Reading to Learn: Fluency Activities

Literacy advocates believe that children should not just learn to read—they should read to learn. This is far more than just a pithy saying; it is the foundation of all good literacy education. What's the difference between the two approaches? Learning to read is the process of acquiring a skill, much like learning to tie a shoe or solve a multiplication problem. This skill is, of course, vital. But it should be viewed not just as a skill but also as a lifelong experience—and that's where "reading to learn" comes in. Students who read to learn use their literacy as a powerful tool. They make inferences, discover contexts, and amass novel and exciting information about the world around them. Learning to read is the crucial first step, while reading to learn is the ultimate goal.

In Tuesday's post, we began a discussion about the importance of fluency. This is a key component of literacy and can cause some frustration for struggling readers. Once fluency is mastered, though, it unlocks the doors to comprehension and to vocabulary acquisition. Fluent readers move beyond "learning to read" and experience the satisfaction of "reading to learn." We defined fluency in our previous post; today, we will look at some research-based activities that have helped many struggling readers.

Guided Reading. This is one of the first steps to take when tutoring a striving reader. A student who struggles with fluency may not inherently understand what good reading sounds like. Read aloud to your child, asking her what she notices about the way in which you read (e.g., do you speed up in certain places? Slow down in others? Do you put special emphasis on key ideas?). Then, the two of you can do an "echo reading." First, you read a phrase, sentence, or paragraph (depending on your child's level of fluency and confidence). Then, you ask her to read that same phrase, sentence, or paragraph to you. By "echoing" your correct reading style, she will learn how it feels and sounds to be a fluent reader.

Readers' Theater. This is a terrific activity for a small group, but it can work with a tutor-student pair as well. To set up your "Readers Theater," you just need a script. There are thousands of plays written specifically for children (many of which are based on classic stories). The "dramatic" nature of Readers' Theater means that students must bring their own intonation, inflection, and even movement to the lines they are reading. By doing this, they lend meaning to the words. This is a fun activity that really shows the distinction between a monotonous recitation and an animated performance.

Repeating Reading. Some texts lend themselves naturally to repeated reading, particularly nursery rhymes and other rhyming poems (such as Shel Silverstein's great works, which kids of all reading levels love). Poems are perfect for practicing reading rate, intonation, inflection, and phrasing—in other words, all the key elements of fluency! If your child needs a little extra help, read the poem aloud to him before asking him to read it back to you.

As with so many skills, fluency requires practice. If you would like to hire a tutor to help your child get the practice she needs, your can find an online tutor here.