Reading a text with proper phrasing helps to communicate its meaning more clearly. This can be especially true with poems, in which phrasing and rhythm are important elements. Students should read with proper phrasing, rhythm, and intonation.

Reading a text accurately, or correctly, is very important for comprehension. If students do not recognize or mispronounce a word while reading, they should stop reading and decode the word, syllable by syllable if necessary. They can also use context to understand the word and self-correct their pronunciation. Then they should reread the entire sentence several times until they can read it accurately and automatically.

Reading with expression is another aspect of fluency. Inform students that using expression while reading dialogue, or conversation, helps to emphasize characters' words.

Reading at an appropriate rate, or speed, can help them understand a story. Punctuation marks signal when it is appropriate to pause while reading. Commas within sentences signal brief pauses. End punctuation, such as periods, question marks, and exclamation points, signal longer pauses. Pausing gives both readers and listeners time to understand the meaning of text.

Being able to read words automatically is important. This means students should be able to quickly look at the words and read them. If they do not know how to pronounce a word, students should stop reading and decode each syllable of the word, then practice automaticity by rereading the sentence.