What
is it?
Reading fluency is one of the building blocks of
reading. Fluency refers to the ability of readers to
read quickly, effortlessly, and efficiently with
good, meaningful expression.
The fluency-reading comprehension link
It means much more than mere accuracy in reading.
While many readers can decode words accurately they
may not be fluent or, as some reading experts have
termed, automatic in their word recognition (see
automaticity). These readers tend to spend the
majority of their energy figuring out the
pronunciation of unknown words, energy that takes
away from the more important task of getting to the
text's overall meaning: comprehension. Thus, the
lack of fluency often results in poor reading
comprehension.
Fluent readers, on the other hand, are able to read
words accurately and effortlessly. They recognize
words and phrases instantly on sight. Very little
mental energy is spent in decoding words. This means
then, that the maximum amount of mental energy can
be focused on the all-important task of making sense
of the text.
It's all about practice.
No one is ever born a fluent reader, it just takes
practice. The best way to do that is by adopting new
strategies with the support of caring adults,
mentors and tutors.
Check out fluency strategies in the National Database.
|
