Fluency Instruction
Fluency is defined as the ability to read a text accurately and quickly.
Fluency instruction in Reading Recovery lessons
Examples of Instructional Procedures
Reading Recovery emphasizes the importance of phrased and fluent reading. In Reading Recovery, teachers help children develop phrased and fluent reading by
- appealing to the child’s oral language experience by encouraging fast reading of familiar texts and encouraging intonation.
- encouraging, in early lessons, fast recognition in reading and fast construction of print in writing, working toward fast responding with new learning as quickly as possible.
- demonstrating phrasing on texts in a variety of ways.
- selecting texts that will facilitate familiar reading.
- providing opportunities for multiple readings of familiar texts.
- encouraging flexibility in varying speed of oral reading to match difficulty of the text.
- using a variety of specific procedures, as needed, to promote fluent and phrased reading (see Clay, 2005)
Clay, M. M. (2002). An observation survey of early literacy achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
In Reading Recovery
Fluent reading will be encouraged if the teacher
- attends to the role of oral language.
- questions so that thinking and meaning must be used.
- increases opportunities to get fast access to the visual information in print.
- arranges for plenty of practice in orchestrating complex processing on easy or instructional text levels.
— Clay, 2005, p. 154