Kindergarten Archives

What is Balanced Literacy?

January 5, 2023 Brad Hoffman 2 Comments

As literacy instruction has evolved, the proverbial pendulum has swung from the Bottom-Up approach, which includes a strong focus on phonics instruction, to the Top- Down approach, also known as Whole Language, where authentic literature became the focus. The former, largely popular in the years before the early 1980’s, was essentially built on the idea that literacy instruction at the elementary level should include the “building blocks” of language- grammar, rules, and letter/word family constructs particular to the English language. The philosophy here was that with this Bottom -Up theory, students would integrate the rules that they learned, the vocabulary, etc, and become proficient readers.

The early 1980’s saw the emergence of Whole Language philosophy, which essentially forwarded the idea that the presence of real text-books, magazines, newspapers, school text books (also known as basal readers), would spur students on to become accomplished readers. The idea was that exposure to authentic reading material would encourage fluent reading, and that the actual rules of the language would somehow be “passively” learned.

As one would guess, neither approach to literacy acquisition proved to be a panacea. There were merits and pitfalls to each approach, and as the millennium drew to a close, a new concept, Balanced Literacy, essentially a combination of the best of both Top Down, as well as Bottom Up approaches, took hold. Unfortunately, systematic instruction surrounding phonics has continued to be a challenge, which is why there’s so much emphasis today on discussing the science of reading.

So what is Balanced Literacy? True, evidence-based balanced Literacy should include both reading and writing instruction, each in a variety of settings within the elementary classroom. Reading instruction should systematically address the 5 pillars of reading, which include: 1) phonemic awareness, 2) phonics, 3) fluency and expressiveness, 4) vocabulary, and 5) comprehension.

On a typical day, classrooms have adopted Literacy Blocks, periods of time that are set aside strictly for the purpose of reading and writing instruction. In the Balanced Literacy Model, Reading Instruction includes Shared Reading, Read Alouds, Guided Reading, and Independent Reading.

In Shared Reading, teacher models and support students. She generally keeps a large book on an easel within her reach, and children sit at the carpet in a group. Usually an early, first reading is for enjoyment. Later, the teacher may focus on theme, title, cover, illustrations and predictions. Significantly, it is during this type of reading that student participation is strongly encouraged. Language constructs are emphasized, and in this way, typical phonics/grammar knowledge is reinforced.

The main component of The Reader’s Workshop (a component of the Reading and Writing Project created by Lucy Calkins, and forwarded at New York’s Teachers College ) is usually the Read Aloud. Included is a “Mini-Lesson,” or main Teaching Point. The teacher may focus on any number of elements of the book–author’s style, character development, illustration, vocabulary, setting, and connections that students can make between the story and their own lives, or other books they have read, and many more possible teaching points. The units of study are planned at the beginning of the year (scope) and presented in a designated, timely fashion (sequence).

Guided Reading, another part of the Literacy Block, is a time when students, selected homogeneously for small instructional groups, read in groups of 5 or 6, with a teacher leading the lesson. Just-Right Books, are employed, as determined by the students’ individual reading levels, which are determined by teacher assessment. Within these groups, students “read for a purpose.” Often, the group reads with the teacher’s mini-lesson (from the Read-Aloud) in mind. Alternately, specific strategies are the focus of the during Guided Reading time (“Let’s look today for the author’s use of interesting adjectives as we read chapter 4”). In general, classes have a few Guided Reading groups, which alternate their time with the lead teacher. Oftentimes, teaching assistants, and sometimes special education teachers supplement instruction, and lead these groups as well. Within Guided Reading groups, assessment is ongoing, and teachers keep a log during each session of student performance. In contrast to practices of the past, “Round-Robin Reading”, where students each take a turn to read aloud, is not encouraged, the philosophy being that fluent readers do not need the practice, and weaker students are oftentimes embarrassed by this activity formerly popular activity.

Independent Reading time, also fondly known by many as DEAR TIME (Drop Everything And Read Time), is a part of the Literacy Block when students use their Just-Right selection (not the same one used during Guided Reading) and independently read appropriate books. Here, they are able to apply strategies that they have learned during Shared and Guided Reading. Often, teachers ask students to put post-it notes on certain pages, and whole classes are given the opportunity to share ideas as a group.

The other portion of the Literacy Block includes Writing Instruction. In this area, writing is taught in a variety of ways. Like the Shared Reading portion of the Literacy Block, the Shared Writing portion is an approach to writing where the teacher and children work together to compose messages and stories. Children generally offer ideas, and the teacher, at her easel, writes the message on chart paper. The message is usually related to some common experience for the class, like a school trip, or a holiday celebration, or vacation. Sometimes, the writing experience relates to a book that the whole class has read. In this capacity, the teacher offers modeling of good writing, demonstrating the process of writing right in front of the children. This is again, a perfect setting for informal phonics instruction. Often, students will illustrate the completed text, and the chart paper is then displayed in the room.

Interactive Writing is another portion of the Literacy Block that is devoted to writing. During this activity, the teacher and class work together to create written text. After deciding upon what to write, the teacher begins to elicit student participation in actually writing the text. She asks them for spelling, identifying chunks of letters, and words that they recognize (phonics opportunity). The teacher may fill in portions of the text that the students cannot, depending upon their level of writing development. During Interactive Writing, students may create stories, poems, literature retells, or any type of writing.

The main portion of the Writing Instruction is the Writer’s Workshop (the other half of Lucy Calkin’s Reading and Writing Project). It is during this time that students are asked to write for real purposes, which are pre-determined by the teacher in the “Mini-Lesson,” or main Teaching Point, that she has presented to the entire group prior to their independent practice. The students study various topics related to the skill of writing as the weeks and months of the school year unfold; one month may be personal narratives, as students write about their own experiences, and another may be character development, as they learn about how to focus on and develop different facets of a character about whom they are writing.

Independent Writing is another part of the Writing Instruction. Often this writing is done in a journal kept by each student. Beginning in Kindergarten, when students are encouraged to get their ideas on paper with invented spelling and illustrations, students through the elementary grades write on their own, usually daily ,about a variety of topics, either generated independently, or as assigned by the teacher. Teachers routinely read these journals, correcting grammatical errors (once again, informal phonics instruction) and making comments.

In the Balanced Literacy Model, there is often a strong connection between the Reader’s Workshop and the Writer’s Workshop units. Common lessons that wind through both of the areas of reading and writing reinforce the unit the students are learning at a particular time. Sometimes, however, Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop units are wholly separate in their focus. The goal, however, of the entire Balanced Literacy experience is for students to become competent readers and writers through the exposure to and active participation with authentic text.

The over-arching idea of Balanced Literacy is that as students are reading authentic text and writing original pieces, the building blocks of grammar and syntax, semantics and word study will come into play. As we have seen, teachers can tuck in phonics study in their mini-lessons. It is in this way that the old, “Bottom-Up” approach to grammar instruction is, incorporated into the literacy instruction, and doesn’t necessarily require a separate time block. In some classes, however, actual phonics workbooks are still used, although their use as a sole focus of literacy instruction is generally not employed anymore. The days that some of us remember, of daily drills in grammar workbooks, are largely a thing of the past.

For anyone that is especially interested in the Balanced Literacy approach to instruction as well as the science of reading, there are many research articles, books and websites available. Although often geared to educators, parents can also glean excellent teaching methods and apply them when they take on the task of homework support with their children.

For more information or support, please contact our office.

By Polly Goltche, Reading Specialist

Stages of Learning

October 18, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

As students set out to acquire new skills, understanding the stages of learning and how and where to recognize progress towards mastery can be difficult. The beginning and end of a particular learning process are generally quite clear, but learners often lack vocabulary for all of the micro-steps that occur between “not knowing” and “knowing.” Students regularly articulate thoughts like “I’m not good at this” or “this is easy for me,” but less commonly note nuances like “I’m getting the hang of this concept, though I’m still not able to work fluently” or “I can solve simple problems, but it’s difficult for me to apply this concept in unfamiliar settings.”

