Demonstrates difficulty with reading fluency

Fluency is the rapid, prosodic flow with which a skilled reader reads. Lack of fluency is marked by a slow, halting, spasmodic pace; mistakes; poor phrasing, and inadequate intonation. A slow, labored rate of reading seriously impairs comprehension because it diverts attention away from the meaning of the text and overloads working memory at the word level so that this memory is not available for understanding the meaning of the text.

Strategies and Accommodations:

1. Recognition of Irregular words

A multisensory structured procedure helps students to achieve permanent memorization of irregular words.

• The teacher writes an irregular word on the board, such as said.
• Students identify the syllable type and code the word according to the regular patterns of reading. Students read the word and discover it does not follow the reliable patterns of the language: /sad/.
• The teacher erases the coded word and rewrites the word on the board: said. Beside the word, the teacher writes the pronunciation in parentheses: /sed/.
• Students compare the word and the pronunciation. They decide which part is irregular.
• The teacher circles the irregular part.
• The teacher writes the word on the front of a 4” X 6” index card. On the back of the card, the teacher writes the pronunciation. The teacher cuts off the upper left-hand corner of the front of the card. The irregular shape of the card cues students that the word printed on it is an irregular word.
• The teacher holds up the card so that students see the front of the card. Students read the word aloud.
• The teacher turns the card around, and students read the pronunciation aloud.
• The teacher slowly turns the card from front to back four or five times as students read the word and then read the pronunciation aloud.
• The new card is added to a deck of irregular words that is reviewed daily.

2. Review of Irregular Words

Use of a rapid word-recognition chart can build instant recognition of high frequency irregular words.

3. Effective Instruction

Chard et al. reviewed the results of 24 studies that investigated the application of reading fluency interventions for students with reading disabilities. Their findings indicate that effective fluency interventions included:

• Provision of an explicit model of fluent reading
• Multiple readings of text with corrective feedback on missed words
• Established performance criteria for increasing the difficulty level of the text
• Instruction and practice recognizing larger orthographic units quickly enhanced fluency

4. Choosing Text for Repeated Readings

• Choose a selection of 50-100 words at the student’s instructional reading level.
  • If the student takes more than 2 minutes or makes more than 5-10 errors, the passage is too difficult.
• Determine the number of WCPM.
  • When the student is able to read 80-85 WCPM, increase the difficulty level of the passages.
• Consider QuickReads (www.quickreads.org)

5. Rate-Building

• Every two weeks, have the student read a passage at their independent level of similar difficulty to passages in rate-building exercise.
• If rate has improved, the teacher sets new target rate on the new rate plus 40%.
• Conducted in a small group setting in two 15 to 20 minute sessions daily.

6. Reading Fluency Programs and Related Web Sites

• Read Charlotte https://www.homereadinghelper.org/2nd-grade-reading-skills-fluency/
• Concept Phonics (http://wwwoxtonhouse.com)
• Great Leaps (www.greatleaps.com)
• One Minute Reader (www.oneminutereader.com)