How to Improve Fluency in Elementary Schools?

Answer 1

Improving fluency, or the rate at which a student reads, is a monumental task for some teachers. Students who are not fluent may become frustrated or bored with reading. Improving fluency requires some work and cannot be done overnight, but there are some steps that the elementary reading or classroom teacher can take that will work to improve fluency for most students.

For students in primary grades, sight words are very important. Sight words are common words that students need to be able to identify by sight. These words are compiled in a variety of lists. One such list is the Dolch list. Dolch lists can be found online or in most reading programs. Print these words for all students, those who are fluent and those who read at a normal or even accelerated pace.

Have students read a list of 25-30 words individually. Help students with difficult words. Do not time this reading. After the student has completed the list, point out words that presented problems. Remind the student of letter sounds and patterns. Now, have the student read the list a second time. Record that time. Correct any errors and have the student re-read the list. If the student’s speed has improved, the student is reading the list fluently, then he or she will be ready to move on to the next list tomorrow. Before the new words are presented the next day, have the student review the prior list.

Once the student has mastered the Dolch words, try the same routine with Fry phrases. These are simple phrases consisting of 3-4 words. The student needs to be able to identify these phrases by sight. Follow the same directions as for the Dolch lists.

A wonderful tool for improving fluency is the establishment of a listening center. Books and read-along CD’s provide students an opportunity to hear the story prior to trying to read it alone. Using headphones is also recommended.

Allowing students to tape themselves read provides them with immediate feedback. They are often surprised at the common errors they make, and they can often learn self-correction. This tends to be more challenging than the listening center.