Without understanding learning as a continuum, students can be quick to judge themselves as either capable or incapable, and often do so inaccurately. The underconfident learner views mistakes as proof of ineptitude (and consequently give up), while the overconfident learner concludes mastery too early (and stops studying too soon). The truth, of course, usually lies somewhere in the middle, and expanding awareness about how learning works can center students in healthy non-judgement, motivate them to “stick with it,” and empower them to learn more efficiently in the future.

One useful framework to discuss is “The Four Stages of Learning” model, originally posited by Noel Burch in the 1970s during his work at Gordon Training International. Burch lays out steps that highlight two factors, awareness (consciousness) and skill level (competence):

Stage 1: Unconscious Incompetence. [Wrong Intuition]

In the first stage, students don’t yet know what they don’t know. They are unaware of the areas in which they are falling short, and they have not identified what they need to work on. It can be helpful to acknowledge this stage before any sort of diagnostic test; standardized assessments like the ISEE frequently test above grade level content, and providing a simple disclaimer about encountering unfamiliar material can often help mitigate testing anxiety. In this setting, when students normalize “not knowing” as a natural first stage of the learning process, coming across advanced concepts on the exam becomes less intimidating. Students are more likely to take challenges in stride, skip strategically, and better allocate their time towards the questions they do understand.

Teachers can assist in developing awareness of this stage by asking students to keep a log of their errors. When learners can track for themselves which questions were missed due to not yet knowing completely unfamiliar material – versus misapplying familiar concepts– they are gently guided to take initiative in their own learning process and also practice formulating stronger, more specific questions.

Stage 2: Conscious Incompetence. [Wrong Analysis]

Eventually, learners recognize what they do not know, and enter the “Conscious Incompetence” stage. This 2nd stage of the stages of learning model can be a particularly discouraging experience, as weaknesses have been identified but not yet remedied. During this time, it is important to remind students that there is a difference between lacking competence and being incapable; just because they cannot perform a task now doesn’t mean they will always fail at it in the future. Teachers and parents can also help learners reframe knowledge gaps as opportunities for improvement by embracing the word “yet.”

Progressing through Conscious Incompetence often requires a significant amount of trying and failing. As mistakes occur, mentors should encourage students to recognize errors as a natural and essential part of learning (in teaching sessions, a useful response to “Oh wait, I did that wrong” is “No problem, that’s what we’re here for!”). Getting even one or two questions correct is a concrete step forward from not knowing.

Stage 3: Conscious Competence. [Right Analysis]

Slowly but surely, the percentage of successful attempts will increase, and learners reach “Conscious Competence.” At this 3rd stage of the stages of learning model, students have gathered the tools they need to perform effectively, but exercising their new skill still takes significant effort and attention. Moving from Conscious Incompetence to Conscious Competence usually looks like inconsistently being able to implement the desired skill, and progress may even appear nonlinear.

It can be helpful to recognize how students compensate (counting out on their fingers, looking back at formula sheets or study guides, etc.) and track as students use those methods of compensation less often. Other progress signs include working through problems more quickly, occasionally applying the concept unprompted, or actively recognizing related question types. In some cases, a student’s willingness to practice may even be considered a progress sign; the more confident a student feels in a particular area, the less resistant they will be towards homework or additional skill-building exercises. Completing focused practice – and any step towards establishing a system for consistent review – also counts as a step forward, helping students advance towards working more fluently.

Stage 4: Unconscious Competence. [Right Intuition]

Finally, in the 4th stage of the stages of learning model, learners have effectively mastered their new skill and apply it easily, perhaps even automatically. They feel confident implementing the desired action over a wide range of scenarios and can execute their expertise in congruence with other tasks. Depending on the skill, Unconscious Competence may sometimes be achieved permanently, but more often it requires habitual upkeep in the form of regular use or review.

