Tips to Improve Reading Fluency

Reading fluency is a crucial skill that plays a significant role in academic success and overall comprehension. Fluent readers can effortlessly decode and understand text, making the learning process smoother and more enjoyable. If your child struggles to read fluently, here are some things to consider.

Why is Reading Fluency Important?

Reading fluency is vital for several reasons. First, poor reading fluency impacts comprehension. If your child is struggling through decoding every word, they’re not going to get the big picture and easily interpret what they’re reading. 

Secondly, fluent readers often perform better in school since they can quickly and easily grasp information that they read. If your child is not a fluent reader, they will struggle through tests, word problems, reading assignments, and other areas that may impact grades and confidence.

Finally, reading fluency impacts confidence and motivation for reading and learning. If reading is burdensome, kids are more likely to avoid tasks, dread reading, and feel unmotivated for school and learning.

What Skills Do You Need to Have to Read Fluently?

Becoming a fluent reader requires mastering various underlying skills, including:

• Phonics and Decoding: Understanding letter-sound relationships and decoding words accurately is fundamental for fluency. Learn more about the importance of a science of reading based intervention here >>
• Sight Word Recognition: Being able to recognize common words instantly without having to sound them out is essential for faster reading. While sight word instruction should not be the foundation of reading approaches, it is important to build recognition of common or especially difficult words. If your child consistently fails to recognize even basic words, it could be a sign of a visual processing or memory deficit.
• Vocabulary: A rich vocabulary enables readers to comprehend and contextualize what they read, contributing to fluency.
• Comprehension: Fluent readers don’t just read quickly but also comprehend and connect ideas in the text to previous experience.

Tips to Build Reading Fluency:

Before you can read fluently, you have to make sure your child’s cognitive skills are capable of keeping up with their current levels and needs. Here are a few key suggestions to build this skill:

• Start with familiar texts. Begin by reading texts that are slightly below your child’s current reading level but are familiar and of interest. This approach helps build confidence and encourages frequent reading practice.
• Work on building processing speed. Slow processing speed is one of the key reasons for poor fluency in reading. If your child’s brain can’t process the words in front of them quickly enough, they are going to labor through texts and struggle with comprehension.
• Make sure auditory processing and visualization skills are strong. When you look at a word, your brain has to “hear” the word, assign it a visual image, and connect these things to prior knowledge for true comprehension to happen. If there are hiccups in any of these cognitive processes, fluency is going to suffer. 
• Set timers and practice. Dedicate regular time each day for reading practice. Set achievable goals and use timers to track your progress. Consistent practice is the best way to gain confidence and experience in a wide variety of texts!

Reading Intervention at LearningRx

Reading fluency is a key part of learning, and it’s a foundational goal of our reading intervention at LearningRx. When we look at a struggling reader, we don’t just accommodate by giving them more time or letting them listen to audiobooks instead. We look at WHY they are struggling and what skills we can build to make learning and reading easier. 

In a recent research study with more than 3,500 struggling readers, the average gain across 5 reading skills was 4.1 skill years in only 24 weeks!

While these results may vary and every brain is unique, we’d love the chance to talk more about your goals and what building cognitive skills may be able to do to help your child. Contact us here today!