Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction

Abstract

Fluent and automatic word recognition has traditionally been considered the hallmark of a good reader. Yet, according to Allington (1983a), traditional conceptions of reading have ignored fluency as a goal. Instead, traditional classes have placed greater emphasis on accurate reading of increasingly more difficult material rather than fluent reading.This article documents an attempt to reorganize second-grade classes around the goal of fluency. We choose second grade because we see this grade as a transition between the simple and predictable material used in first grade to teach children to decode and the more complex stories and expository text used in third grade and above.

Effects of Repeated Readings on Reading Abilities of English Language Learners with Specific Learning Disabilities

“…It involves having the reader repeatedly read a short passage of usually no more than 200 words repeatedly until a satisfactory or predetermined level of fluency is reached (Samuels, 1979;Stahl & Heubach, 2005;Therrien & Kubina, 2006 (Samuels, 1979). According to this theory, beginning readers need to focus on letters and sounds, but as they become more fluent readers they can focus their attention on phrases, sentences, and meaning.…”

“…Repeated readings is an intervention that targets reading fluency by having the reader repeatedly read a short passage of usually no more than 200 words until their fluency improves (Samuels, 1979;Stahl & Heubach, 2005;Therrien & Kubina, 2006). The assumption is that once a student is more fluent in reading the passage, more attention can be focused on comprehension (Samuels, 1979).…”

Being and Becoming American: Triangulating Habitus, Field, and Literacy Instruction in a Multilingual Classroom

“…I later asked Joyce why Christopher should not check out books he has already read, and she replied that she wants students to "challenge themselves." While there is nothing wrong with students selecting challenging reading material, Joyce's privileging of this practice discourages rereading, which may improve fluency (Stahl & Heubach, 2005 Although Joyce reminded the students to use English on two different occasions, she did not remind them to use Spanish when students broke into English. This is significant because, as Joyce later explained in an informal interview, she explicitly asked that her students use Spanish at the start of the lesson.…”

Comparison of Repeated and Two Non-Repeated Readings Conditions on Reading Abilities of Students with Emotional and/or Behavioral Disabilities

“…Repeated readings is an intervention that targets reading fluency by having the reader repeatedly read a short passage of usually no more than 100-150 words until reaching fluency (Samuels, 1979;Stahl & Heubach, 2005). The research on repeated readings indicates that once students are fluent in reading a passage, then more attention can be focused on their comprehension (Samuels, 1979).…”

“…Repeated readings is a strategy that targets reading fluency by having the readers repeatedly read a short passage of usually no more than 200 words until their fluency improves (Samuels, 1979;Stahl & Heubach, 2005;Therrien & Kubina, 2006).…”