Considering the difference between Conscious Competence and Unconscious Competence can be a useful point of reference for students, especially in a standardized testing setting. For example, when there is a significant disconnect between a student’s grades and their performance on standardized assessments, it is possible that Conscious Competence was achieved in time for the classroom test, but then never progressed forward into Unconscious Competence. Additionally, standardized exams like the ISEE, SAT, or ACT require students to work not only accurately but quickly, applying multiple concepts at once. The sheer length of these multi-hour assessments also requires significant mental stamina, and students without Unconscious Competence in multiple skill sets will experience overbearing testing fatigue. Successfully distinguishing between stages three and four helps to explain these opportunities for improvement and motivates students to self monitor for deeper understanding.

Armed with the “Four Stages of Learning” framework, students and families can recognize progress in all forms. Thinking more about how learning occurs and becoming more knowledgeable about steps of the learning process can help to remind us that with consistent effort, growth and development are inevitable.

By Ali Stoner, Private Tutor, Brad Hoffman, MS.Ed. and Board Certified Educational Planner, and Faya Hoffman, M.A. and Board Certified Educational Planner.

Progressive Education: Developing a Better Understanding

August 14, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Progressive education, a pedagogical movement that defines most schools across the United States today, began as a niche, innovative idea that sought to reimagine the purpose of education in the late 19th century. One of the founding theorists, John Dewey, proposed the idea that the goal for education should be to prepare students for an active and well-balanced life in our global society. This idea came in stark contrast to the then widely accepted traditional purpose that the goal of education was to prepare students with the necessary skills either to enter the workforce or to prepare for university depending on one’s social class.

Since its early founding principles, schools have been incorporating and expanding on the ideas of early progressive education theories. Defining progressive education in today’s school landscape is complicated and an often highly debated and controversial topic subject to interpretation. Arguably most schools in the United States consider themselves “progressive”, but “progressive” exists on a continuum subject to how schools perceive themselves as well as how they are perceived. In our conversations with families and educators, we often discuss “little p progressive” and “capital P progressive” schools to distinguish where on the continuum a school seems to fall. A “little p progressive school” may incorporate more “traditional elements” in contrast with a “capital P progressive school” that is intentionally more experimental and, perhaps, more “provocative” or “edgy” in its approach and pedagogical choices.

We tread into this discussion cautiously as “progressive education” has characteristics without absolutes, and it can be a quagmire for educators and parents trying to parse out differences between school settings. It’s a topic subject to interpretation, subjectivity, and many misconceptions.

Pedagogical Core Principles

At its core, progressive education views students as active participants in their learning. The overall goal is to foster an intrinsic motivation for lifelong learning stimulated by a sense of ownership and independence. Progressive education seeks to prepare students for a democratic society that emphasizes social responsibility and global citizenship. Moreover, progressive education makes use of evidence-based research and intentionally evolves its pedagogical practices over time. Progressive educators seek to create a learning environment that both adheres to common core standards or grade level concepts and skills while also promoting a sense of autonomy and freedom to explore an individual student’s learning journey. There is plenty of room and encouragement to differentiate the learning experience for diverse learners within the classroom.

Progressive schools encourage their students to explore intellectual curiosities and inquire deeper into personal passions and interests while utilizing the concepts and skills being instructed by the teacher. Furthermore, progressive schools value autonomy and personal expression, thus believing we learn best when working towards a personal creative project or endeavor. Pedagogically, a progressive education plans for Bloom’s Taxonomy in better balance with more opportunities for higher-level critical thinking, synthesis, analysis, evaluation, and creation rather than getting too stuck at the lower levels of just “remembering and understanding”.

