Fluency
Definition: Fluency is the ability to read text accurately, quickly and with proper expression (National Reading Panel, 2000).
Why is it important?
- Fluency is the bridge between word recognition and comprehension, and it is considered to be the cornerstone of successful reading.
What might I observe in students who need support?
- Students stop to sound out many of the words.
- Students read with little expression.
- Students read haltingly, attending little, if at all, to punctuation.
- Students read too quickly, attending little, if at all, to punctuation.
- Students may stop/pause at awkward places in a sentence, distorting meaning.
Learn more
- Review a Fluency Rubric.
- Read more about fluency instruction in the National Reading Panel report.
There are many ways to practice the critical skill of reading fluency. For example, try these Everyday Fluency Strategies or Student Center Activities in fluency for grades K-5. You can also organize a Reader’s Theater performance. You can learn more about Reader’s Theater in Implementation Strategies.
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Introduction
- 1Overview
- 2Key Terms
- 3Literacy Diagram
- 4Literacy: A Cornerstone of College and Career Readiness
- 5Literacy Skills Develop Over Time
- 6“Texts†Come in All Shapes and Sizes
- 7Literacy: An Evolving Set of Skills
- 8Oral Language and the Reading Connection
- 9Unlocking Meaning: Vocabulary is the Key
- 10The Vocabulary Gap
- 11How Do Reading Skills Develop?
- 12How Do We Become Good Readers?
- 13Five Components of Reading
- 14Phonemic Awareness
- 15Phonics
- 16Fluency
- 17Vocabulary
- 18Comprehension
- 19Comprehension — Putting the Pieces Together
- 20Developmental Stages of Reading
- 21Stage 1 — Visual Cue Word Recognition
- 22Stage 2 — Phonetic Cue Word Recognition
- 23Stage 3 — Controlled Word Recognition
- 24Stage 4 — Automatic Word Recognition
- 25Stage 5 — Strategic Reading
- 26Stage 6 — Proficient Adult Reading
- 27How’s My Reading?
- 28The Power of Writing!
- 29How Writing Skills Develop
- 30Why Literacy Is Important
- 31Preventing Summer Learning Loss
- 32Literacy Everywhere
- 33Deepen Your Understanding
- 34Listen to Students Read Aloud
- 35The Value of Good Questions
- 36Motivation — A Key to Promoting Positive Reading Behaviors
- 37Literacy Skills Affect Future Success and Civic Participation
- 38Learn More Library
- 39Acknowledgments
- 40Congratulations
- 41Check for Understanding
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Implementation Strategies
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Coaching My Staff
My Notebook
Literacy
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Glossary
Literacy