Over the past several weeks I have been placing much emphasis on reading. The series began by examining the various aspects of reading and reading instruction. I then began taking a closer look at reading in the primary grade levels.
The most recent reading articles pertained to reading at the kindergarten and first grade levels. In this article I will wrap up the primary reading classroom instruction with discussion about second and third grade reading.
By the time that a child reaches the second or third grade, reading has become much more complex. The children should be able to read and more detailed instruction should be given.
Accuracy
At this level the teacher should be encouraging and promoting reading accuracy. The teacher should facilitate the students in using their previous learned knowledge to determine new words. The teacher also points out spelling patterns and introduces concepts such as suffixes and prefixes along with their meanings. The students should be using a variety of techniques to determine unfamiliar words. They should be picking up on context clues and using previous knowledge.
Fluency
It is important that teachers at this level continue to read aloud to the students. The teacher should be modeling fluent reading. In addition, the teacher should monitor the fluency of the students by listening to them read aloud. The teacher may also complete timed reading rates. The students practice and increase their reading fluency by reading and reading and more reading. Remember fluency is best practiced and strengthened when the reading takes place aloud and is monitored by a fluent reader.
Increasing Fluency
There are several activities that teachers can use at this level to help increase a student’s reading fluency. In addition to listening to the students read, the teacher can provide books on tape in a listening center for students to read along with as they listen.