Definition
Oral reading fluency is the ability to read with accuracy, speed, and proper expression.
Research Indicates
1. When practicing or teaching students to read fluently, text should be at the student's independent reading level. ( Go here for the Five Finger Rule)
2. Teacher read alouds are the best model for fluent reading for students of all grades. Students should hear text read aloud every day.
3. Non-fiction (informational text) and fiction should be used equally to teach fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies.
4. Phrasing/chunking: Fluent readers chunk text into syntactically appropriate units—mainly phrases. This is important because meaning often lies in a text’s phrases and not in its individual words. This ability to separate a text into phrases aids comprehension. See Developing Reading Fluency (2003) by Tricia Callella
Strategies (Apply to all readers)
1. Choral Reading: Use a poem with strong vocabulary. Students read together, in unison, after the teacher first models by reading aloud.
2. Echo Reading: Teacher reads a sentence with expression and students repeat the sentence exactly how their teacher read it.
3. Reader’s Theater: Students read, practice, reread a script and then perform, reading from their scripts. The more students read aloud, the more fluent they will become and the better they will learn a text’s vocabulary. Both non-fiction and fiction pieces make excellent scripts. Some things I have learned for the library:
"Round Robin" reading means kids only read 2-3 times. Instead, put kids in groups equal to the number of parts in the script. If you have extra kids in a group, one kid could play two narrators, for example. Circulate amongst the groups, unless you are reading a part with a group :), and listen for expression, monitor for meaning, etc.
4. Books on tape/computerized texts: Students read along as a book is read to them on tape or CD or students follow along as they read the book on computer while it is read to them (Go to Avon Public Library. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Tumblebooks.)
5. Partner/Buddy Reading (across grade level and within grade level): It is recommended that students in grades 1 & 3 and grades 2 & 4 partner read every week.
6. Students should hear teacher read alouds every day.
Let's look at exactly what the Put Reading First has to say.
"You can help your students become more fluent readers (1) by providing them with models of fluent reading and (2) by having students repeatedly read passages as you offer guidance. In addition, you can help students improve their fluency by combining reading instruction with opportunities for them to read books that are at their independent level of reading ability.
Model fluent reading, then have students reread the text on their own.
By listening to good models of fluent reading, students learn how a reader's voice can help written text make sense. Read aloud daily to your students. By reading effortlessly and with expression, you are modeling for your students how a fluent reader sounds during reading.
After you model how to read the text, you must have the students reread it. By doing this, the students are engaging in repeated reading. Usually, having students read a text four times is sufficient to improve fluency. Remember, however, that instructional time is limited, and it is the actual time that students are actively engaged in reading that produces reading gains." Reading First
7. Others: music, daily quotes, poem a day.
8. Read alouds in the middle school:
http://www.cedarville.edu/academics/library/about/cmc/pdf/middlepb.pdf
http://www.mslma.org/MediaForum/Nov2003/Picturebooks.html
http://www.oelma.org/conference/2004/MSPictureBookPPTHandout.doc
High School Picture Books: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/LM_NET-pre2000/1999/Apr_1999/msg00009.html
Resources
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