Miss Kelley's First Grade Reader's Theater

What is fluency? According the National Reading Panel (2000), fluency is the ability to read text with speed, accuracy and proper expression.  Fluent readers: Recognize words automatically Read aloud effortlessly and with expression Do not have to concentrate on decoding Can focus on comprehension  Why is fluency important? “Fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.” (Reading Links, 2002, p. 9).   Fluency doesn’t ensure comprehension, but comprehension is difficult without fluency.  If a reader is constantly stopping to decode and figure out unknown words, most likely meaning will be disrupted and the process of reading becomes long and laborious. When students make gains in reading fluency, they are able to put their energies into comprehension and are able to analyze, interpret, draw conclusions, and infer meaning from texts.   The 3 Components of Fluency Accuracy: Also known as automaticity, it refers to the person's ability to read words in a text. Rate: The speed a person reads. Prosody: Refers to stress, intonation, and pauses. Commonly known as "reading with feeling". In order to implement fluency teaching into reading instruction, teachers need to be aware of the three components of fluency. Fluency Instruction Teachers need to select and facilitate the best methods of fluency instruction for their children and their classrooms. The following four components are needed for good fluency instruction. Model fluent reading. Use guided oral reading instruction. Give students ways to practice and perform. Implement word study activities to build accuracy. This is a GREAT example of how Miss Kelley gives students ways to practice and perform: