Reading fluency is the ability to read a story with ease. It is one of the most important skills for a child to master in the early elementary years. Not only does a fluent reader make the transition to being a fluent writer much easier than a non-fluent reader, but as students get older reading plays an important role in math, science and social studies, too. If you are concerned about your child's reading skis, here's some advice to increase reading fluency.
Read aloud to your child to improve reading fluency. Even if your child is old enough to read by himself, it's helpful for him to hear someone more experienced read to him. He will get a better sense of rhythm. And if you pick a variety of different styles, it will help develop an appreciation for all types of books. Meanwhile, it is beneficial for your child to gain knowledge from books, opening his eyes to people, places, animals and ideas.
Create a reading area. Give your child a place to which he can go to be comfortable while he reads, one that is filled with his own books. While it may not help with the technical components of fluency, it helps in building an overall appreciation for reading.
Paired reading is more than reading aloud. Paired reading can mean alternating sentences while you read with your child or reading aloud together Just come up with a signal to indicate when your child wants to read a sentence by herself or is stuck on a word. Reading with someone else encourages students to ty reading materials that maybe above their usual reading level, while also building oral skills.
Practice critical reading with your older child. Fluency isn't just about being able to recognize the words and read them expressively at a good pace. It means reading with the goal of finding deep understanding of what you have read. Critical reading is a critical skill for third, fourth and fifth graders.
