Shared/modelled reading, explicit instruction & peer reading
“The more a teacher models, and then provides scaffolding for students reading text with which they can be highly successful, the more the students will probably learn.”
(Rupley, Blair & Nicholls, 2009 p. 129).
(Rupley, Blair & Nicholls, 2009 p. 129).
There must be a two prong approach to improving fluency (Allington, 2009).
- Teacher directed/guided
- Independent reading
- Teacher directed/guided
- Independent reading
Students need to feel comfortable and competent with the vocabulary and pronunciation required for each text.
Teacher modelled reading can be authentically woven into a class situation, whether by reading snippets from newspaper articles, movie reviews or sharing verses and poems.
The more 'good fluency the student is exposed to the easier they will find it to develop this crucial skill themselves.
Teacher modelled reading can be authentically woven into a class situation, whether by reading snippets from newspaper articles, movie reviews or sharing verses and poems.
The more 'good fluency the student is exposed to the easier they will find it to develop this crucial skill themselves.
Strategies to model fluency
Some strategies to model fluency - (p. 4-6)
Read Alouds
Letter fluency exercises
Sight word building through word wall activities
Explicit teaching of punctuation
Choral reading
Repeated readings
Echo reading
Paired reading
Poetry reading
Readers’ Theatre
Dialogues and monologues from plays
Partner Reading
Partner reading with graphing
Read along Books with CD
Song rereading
Wide independent reading
Fluency partner practise
Buddy reading
More activities to develop fluency
Read Alouds
Letter fluency exercises
Sight word building through word wall activities
Explicit teaching of punctuation
Choral reading
Repeated readings
Echo reading
Paired reading
Poetry reading
Readers’ Theatre
Dialogues and monologues from plays
Partner Reading
Partner reading with graphing
Read along Books with CD
Song rereading
Wide independent reading
Fluency partner practise
Buddy reading
More activities to develop fluency
Reading to younger students allows struggling readers to read text that is at their own level expressively, this will foster an interest in reading and sense of responsibility.
(Allington, 2009).
(Allington, 2009).
Further readings and useful websites
- IPads for education – books and activities to download for classroom modelled and guided reading
http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/education-apps/6-english - Department of Education and Children’s Services, Government of South Australia (2011). Understanding the reading process: Fluency. (pg. 4-6). Retrieved from
http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/literacy/files/links/UtRP_1_5_v3.pdf - Tools for teachers to include when teaching fluency (pg 80-104).
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/rwp/articles/Fluency/Fluency.pdf - Reading Buddies program (instructions and printable certificates etc).
http://www.pbs.org/parents/martha/readingbuddies/