Reading Fluency

What is it?

Fluency is the ability to read with Expression, Automatic word recognition, Rhythm and phrasing, and Smoothness (EARS), It is the critical link between decoding and comprehension. The building blocks of reading fluency are:

Modeled Fluent Reading

Supportive or Assisted Reading

Reading Practice: Wide Reading

Reading Practice: Repeated Reading

Rhythm and Phrasing

(The Megabook of Fluency, Rasinski & Smith, 2018)

At-home Fluency Activities

• Read a passage and mark where pauses would naturally occur. Use "/" for a short pause and "//" for a longer pause.

Next to a great forest there lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and his two children The boy's name was Hansel and the girl's name was Gretel He had but little to eat and once when a great famine came to the land he could no longer provide even their daily bread

One evening as he was lying in bed worrying about his problems he sighed and said to his wife "What is to become of us? How can we feed our children when we have nothing for ourselves?"

"Man do you know what?" answered the woman "Early tomorrow morning we will take the two children out into the thickest part of the woods make a fire for them and give each of them a little piece of bread then leave them by themselves and go off to our work They will not find their way back home and we will be rid of them"

Next to a great forest  / there lived a poor woodcutter / with his wife  / and his two children // The boy's name was Hansel / and the girl's name was Gretel // He had but little to eat / and once / when a great famine came to the land / he could no longer provide / even their daily bread //

One evening / as he was lying in bed / worrying about his problems / he sighed and said to his wife / "What is to become of us? // How can we feed our children / when we have nothing for ourselves?" //

"Man / do you know what?" // answered the woman // "Early tomorrow morning / we will take the two children out / into the thickest part of the woods / make a fire for them / and give each of them a little piece of bread / then leave them by themselves / and go off to our work // They will not find their way back home / and we will be rid of them" //

• Read phrase lists aloud in phrases, rather than word-by-word. A partner or parents listens for errors. Students should work towards being able to read the entire list in two minutes.

• Practice reading aloud jump-rope chants and tongue twisters with rhythm and expression. Each chant should be practiced multiple times to improve smoothness.