In progressive school settings, teachers have more creative freedom and act as facilitators, often curating a learning experience by making use of various curricula and programs in addition to creating their own materials: think “artist’s palette” versus “painting by numbers”. This approach stands in contrast to more purely relying on textbooks, packaged programs, or a scripted sequence. In progressive education classrooms, the teacher is really “the guide on the side” rather than “the sage on stage”. There’s an intention to make authentic, real-world connections, and the experience is intentionally student-centered.

In progressive classroom settings, you’ll typically find table groups, desks organized in pods, or students seated in a circle to facilitate discussion. At the upper school level, a progressive education may specifically make use of the Harkness Method, where students are seated around a conference table, so that the teacher can facilitate conversation and discussion.

Learning Experiences

As expected, there can be drastic differences in learning experiences in progressive schools. A progressive education values learning experiences that are guided by student interests and timely relevance. The teachable moment is seized in a way that’s more organic and natural. Students will mostly learn through experiences, collaboration, and play. Assessments are typically project-based, where groups of students will work together by utilizing different skills to complete the assignment. The culminating learning outcome is often presented as a final project centered around an interdisciplinary approach where all or several subject areas are interwoven into a singular curricular theme.

A progressive education emphasizes socialization and preparing students to be active participants in our democratic society (not to be confused with progressive schools having a particular political leaning, which is not inherently a characteristic of progressive education). Units and discussions are centered around inquiries into the ethical nature of our decisions as individuals and communities. Social-emotional development is addressed through classroom meetings and use of a social-emotional curriculum that is delivered by the school counselor and/or the classroom teacher. For example, read alouds often focus on problem-solving as well as interpersonal skills.

Some progressive schools create multi-age classrooms so that children are given the opportunity to learn from older students. This approach is rooted in the firm belief that education is meant to be socialized, and who better to teach you than a peer? You’ll especially find this approach in Montessori or Waldorf School programs, or progressive schools inspired by these approaches but not purely adhering to them.

Furthermore, some progressive schools view education as the exploration of learning, where students are given a great amount of freedom to chart out their experiences and explore, or perhaps co-construct units under the guidance of a teacher. Students are encouraged to identify a passion and follow it, which often leads them to learning experiences in a variety of settings. Classes can often be broken into micro-classes where groups no larger than ten are assigned to a teacher. While it may seem like learning through exploration and socialization is giving students the freedom to choose whatever they want or, more to the point, an “anything goes’ approach, this is hardly the case. Students are still given clear expectations and guidelines on how to effectively learn within this exploratory framework.

Education on the continuum

Progressive education is most definitely not a “one size fits all” approach. To try to define progressive education one way or another is an oversimplification and a mistake. Different learners have different needs, thus traditional elements and progressive elements are both beneficial and are often fused together for better balance. It’s more typical for schools to fall somewhere along a continuum of progressive education. The experience at the elementary school level (Lower School Divisions) may differ from the experience at the middle school or high school level (Upper School Divisions). Many schools promote a progressive approach to education with traditional elements embedded and used strategically. For example, rote memorization of math facts for automaticity (math fluency) remains important and can co-exist within a larger progressive project-based math unit. Moreover, there’s absolutely a need for benchmarking reading and math levels and using achievement test data for instructional planning in balance with “alternative assessments” and project-based learning in order to track growth over the course of the student’s learning journey.

Depending on the student, certain pedagogical approaches might work better. For example, a student needing reading or writing remediation may benefit from a more “traditional” approach that provides direct, explicit, and systematic instruction. A student with significant attentional and/or executive function challenges may need an environment with extremely clear and predictable routines, which could be found in a “progressive” or “traditional” school, but certain schools may be “too loose” or conversely “too rigid” to foster success for that particular student, hence the notion that schools exist on a continuum and trying to rely on a single definition for “progressive education” is not useful or practical.

Rather it is important to think critically about the student’s learning style or intrinsic curiosities as it relates to the different pedagogical approaches schools offer. Initial learning diagnostics and/or psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluations can help provide insight into a student’s learning style and needs. It is also helpful to read a school’s mission and/or vision statement as it will often be an insight into the pedagogical approach along with the type of education that a particular school values (wherever the school may fall on the continuum of progressive education). Visiting and exploring schools is mission critical in the application and decision-making process. Parents need to feel comfortable and confident with the school setting and faculty in balance with understanding their child’s learning profile and learning needs to ensure a successful experience.

