TWENTY WAYS TO HELP CHILDREN IMPROVE READING FLUENCY AND SKILLS
1. Continue to read aloud to your children. Even when they can read by themselves, it is
important for them to hear a more fluent reader read. You can share reading time with your
children by taking turns reading parts out loud or by participating in choral readings where you
read together.
2. If you have older children, encourage them to read with and to help your younger children
with reading. You learn best when you have to teach someone else. If your children are only
children or around the same age, try to have them volunteer in programs where they read with
younger children.
3. Instruct children about how texts are put together. Show them how some books go from
beginning to end while others start in the middle. Talk to them about titles, headings,
pictures, etc. and what you can learn from these. Point out clues in reading like things that
are repeated, things in bold or italics, etc. Explain the difference between non-fiction and
fiction, figurative language (poetic language) and literal language ("plain" English).
Encourage your children to read a variety of things--non-fiction, fiction, short stories, poems,
articles, etc. so that they understand about different genres.
4. Help children to generate questions about what they have read. These questions should deal
with the what, how and why of the things they have read. Children should know the purpose of
the story or article, the main characters or whose point of view it is, the action, and how the
author goes about putting everything together. In addition, they should ask can I trust what I
have read--why or why not?
5. Assist children in using clues from what they have read to predict what might happen next in
a story or to make an inference about something an author hints at but doesn't say in an
article. Teach your children about how authors make choices about what to include in what they
write.
6. Discuss what your children have read with them. Don't simply focus on comprehension
questions; inaddition, ask their feelings about what they read, what stood out to them and why,
what they liked and didn't like and why and if the text reminds them of something else.
7. Encourage your child to write in response to reading. They can keep a journal of reading
responses with thoughts about the reading including what they learned, what they liked or didn't
like and what happened in what they read. They can also include any unanswered questions after
reading.
8. Have your children read out loud to you. If they make errors, do not correct them as they
are reading and let small errors go. Repeated errors or errors that can affect comprehension
should be corrected by bringing the child back to the mistake and asking him or her to read it
again. If the same error is made, review what it was and discuss the mistake with the child. If
the child corrects him or herself, the reading should continue on from there. Whenever you are
unsure of whether your child has made a fatal error, do not correct him or her. (A fatal error
would be reading the wrong word for a key word but not reversing something like of and for
unless this is done repeatedly).
9. Model good reading for your children. Share what you read with them or read what they are
reading. Talk to them about the things you find important in what you read and why. Show them
how you form opinions about reading and how you use clues in the text to help guide
comprehension. In addition, explain the connections you can make with a text and the criticisms
(good and bad) that you might have about it. Share the questions that you generate about a text
as well.
10. Read yourself. Children will imitate you and will be more likely to read and read well in a
house filled with all types of interesting books. Also, show your children how reading a lot of
materials can help with the background knowledge to understand new ideas.
11. Create a special reading area for your children. Let them make decisions about how it should
be decorated and what should be contained there.
12. Increase children's vocabulary by playing word games like "Wheel of Fortune", Scrabble,
Boggle or Mad Libs. A family games night is the perfect way to find ways to increase a child's
word power.
13. If your school does not provide them, create reading lists for your children. Have a
celebration of some sort or an incentive built in when your child finishes a part or all of the
list. Do not just leave the child to read the books, though, structure questions, conversations
and activities into the reading list.
14. Incorporate reading into your everyday life. Show your children and share with them what
you read during the day. Also, use any opportunity for reading: an outing, learning about an
illness, learning about an activity or pet, etc. Complete the reading beforehand then discuss
the event and the reading afterwards.
15. Try not to criticize your child's reading choices. If they love comic books, get a book
about illustration or about the illustrator of their favorite comic strip. Whenever possible,
use their interests to guide their reading choices and give them some power in making decisions
about what to read.
16. Use a child's love of television or movies to your advantage. Pair books and related movies
together then have your child compare and contrast the two.
17. Remember that reading on a computer is also reading. Select good reading sites from the
internet that you and your child can participate in. In addition, use books on tape if your
kids like to listen.
18. For reluctant or non-readers, choose books that deal with issues that affect them in their
lives. Be careful to ensure that the books are current and are directed to your child's age
group.
19. Offer praise whenever your child reads. Do so in a realistic fashion and in a way that your
child will appreciate it. You can use special certificates or reading hugs, as appropriate.
20. Encourage your child to analyze and to critically think about what he or she reads. One way
to do this is to have the child identify the purpose, audience and voice of the piece. Use two
pieces of writing about the same topic but which have a different purpose, audience or voice to
show how two pieces of writing can be very different based upon what the author thinks the
reader needs or wants to hear. You can also use two different types of writing with the same
theme--for example a short story and a poem about love--then have your child compare and
contrast them.
SOURCE: http://www.ves.wpsb.org/focus/ways%20to%20help.html
Fluency
Strategies/ Websites that address Fluency-
Developing Reading Fluency
This site explains what is meant by reading fluency and discusses ways in which teachers can
help their students improve their reading fluency.
http://www.auburn.edu/~murraba/fluency.html
Writing a Movie: Summarizing and Rereading a Film Script
An innovative method for encouraging fluency and creative writing, the writing a movie technique
is suggested for students in grades 3 to 8.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=200
Using a Predictable Text to Teach High-Frequency Words
To become fluent readers, students must develop automaticity with high frequency words. This
lesson plan uses a predictable text to help students master high frequency words.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=131
Surefire Strategies for Developing Reading Fluency
This site has activities to help students in grades 2 to 5 improve their reading fluency.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachstrat/readingfluencystrategies.htm
Suggested Reading for Readers Who Lack Fluency
At this site teachers will find clear instructions for using echo reading, shadowed reading, and
assisted reading to improve fluency.
http://www.lpb.org/education/parents/supported.html
The Reading Performance: Understanding Fluency Through Oral Interpretation
Here teachers will find a standards-based lesson plan that uses the oral reading of poetry to
develop fluency for students in grades 6 to 8.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=28
Readers Theater
Detailed instructions for using Readers Theater to improve fluency can be found at this site.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=172
Teachers' Corner: Oral Reading Fluency
This concise outline describes strategies and the characteristics of students for whom these
strategies are most appropriate.
http://www.ops.org/reading/fluency.htm
Caption Center
Students can improve their reading fluency by reading captions on television programs and films.
Visit the Caption Center website to learn more about the educational uses of captioning.
http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/services/captioning/