Fluency Intervention
Through oral reading and especially repeated reading, the reader begins to bridge phrasing in oral speech and appropriate phrasing in reading written text. Repeated oral reading, then, leads to fluency not just in decoding but also in meaningful phrasing. And improved fluency leads to better reading in general, better comprehension in particular.
Echo reading
The teacher reads a line and the student(s) read back the line.
Choral reading
The student reads or attempts to read a text while at the same time hearing a more fluent reading of the same text by classmates and the teacher. Done on a regular and repeated basis, the student begins to internalize the fluent reading of the text being read, as well as other texts he or she may encounter. Poetry is a good choice since it is meant to be read aloud.
Paired Reading:
A form of supported reading that involves two readers at opposite ends of the fluency spectrum. The less able reader chooses the text to read. The more able reader matches the reading fluency of the less able reader giving the correct pronunciation of a word if the other student errors. The less able student can read on his own by giving a non verbal signal. By engaging in this for 15 minutes per day, growth can occur by a factor of 3 to 5.
Recorded Texts
The reader reads a text while simultaneously listening to a fluent rendition on tape. If another person does not sit next to the student, he or she may choose to listen to the story without reading it.
Repeated readings
Silently or orally although oral repeated reading is the predominant and preferred form for developing fluency. Oral repeated readings provide additional sensory reinforcement for the reader allowing him or her to focus on the prosodic (i.e. intentional) elements of reading that are essential to phrasing.
Read Naturally is
a software program that develops fluency with guided oral repeated reading and student self monitoring of their oral fluency.
Encourage fluency through phrasing:
Teach students to read in phrases. Place slash marks at natural breaks. Have the student try to read fluently to each slash mark before pausing. The ability to separate a text into phrases aids comprehension. Repeated oral reading, then, leads to fluency not just in decoding but also in meaningful phrasing. And improved fluency leads to better reading in general, better comprehension in particular.
Read Aloud
A teacher reading aloud increases student fluency because teachers model for students what fluent, meaningful reading is like. Students learn they need to read in the same expressive, meaningful manner.
Readers’ Theater
Regardless of the type of materials for readers’ theater-whether prepared script, text right from a story, the students’ own scripts, or a teacher-created dialogue-students need many opportunities to practice reading their parts individually and with the other characters before they perform.
Buddy Reading
Pairing older less fluent readers as buddies with younger students to read easier text can improve fluency if working on a regular basis with that younger student. This provides motivation for the older student as well. Read-aloud necessitates that everyone, even skilled readers, prepare an easy text, poor readers aren’t embarrassed by reading a “baby book” over and over.
Timed repeated readings
The strategy consists of having students reread short, meaningful passages of text to reach a personal reading rate goal. In general, goals in the range of 80 to 100 words per minute are reasonable. (This strategy should be used with other strategies)