To maximize the effectiveness of the learning outcome, it is important that the pedagogical approach chosen is supported at home. Parental buy-in to the school’s mission and approach is essential. Strong communication and understanding between the school environment and home environment leads to greater continuity in a child’s overall growth as they learn that educational experiences do not end with the school day, but continue on throughout each moment of their life. It’s also important to note that students may need rounding out at a particular point in time whether they’re in a setting that is arguably a more or less progressive education in terms of the continuum.

To further discuss your school planning needs, please contact our office.

By Brad Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planner, Faya Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planner, Laurie Gross, Reading Specialist and Special Educator, and Sam Kleinman, International Educator.

What Is Ear Reading?

November 17, 2021 Brad Hoffman 1 Comment

“He cannot get enough of read alouds–we spend every night reading a new book and he is glued to my every word. Is this ear reading? That’s a new term for me.”

“He is so curious and inquisitive about everything! I answer a million questions a day”

“She loves learning about the solar system and Outer Space. She spends hours looking at her space books.”

We can describe the interests and strengths of students in a million different ways. But, for so many students, their challenges share the same narrative: “Reading is hard.” For students who struggle to “break the code” of print, their academic profile is often defined by what they can’t do: read. But, as the world changes and research develops, it is time that we unpack what it means to “read” and why struggling to decode is not a defining limitation.

The Modalities of Reading: Ear and Eye Reading

Traditionally, we define reading as decoding print to understand content. The process of learning to read by this definition is often intensive and multifaceted— a prescribed sequence of phonics instruction and word recognition that defines early elementary classroom experiences. For students who come to read print easily, this early exposure and instruction becomes the foundation of their academic experiences and subsequent engagement. For those who struggle to build and maintain word recognition and decoding skills, their challenge in “learning to read” is a transformative experience, one which can impact their entire academic career.

However, when we talk about reading, we often only refer to eye reading. Eye reading is the visual interpretation of printed texts. That, however, is not the only way to read. In fact, by limiting our definition of reading to eye reading alone, we are limiting the potential of students who are challenged in the process of learning to eye read. Ear reading is another, less referenced, form of reading and understanding text. When we ear read, we listen to text rather than silently read a printed text with our eyes.

The Benefits of Ear Reading

Ear reading is an undervalued and often underrepresented modality for building understanding and content knowledge. And, in fact, ear reading has been proven to be equally effective to eye reading in understanding text. In a 2016 study, no substantial differences in understanding were found between eye reading, ear reading, or a combination of the two (Rogowsky, 2016).

For many students who struggle to eye read, ear reading comes naturally and, in many cases, is a real strength. However, we do not often offer the opportunity to students to build understanding through ear reading. This is an unfortunate and antiquated gap in education. When we limit students’ building of grade appropriate content knowledge to ear reading alone, we are limiting their potential to what they are able to decode rather than what they are able to understand. Ear reading allows for limitless content knowledge building and can serve as a meaningful bridge to grade level and above grade level work for students who struggle to break the code of eye reading.

Opportunities for Ear Reading

Ear reading affords students the opportunity to access and work with grade level content while they continue to build their eye reading decoding skills. For many students (and many adults), ear reading may remain their preferred modality for reading text. Ear reading should be encouraged and nurtured in the same manner as eye reading. In fact, for a striving eye reader, ear reading could and should be their primary means to access academic content not intended to strengthen decoding or reading comprehension skills.

Some examples of appropriate applications for ear reading in the classroom or when completing homework include:

Listening to word problems in math
Accessing audio version of Social Studies and Science texts
Using speech to text software to plan and draft writing compositions
Downloading the audiobook version of classroom read alouds or shared literature texts

Tools for Ear Reading

In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, accessing ear reading tools and materials has never been easier. While accessing audio files used to require specific hardware, most devices and websites offer tools to easily enable opportunities for ear reading.

