Teachers and parents are typically in agreement that it is vitally important for children that in their first few years of school to have a good foundational understanding of phonics, fluency in their reading skills, a good basis to comprehend and understand what they are reading, and a good understanding of a wide vocabulary. However, a recent study indicated that children who were entering or already in the fourth grade were having a difficult time reading fluently – in other words, they had no speed when they read, their accuracy with the words they read was a bit off base, and they were unable to do the correct expressions most of the time. This is an alarming thing as kids this age should be able to read on their level with ease. So, programs have been put in place and become increasingly popular to help young students gain reading fluency; these programs are known as Reading Fluency Programs.
To help young readers get a better grasp on reading and not have to struggle to get through a passage, it is important for teachers and even parents to set up what is known as reading fluency programs. There are some practices that can help readers build up their fluency and not struggle as much when they read. The programs out there are available at DickerReading.com which will help you know where to start bridging the gap from getting through the words to reading fluently.
Be a model for fluent reading
You cannot expect a young child to understand what their reading fluency needs to sound like without allowing them to hear it and give them a basis to go off of. Teachers or students who are fluent in reading can read out loud to other students so that the struggling students can hear what they should sound like when they read aloud. This method is popular because it helps children learn how to do expressions and intonations when they read and gives them something to hold onto instead of making them feel ashamed.
Introduce important vocabulary first
Before you, as the teacher introduces a new passage that the students are to read, you should read through it on your own first. You should find some vocabulary that they may struggle pronouncing, understanding and practice those words alone with them before reading the book. This will teach them how to pronounce the words easier and understand what they mean in the context of the book. This practice gives the student more confidence and the ability to read the passage with more fluency.
Praise your students when they read fluently
Students need to be guided gently when they make a mistake so that they know how to correct the mistake the next time. However, it is also highly beneficial for the teacher or another person of authority to praise the student when they do read fluently. For most struggling students, trying to read fluently is hard and can make their confidence go down every time they make a mistake. So it is important to give your student encouragement and praise and make them feel as if their efforts are not going unnoticed and they are doing a great job.
Being able to read fluently is incredibly important and can cause a student to not understand and perform any type of proficient reading if it is not addressed as quickly as possible. Implementing some of these reading fluency programs can help the student improve faster and get them the confidence they need to go from reading just to get the words out to reading with total fluency while comprehending the passage that they are reading and finding reading success! If you are looking for ways to get your child started with fluency program but don’t know where to start, look into DickerReading.com for help and some guided places to begin!
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