One of the California reading standards focuses on the development of fluency. Fluency is the ability to read smoothly, accurately and with natural expression. In order to read smoothly, the reader needs to have a large sight word vocabulary which will enable them to read with automaticity. Automaticity is the ability to quickly and accurately recognize words. It allows cognitive resources to focus on comprehension rather than decoding. Automaticity is developed through practice. As students get older, usually beginning around 4th grade, the ability to automatically recognize prefixes and suffixes is important as well.
One of the most effective strategies for improving fluency is the implementation of Repeated Reading. Repeated Reading gives youth an opportunity to practice words to automaticity which ultimately helps the youth be fluent. The fluency formula is the number of words read in 1 minute – the number of errors which then = the number of words read per minute. Typical words-per-minute are 60 for 1st graders, 70 for 2nd graders, and 80 for 3rd graders. In typical repeated reading lessons, youth would practice a leveled passage for approximately 10 minutes each day. This practice can be in the form of partner reading, participation in a reader’s theater, or reading along with a passage on tape. During the practice, if a word is mispronounced, then a correction is made and the youth continues practicing. After practicing for four days, youth would again do the 1 minute challenge and see the growth they have made. Consistency and routine in Repeated Reading is what gets results. Talk with the school day teachers to see if they have access to leveled reading passages. If not, you can find them at Reading A-Z for a subscription fee, at www.readinga-z.com .
Ready for the next step with Consult For Kids? Get started here and claim your free resource.