1

Fluency
From
Building Fluency: Lessons and Strategies for Reading Success
By Wiley Blevins
2
A Definition
Fluency is the ability to read
smoothly, easily, and readily with
freedom from word recognition
problems
A lack of fluency is characterized by
a slow, halting pace; frequent
mistakes; poor phrasing; and
inadequate intonation.

3
Fluent reading is a major
goal of reading instruction
because decoding print
accurately and effortlessly
enables students to read
for meaning.
4
A fluent reader can:
1. Read at a rapid rate
(pacethe speed at which oral or silent reading
occurs)
2. Automatically recognize words
(smoothness/accuracyefficient decoding skills)
3. Phrase correctly
(prosodythe ability to read a text orally using
appropriate pitch, stress, and phrasing)
5
Automaticity
Refers to knowing how to do something so
well you dont have to think about it.
For reading, refers to the ability to
accurately and quickly recognize many
words as whole units.
Advantagerecognizing a word as a whole
unit is that words have meaning.
6
Exposure
To recognize a word automatically:
The average child
4-14 exposures
Struggling reader
40 or more exposures

Students need a great deal of practice
reading stories at their independent reading
level to develop automaticity.

7
Why do children fail to
read fluently?
1. Lack of exposure
2. The good-reader syndrome
3. Lack of practice time
4. Frustration
5. Missing the why of reading
8
Ways to teach fluency
1. Model fluent reading
9
2. Provide direct instruction
and feedback
Teach sight words and phonics
Practice reading prior to reading a text
scan a text, preteach vocabulary
Time students reading
Include oral recitation lessons
Teach smooshing words together
Explain return-sweep eye movement

10
Teach about the eye-voice span
eyes are 1 to 3 words ahead of oral reading
Find alternatives to round-robin reading
Teach phrasing and intonation
11
Activity
Recite the alphabet/numbers as a
conversation.

ABCD? EFG! HI? JKL. MN?

OPQ. RST! UVWX. YZ!

123. 4! 567? 89. 10!
12
Recite the same sentence using
different punctuation.

Dogs bark? Cows moo.

Dogs bark! Cows moo?

Dogs bark. Cows moo!
13
Practice placing the stress on different
words in the same sentence.

I am tired. We are happy.

I am tired. We are happy.

I am tired. We are happy.
14
3. Provide reader support
Reading aloud simultaneously with a
partner or small group
Echo reading
Readers theater
Choral reading
Paired repeated readings
Books on tape
15
Activity
Book
You Read to Me, Ill Read to You: Very
Short Stories to Read Together
by Mary Ann Hoberman
ISBN 0-316-01316-1
(Also, fairy tales and mother goose
rhymes)
16
4. Use repeated readings
of one text.
Child reads at his instructional level
Teacher times the reading
Feedback is given on word recognition
errors and the number of words per
minute

17
6. Provide easy reading
materials.
Enormous amounts of individualized
reading material
At least 30 minutes per day
Must be independent or instructional
level