Once a child learns to read some believe that reading instruction should stop and that the job is complete. However there is much more to reading than simply being able to call the words.
After a child has mastered being able to read we then must focus on how he or she reads. It is the goal for all readers to be fluent.
Fluency is the ability of a reader to be able to read a passage of text accurately and quickly. A fluent reader can read aloud with expression and without struggle. Readers who are less fluent read slower with choppy word patterns.
Fluency helps close the gap between recognizing the words and understanding the text. It is the bridge to reading comprehension. Fluent readers do not have to worry with decoding words or figuring out the text. They can put their focus on the meaning of the text. A less fluent reader puts more attention on saying the word and figuring out how to say the word rather than the meaning of the word.
Fluency is developed over a period of time. Readers must practice reading aloud and learning when to put pauses and expressions into the reading. The ability of a reader to read fluently changes depending on what material the reader is reading. A fluent reader may read slower and less fluently when given unfamiliar material such as a book with unknown scientific terms.
Studies are finding that school children seem to rate low in reading fluency. One study, which examined fourth grade children, found that 44% were low in reading fluency. The students who were found to be low in fluency were also low in comprehension.
Because reading fluency and comprehension are so closely ties together, it is important to instruct our children how to read fluently. In the next article I will begin describing some ways in which to increase your child’s reading fluency.