FLUENCY Reading fluency is the ability to read text quickly, expressively, effortlessly, and with understanding. “Fluency is the bridge between decoding and reading comprehension” (Pikulski & Chard, 2005, p. 515); it provides the connection between word recognition and comprehension. A fluent reader is able to read out loud without much hesitation, using appropriate intonation and expression, while pronouncing most of the words correctly. It will sound natural, as if the reader is just talking. Because a fluent reader effortlessly decodes words being read, they are able to devote attention to the meaning of the text. Fluency frees up the mind to connect ideas within the text, as well as to make associations between it and real-life experience. Essentially, a fluent reader recognizes words immediately and is able to comprehend them simultaneously. A student who is not a fluent reader will spend energy trying to decode words, missing the opportunity to reflect deeply on meaning.
Why Speed Matters to Reading Fluency
Auditory processing speed can predict how well a student will be able to process and decode words when learning to read. It is a better predictor of both reading and spelling abilities than other measurable cognitive skills such as working memory, attention span, and intelligence (Steinbrink et al., 2014). This connection indicates that before students can confidently link sounds to letters, increasing the speed with which they recognize individual sounds could greatly improve their reading skills and abilities in the future. Learners with poor auditory processing do not develop “consistent and reliable neural representations of phonemes. As a consequence, they will struggle with the phonological awareness skills they need to break the code for reading” (Tallal, 2012, p. 16407). Auditory processing deficits result in poor representations of speech sounds in the brain, which can lead to difficulty connecting sounds to letters, and, consequently, to challenges around decoding, fluency, and comprehension.
6
SCHOLASTIC F.I.R.S.T. FOUNDATION PAPER
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs