Reading Fluency

        In Elementary Education classes we talk a lot about teaching children to read, and because of this I have found myself asking the question, "how did I learn to read?" Just this week I came to the realization that I literally cannot remember how I learned to read. I can recall my parents reading to me, my teachers reading books to me, and even some of my in-class small group readings, but I absolutely cannot remember turning letters into words, and words into sentences. It is almost as if one day I had no idea how to read, and the next day I was a completely fluent reader. However, I think the reason I cannot recall how I went from learning letters and words, to reading full sentences without hesitation, is because fluency is a process. If someone were to ask me what reading fluency is I would say it is about being able to read sentences without hesitation, however it is so much more. On page 245 of our course text, fluency is defined as "a combination of accuracy, automaticity, and prosody when reading." The text book shows fluency is made up of different elements that enact as a path to comprehension. If a child can read accurately, than that means he or she can decode text automatically and accurately, and does not have to dwell on every sound in a word. If a child can read automatically, then that means he or she can read at an appropriate pace and expression. Once a child masters accuracy and automaticity, then he or she has reached the aspect of language;prosody. If a child obtains prosody, then that means he or she can comprehend the text they are reading because they are able to read with appropriate rate and expression.

        Upon first learning about fluency, I had no problem with grasping the meaning of the word. However what stumped me was trying to figure out how someone might actually teach fluency. I originally thought reading fluency was acquired by expanding ones vocabulary and constantly reading things over and over again. Though repetition is a key component of reading fluency, it is not the whole package. On page 245 of our course text there are multiple ways reading fluency can be incorporate into the classroom. These methods include, echo reading, choral reading, paired readings, Reader's Theater, antiphonal reading, tape-assisted reading, and repeated reading. Whether listening to a reading and repeating it back, reading together as one, taking turns reading, reading with a partner, or listening to readings, children are expanding their reading fluency. My favorite method is Reader's Theater because there is so much you can do with it. You can do as little as having your students stand up and read the lines of a story, to as much as reading the story out loud, dressing up, and acting the story out.  This not only helps their reading fluency, but also teaches them to listen and follow along, as well as comprehend what they are hearing. Children vary from one another when it comes to the ways that they learn and comprehend things, but what we do know is that children learn best when they are having fun. Therefore the more engaged children are with their readings, the quicker their fluency will develop. Like I stated above fluency is a process and takes time to develop, so as teachers it is important for us to incorporate reading fluency into our classroom everyday, with every lesson. Simple things such as having students repeat back things we have read or said, can be crucial in a student's reading fluency development. The more they practice, the more they will begin to comprehend and lose all sense of hesitation.
        One question for thought that I have is, Do you think the fluency methods that involve a teacher reading out loud a sentence, then having the students repeat it back, could possibly take away from the students actually paying attention to the words that are in front of them? They might be saying the words/sentences back, but are they recognizing the letters that form the words, or the structure of the sentences? Just because they can say it, does not mean they can necessarily recognize it on paper.