Tips for Fluency Practice At Home
1. Repeated readings: Repeatedly read the same text. Read the same short story 3-5 times. Have your child read the story aloud to you once a night for 3-5 nights. Listen for improvements from the first read to the fifth read. Listen for problem words, expression, attention to punctuation, appropriate phrasing and pausing at commas. Explain to your child that reading the same short story a few times will build fluency.
2. Partner reading: The easiest and best way to help your child develop fluency is to sit with your child and read! Read together every day, which is often called paired or buddy reading. To use paired reading, simply take turns reading aloud. You go first, as your reading provides a model of what good fluent reading sounds like. Then, ask your child to re-read the same page you just read. You'll notice that your child's reading will start to sound more and more like yours. Do this for several pages. Once your child is comfortable enough, and familiar enough with the book, take turns reading page for page. Taking turns reading the text, however you see fit. (Every other page, every other paragraph, etc.).
***Make sure your child follows along with you as you read. Do not allow them to get distracted from the text or daydream as you read.
***FYI: When fluency breaks down, your child’s comprehension may break down as well. As you model fluent reading, they will gain a better understanding of the story. They will also become aware of your intonation, your pronunciation of words, and the overall flow of the story, which will improve their reading performance.
3. Choral reading: Reading the text together simultaneously. This is another strategy that can be intertwined with others. You do not have to read the entire text this way. This activity is a lot of fun with poetry.
4. Reread Favorite Books: Another way parents can help develop fluency is to build a tall stack of books that your child can read quickly and easily. Encourage your child to reread favorite books over and over again. With each reading, you may notice your child reading a bit easier, a bit faster, and with a bit more confidence and expression.
5. Record It: Another fun way to practice reading and build fluency is to have your child create her own audio books. This can be done simply with a tape recorder or audio recording feature or app (like Audioboo) on your phone. Or, use something more sophisticated like StoryKit, where a user can create an electronic storybook and record audio to accompany it. Regardless of the method you choose, your child will be practicing what they want to record and that reading practice is critical. Sharing your audio recordings with family and friends is a great motivator too!
6. Have Fun!!