This toolkit helps teachers and families understand what fluency is and how to support a child’s development of fluency with text.

You will learn:

  • What fluency is and why it is important.
  • How teachers can build fluency with text.
  • How families can support development of fluency with text.

This toolkit includes:

  • Definition
  • Short Video Overview
  • Research Briefs & Infographics
  • Resources for Teachers & Families

Definition

Fluency

The ability to read words, phrases, sentences, and stories correctly, with enough speed, and expression.

Video Overview

Build your knowledge and advance your skills by watching this short overview of fluency with text.

What is Fluency with Text? Why is it important? How should it be taught? Learn the answer to these and other questions about Fluency in under five minutes!

Supporting Materials

Learn more about how to support a child's development of this important reading skill.

Fluency is the ability to read words, phrases, sentences, and stories accurately, with enough speed, and expression. It is important to remember that fluency is not an end in itself but a critical gateway to comprehension.

Audience: 
Schools & Districts
Topic: 
Beginning Reading, Fluency with Text

Repeated readings, goal setting, corrective feedback, and graphing performance can help build Fluency with Text.

Audience: 
Schools & Districts
Topic: 
Beginning Reading, Fluency with Text
Learning to Read: “The Simple View of Reading”

Learning to read consists of developing skills in two areas: accurate, fluent reading and comprehending the meaning of texts. Learning these skills does not come naturally. Both accurate word reading and text comprehension require careful, systematic instruction.

Audience: 
Schools & Districts
Topic: 
Beginning Reading

Fluent Reader Examples

View examples of what fluent readers sound like in grades K through 5.

Great Schools

Watch a video of a kindergarten student fluently reading, and rereading to more accurately read punctuation.

Topic: Fluency with Text, Beginning Reading

Great Schools

Watch first graders read correctly, smoothly, and at a natural speed.

Topic: Fluency with Text

Great Schools

This video shows a second grader fluently reading. Watch as she reads smoothly, at a natural speed, and with expression. She can also answer comprehension questions about what she has read.

Topic: Fluency with Text, Comprehension

Great Schools

This video shows third graders demonstrating fluent reading and comprehension.

Topic: Fluency with Text, Comprehension

Great Schools

This video shows fourth graders fluently reading. Watch as they read smoothly, at a natural speed, and with expression. Notice that fourth graders self correct and can answer comprehension questions about what they have read.

Topic: Fluency with Text, Comprehension

Great Schools

Check out a video in which fifth graders demonstrate fluent reading. Watch as they read smoothly, at a natural speed, and with expression. Notice that fifth graders self correct and can answer comprehension questions about what they have read.

Topic: Fluency with Text, Comprehension

Spotlight on Instruction

Watch this video on how to ensure that students read connected text every day to support reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.

Jeanne Wanzek, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University and Carol Dissen, Expert Literacy Coach at the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon, present on Recommendation 1 from the Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade: Practice Guide (WWC)

Resources for Teachers

Explore these on-topic resources, tips, and tools for teaching fluency with text. Find the materials that work best for your classroom.

Reading Rockets

This course module includes in-depth information, classroom strategies, assignments, and additional resources on teaching fluency.

Topic: Fluency with Text

Florida Center for Reading Research

A variety of activities for building fluency with connected text in Grades 2-3.

Topic: Fluency with Text

Resources for Parents & Families

Check out this collection of resources and activities that can help you support your child's development of fluency with text at home.

Reading Rockets

Read this brief to learn the importance of building fluency at home.

Topic: Fluency with Text

Reading Partners

This infographic explains what reading fluency is.

Topic: Fluency with Text

The PACER Center

Read an information sheet on the role of fluency in helping your child to read and understand.

Topic: Fluency with Text


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