Fluency

When we talk about learning to read, there are many different components that must be considered. Parents often times are not sure what they should concern themselves with – do they need be concerned with accuracy – the ability to read the words on the page either by sight or by breaking the words up to  decode them?  Or should their concern by with comprehension – do they understand what they are reading enough to retell the story and discuss it using higher level thinking and reasoning strategies?  One thing that parents may fail to consider when thinking about their child’s reading is fluency.  According to reading expert Timothy Rasinski, in his book, Effective Teaching of Reading: From Phonics to Fluency:    “Fluency is the ability to read accurately, quickly, expressively, with good phrasing, AND with good comprehension.”   Fluency encompasses ALL of what we are looking for in good readers – accuracy, comprehension, pacing, phrasing, and expression.  In 1st grade students are assessed on their fluency twice a year using the following rubric:

 

As with any other assessed content, we spend time in class teaching and practicing fluency.  Much of the teaching and practicing is done in small guided reading groups, but we also use other opportunities to focus on fluency.  One way fluency is taught and practiced is through poetry studies.  Students receive new poems for their poetry notebooks most weeks.  In addition to comprehension discussion on the poems, students hear the poems modeled with fluent reading and  practice reading the poem using their fluency skills:  expression, smoothness & accuracy, phrasing, and pace.  Another way they practice fluency is through the use of Readers Theater scripts.  Readers Theater allows students to practice the same text many times, increasing their fluency each time.  For 2nd quarter I have instituted Fluency Fridays where students have a scheduled time that is set aside to improve fluency through poetry and Readers Theater practice.  This past Friday we focused on Readers Theater. 

Focus on the components of fluency while reading aloud with your child.  You can print out the rubric above and discuss with them where they see themselves at.  Remind them that rereading is a great way to improve fluency!

 

:) Mrs.. Heath