What is fluency?
Fluency is very important. “Fluency is a combination of accuracy, automaticity and prosody when reading (Morrow, 2015). Let’s put this in simpler terms, children that read fluently are able to decode text automatically and accurately (Morrow, 2015). Fluent readers also read quickly and with expression.
Parents can help their children develop reading fluency:
Favorite Books:
Encourage your child to re-read their favorite books several times over several weeks. You may notice the more your child reads these books, they will read faster and with more accuracy. Repeated reading provides the opportunity for students to read fluently because they are familiar with the text.
Record themselves:
Have your child record themself while they are reading and then listen to the recording. This allows your child to practice and hear their fluency. Your child can also create their own story book and record themself reading the story they created.
Read with our child:
Read together with your child every day. Take turns reading aloud and make sure that you model reading fluently for your child. Make sure to use expression while your read.
References
Morrow, L.M. (2015). Literacy development in the early years: helping children read and write.
Pearson.