Fluency is necessary for good comprehension. When a reader is struggling to decode words, little mental energy is left for comprehension. A Fluent Reader Has automatic word recognition Is able to figure out unknown quickly using context and word patterns Reads with appropriate phrasing and expression ***Don't be fooled, however. Just because a child is a fluent reader, does not mean that the child is comprehending. However, a child who struggles with fluency will also have difficulty comprehending. Ways to Build Fluency Provide many opportunities to practice when children are starting to read. Allow children to use a finger, marker, or a transparent ruler as they read. Read, read, read. Like participating in individual or team sports or playing a musical instrument, it takes daily practice to be good. Automaticity comes with hours of reading practice. Read material at an easier level so that decoding is not an issue. Practice at independent levels of text difficulty is important. A suggested ratio of easier to difficult text is 80/20, 80 percent easy and 20 percent at the instructional level. Encourage children to read silently before reading orally. To be good at anything requires practice. Provide opportunities for reading aloud by scheduling practices for choral reading, reading dialogue from stories, and booktalks that include reading aloud excerpts of favorite, exciting, or humorous parts. Reread text. Fluency will develop when children reread text with a high rate of success. Model fluent reading. Children need to hear good models of text reading to understand how reading should sound.