Reading Fluency

Reading Fluency
Parent Training
November 2015
George Marks
Elementary
Fluency begins around grades 2 to 3
students can recognize many words quickly and accurately by sight
skilled at sounding out words they don’t recognize by sight
Strong Fluency
read at a rapid rate
automatically recognize words
phrase correctly (prosody – the ability to read a text orally using appropriate pitch, stress and phrasing)

It is appropriate to take a break from the practice sessions.
Encourage the child to read on his or her own for a period of time each day.
May resume the paired reading if the child is enthusiastic and you and the teacher feel it is still an appropriate strategy for the child

What happens when the 8 - 12 weeks have passed?

Yes, the parent or tutor must be a better reader than the child, but does not have to be a much better reader than the child.
Paired reading can benefit the helper’s reading as well as the child’s reading skills.

Can a parent or tutor who has some difficulty with reading still help a child with paired reading?

If they are distracted, make sure that you are not speaking too loudly or too often.
The positive comments are very important for boosting the child’s confidence in his or her ability to read alone, but they shouldn’t interrupt the flow of the reading

Are children ever distracted by constant praise during their independent reading?

Gives an opportunity to practice independent reading in a totally supportive, non-judgmental setting
Still has your undivided attention because you are following the text closely and are able to discuss the content
Both “together reading” and independent reading are equally important to reading growth

Why have the child read independently?

model fluent reading – Read aloud
provide direct instruction and feedback
provide reading support and motivation
Choral reading
Reader’s Theater
Echo reading
Paired reading
Books on tape
repeated timed readings of one text
provide students with easy reading material

Ways to Develop Fluency

Helps child build reading fluency
the ability to read smoothly, easily and readily with freedom from word recognition problems
fluency is necessary for good comprehension and reading enjoyment
Lack of Fluency –
weak word recognition skills
slow, halting pace
frequent mistakes
poor phrasing
inadequate intonation

Why is the “together reading” element of paired reading helpful?

Children who have moved through the very beginning stages of reading and are now working on reading smoothly and focusing on meaning.
Readers who are comfortable with printed material at a mid-first grade level or higher

Who benefits most from paired reading?

Paired Reading at Work

Wait 3-4 seconds for self-corrections, then give help if it’s needed
point out word parts
have student repeat the word
resume reading together until the child is ready to read alone again
Talk about the reading material
at natural stopping points
talk about the meaning of the text, what’s happening or what’s been learned
encourage comments or questions from the student.

Let the child choose the reading material
Use a starting signal
Adjust your reading speed to match the student’s speed
Deal with mistakes by simply repeating the word correctly
Establish a signal for independent reading
Praise independent reading

Let’s Read

Explain the procedure
simple explanation for student
show enthusiasm and confidence
Agree on a time commitment
5 to 20 minutes a day
5 days a week
8 to 12 weeks

Getting Ready

The Components of
Paired Reading

Your Memories. . .

What are your first memories of reading?
Do you remember when you became a reader?
Do you remember a favorite book?
How do you feel about reading now?

Absolutely
Children who are reading smoothly at a good pace, uses good expression, recognizes words in print with very little hesitations and understands what is being read.

Are there children who don’t need paired reading?

Lack of confidence will lead students to bring easy texts – when confidence builds they will attempt more challenging texts. May encourage other options, but the final selection belongs to the child.
Students who bring difficult texts are taking advantage of the help to read things of interest to them. You will want to stop more frequently to discuss the text being read.

What about children who consistently want to read printed material that is too easy or too difficult?

5-20 minutes a day
5 days a week
8 to 12 weeks
Will see very positive results in reading fluency, ability to recognize words in print and reading comprehension



How much time does paired reading take?

Questions and Answers

Paired Reading

Key Shifts
in Common Core

Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts
Reading and writing grounded in evidence from the text – close reading – making inferences based on text evidence
Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary

Level 28 DRA

Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
Word Recognition Accuracy of 90% +
Comprehension in the instructional level based on oral or written responses to questions.
In class assessments
Skill assessments


Other Assessments

VLT Assessments (4 times a year)
70% on objectives

SIPPS High Frequency Words
95% accuracy


Reading Vocabulary and Comprehension

2nd Grade Reading Expectations

What should my child be able to do by the end of the second grade?

Reading is Fun!

Average child needs between 4 – 14 exposures to a new word to recognize it automatically.
Students with reading difficulties need 40+ exposures to a new word.
Critical to get a LARGE amount of practice reading at their independent reading level to develop automaticity.
Decode sound by sound recognize larger word chunks read whole words and focus on decoding and comprehension together.