Jordan England

READ 7131

Dr. Katz

Discussion 2.2 Fluency links

I learned many new things about reading fluency after reading the International Literacy

Association’s article, “Reading Fluently Does Not Mean Reading Fast.” There are multiple,

interdependent mechanics (skills) that must efficiently work together for an individual to have

reading fluency (International Literacy Association, 2018). Accuracy, rate, and expression are

three important components within the definition of ‘reading fluency.’ In regard to rate, I learned

that students shouldn’t be pushed to “read faster,” or at a “faster pace,” that it’s better for

students to read at an on-level pace and have greater accuracy in words read. I find accuracy and

rate to be the most critical elements in an individual’s reading fluency or lack of. Accurate word

identification and meaning must happen automatically and simultaneously for a reader to be truly

fluent (International Literacy Association, 2018). As a new teacher, I found this article to be very

insightful, increasing my knowledge and awareness of areas I can place greater emphasis within

that will ultimately help students’ reading fluency. Accurate decoding must be given more

importance in early childhood classrooms because of its direct affiliation with increased

comprehension. The ultimate goal of reading anything is simply, comprehension. Therefore, it is

crucial that teachers recognize the significance of instituting and nurturing all aspects (accuracy,

rate, expression) of young students’ reading fluency, starting in their early years.

The article I chose to read, “Staying Literacy Strong: A Focus on Phrasing,” was very

enlightening on ways that teachers need to incorporate ‘reading in phrases’ within their
classrooms. It was very interesting to consider how one key word can remain constant in

multiple sentences, yet it’s all about the phrase in which the key word fits within that is very

distinct, changing a reader’s perspective. Good readers make meaning by reading in phrases;

struggling reader limit meaning by reading word by word (Rasinski, Ellery, & Oczkus, 2015). As

mentioned in this article, I find it a brilliant idea to display a ‘high frequency word phrase wall’

along with other sight vocabulary lists, that students practice reading each day. I could take high

frequency word phrases from texts we are reading in class and have them displayed on my

classroom’s walls, along with other vocabulary lists. The consistent, every day practice of

reading through these word phrases will help my students’ reading fluency developments.

Research and many noteworthy scholars suggest that helping students learn to read in

phrases (as opposed to word by word) is an effective way to improve reading fluency as well as

comprehension and overall reading proficiency (Rasinski et al., 2015). As a new teacher, I plan

to incorporate more instructional strategies and activities within lessons that will gear students

towards more focus on reading in phrases, rather than word by word. I strive to place greater

emphasis on phrases, bring these to students’ attention, and help them dig deeper into the

meaning of phrases rather than individual words. I believe this will enable young students to

develop a firmer foundation in comprehension and give them increased motivation to read more

and more. The Phrased Text Lesson mentioned in the article is a wonderful way to effectively

teach students about phrase boundaries. I definitely want to use this same teaching lesson with

any rhyme or poem that we choose to read and study in class. By giving each student a physical

copy of the common rhyme, with the marked phrase boundaries, (indicated by a / or // at the end

of a sentence) allows students to repeatedly practice their readings, pauses, and stops as a class,

in groups, and individually. Teachers should repeatedly remind students to think about where the
slash marks are, what they mean you should do, and to continually practice pausing, stopping,

and good reading fluency. With anything, consistency is key; I will strive to provide

opportunities for my students to practice reading phrases on a consistent basis, with the ultimate

goal of improving and growing all my students’ reading fluency in mind.

References:

International Literacy Association (2018). Literacy Leadership Brief: Reading Fluently Does Not

Mean Reading Fast. Retrieved from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-

source/where-we-stand/ila-reading-fluently-does-not-mean-reading-fast.pdf

Rasinski, T., Ellery, V., & Oczkus, L. (2015). Staying Literacy Strong: A Focus on Phrasing.

Retrieved from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/the-engaging-classroom/teaching-

tips/literacy-daily/2015/09/22/staying-literacy-strong-a-focus-on-phrasing