You can find ear reading tools on:

Audible: The Audible app is not just for adults. The platform contains a wide range of childrens’ and young adult literature and informational text, including popular series books and classic stories. While it requires a subscription, the monthly price is inexpensive and provides an ear reading library right at your student’s fingertips.
Epic Books:Epic Books (getepic.com) is an expansive online reading platform that can be accessed from their website or app. It offers leveled texts and commercially available books at the Elementary level. In addition to browsing by genre, topic, or interest, Epic has tons of “Read to Me” and audiobook options for students. The app is intuitive and kid friendly, meaning students can independently ear read once they are acquainted with the platform.
Common Lit: Common Lit (commonlit.org) is another reading platform, this one targeted to Upper Elementary, Middle, and High School students. All texts on their site have a “read aloud” option that allows for accessible ear reading. The app also allows for easy in text annotation while reading.
YouTube: While not an obvious choice, YouTube has tons of read alouds and spoken texts available on the platform free of charge. While the site is not as easy to browse for titles, if you are searching for a specific text on the site, you are likely to find it.
Google Docs & Chrome Extensions: Google Docs has a text to speech function built right into its Tools menu, allowing immediate voice typing. Several Chrome extensions, such as Read & Write for Google, read text aloud from any website or document opened in the Google Chrome browser.

Rogowsky, B.A., Calhoun, B.M., & Tallal, P. (2016). Does modality matter? The effects of reading, listening and dual modality on comprehension. SAGE open, 1-9. doi/abs/10.1177/2158244016669550

By Marisa Krohn, Learning Specialist

What Is Reading Fluency? And why Is It Important?

November 10, 2021 Brad Hoffman 1 Comment

Reading fluency is the ability to read accurately, smoothly and with expression. Fluent readers recognize words automatically, without struggling over decoding issues. When reading silently, in addition to recognizing words automatically, fluent readers group words rapidly to help gain meaning from their reading, which then translates into their understanding of the text. When reading aloud, fluent readers sound natural, as if they’re speaking. Non-fluent readers read slowly and sound choppy. Fluency is important because it builds a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. It allows students time to focus on what the text is saying. They are able to make connections between what they are reading and their own background knowledge. Therefore, they are able to concentrate on comprehension. On the other hand, non-fluent readers have to spend more time decoding, leaving less time for comprehending the text. Due to mistakes made when reading, they will often have to read the same passage over several times to attain comprehension. In addition, non-fluent readers often do no read with expression.

Even when students recognize words automatically, they are not fluent if they don’t read with expression. To read with expression a student should be able to divide a word into chunks, using proper phrasing. Not paying attention to punctuation often changes the meaning of the text. For example:

The children, without their toys, feel sad.
or
The children without their, toys feel sad.

Fortunately, reading fluency can be taught. It is important for adults to read aloud to children, modeling what good readers do. Show children how you pause for punctuation and change your voice to make text more meaningful. Children should be read to by their teachers, by their parents, and by their relatives. The more models of fluent reading children hear the better.

Next, it is important for children to practice, engaging them in repeated reading. Text should be easy to read and relatively short. There are several ways children can practice fluent reading;

Child/adult reading – The adult models, then the student practices.
Choral reading – reading in unison.
Assisted reading – reading along with a recorded text.
Partner reading – reading along with another child
Reader’s Theatre – playing characters, as in a play.

Assessing progress is easy and most children think it’s fun. Children love when you take out a stop watch and time them. Pick a passage on the proper reading level, time for 1 minute and graph the results. After several practices on the same text, time again. The children see immediate progress and become motivated to become more fluent readers.

In conclusion, reading fluency is the ability to read accurately and quickly. It is important because fluent readers comprehend better. It can be developed by modeling and practice.

By Fran Nieporent, Private Tutor