Fluent readers can read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression and usually have well-developed word recognition skills (National Reading Panel 2000). If a student takes a great deal of time to figure out each word in a text, however, the meaning of a sentence or a paragraph is usually lost. As Hirsch (2003) describes:

Have you ever tried to understand what is being said in a movie in a foreign language (say in French) that you have studied in school? Even if you know the words, isn’t it frustrating that they speak so fast? While you are trying to work out what the actors just said, they are already saying something else, and your mind gets overloaded.

Fluency is inter-related with word knowledge and what Hirsch (2003) calls domain (or subject area or content) knowledge. That is, knowing many words helps the reader recognize other words and speeds up reading in general. Also, prior knowledge about the topic aids in basic comprehension and lets the reader focus on making connections between new information from the text and information the reader has already learned.

Recommendations for effective instruction

Studies support the use of repeated reading—that is, having students read passages aloud multiple times while receiving guidance or feedback from peers, parents, or teachers. This practice helps improve students’ reading ability, at least through fifth grade, and helps improve struggling readers much later as well (National Reading Panel 2000).

 Posted: March 6, 2009

©2009 Center for Public Education