comprehension into automatic skillsautomatic skills

The challenge of continuing growth in The challenge of continuing growth in fluency becomes even greater after third fluency becomes even greater after third gradegrade•44th,th, 5 5thth, and 6, and 6thth graders encounter about graders encounter about 10,000 words they have never seen before 10,000 words they have never seen before in print during a year’s worth of readingin print during a year’s worth of reading

Furthermore, each of these “new” words Furthermore, each of these “new” words occurs only about 10 times in a year’s occurs only about 10 times in a year’s worth of readingworth of reading

Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to correctly guess the identity of these “new correctly guess the identity of these “new words” just from the context of the words” just from the context of the passagepassage

Closing the gap in middle and high Closing the gap in middle and high school: the fundamental challengeschool: the fundamental challenge

Each year, the demands of text become Each year, the demands of text become more challengingmore challenging

New words appear for the first timeNew words appear for the first timeSentences become longer and more Sentences become longer and more complexcomplexCorrect interpretation requires a Correct interpretation requires a broader range of knowledgebroader range of knowledge

The length of what you are expected to The length of what you are expected to read increasesread increases

How do you “close the gap” when the How do you “close the gap” when the requirements for “grade level proficiency” requirements for “grade level proficiency” increase every year?increase every year?

Thus, its important to have reliable Thus, its important to have reliable decoding strategies to improve the decoding strategies to improve the accuracy with which “new” words are accuracy with which “new” words are identified when they are first identified when they are first encountered in text.encountered in text.

If they are to continue growing in their If they are to continue growing in their ability to fluently read passages at ability to fluently read passages at higher levels of difficulty, children must higher levels of difficulty, children must add large numbers of words to their add large numbers of words to their “sight vocabulary” every year.“sight vocabulary” every year.

Knowledge and Strategies for Knowledge and Strategies for Linguistic comprehensionLinguistic comprehension

Word reading fluency and accuracyWord reading fluency and accuracy

Motivation and interestMotivation and interest

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==Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension

Because reading in middle and Because reading in middle and high school is “thinking guided by high school is “thinking guided by print,” helping students meet print,” helping students meet grade level standards in reading is grade level standards in reading is a job a job for all teachersfor all teachers, not just , not just “reading teachers.”“reading teachers.”

It’s It’s at leastat least as much about as much about building content knowledge, building content knowledge, vocabulary, and thinking skills as vocabulary, and thinking skills as it is about helping struggling it is about helping struggling readers learn to read accurately readers learn to read accurately and fluentlyand fluently