Have You Tried These Activities to Help Students Become More Fluent Readers?

Denise Burson
Sep 07, 2009

Research on reading development identifies the importance of fluency. The three components of reading fluency are speed, accuracy, and expression. Fluency integrates word recognition with comprehension. A child who reads a passage fluently reads quickly and with expression because he/she knows the words and grasps the meaning of the text. It is possible to help your students become a fluent reader (National Reading Panel, 2000).

Have you tried these activities to help students become more fluent readers? 

  • Read Aloud - An adult reads aloud a text to the whole class.
  • Buddy Reading - An upper grade child reads aloud to a lower grade child.
  • Choral Reading - All the students, led by the teacher, read aloud together.
  • Peer/Paired Reading- Students are required to work as pairs.  Each student reads his or her text silently. Then the students take turns reading the passage three times orally to the other student.  The listening student acts as the teacher by giving suggestions and feedback.
  • Echo Reading - In echo reading, the teacher reads a sentence or brief passage aloud using phrasing and expression to convey meaning.  Then, the student reads the same sentence or passage aloud.  Echo reading can be used with storybooks, poems, and nonfiction books.  Choose material that is relatively short and reread it at least four times until the student reads the material quickly, accurately, and with expression.
  • Books with Tapes/CD Sets - Many popular children's books come with tapes or CD's so students can listen while following along in the book.
  • Recorded Books - You can also record your student's favorite books.  Use a tape recorder, or record through your computer microphone and burn onto a CD.  This method has been developed to help struggling readers by Dr. Marie Carbo.
  • Poetry Reading - Reading poetry is a good way to build fluency because poems have rhythm and expression.  The process involves multiple readings and oral expression, two components of fluency development.
  • Reader's Theater - In readers' theater, students rehearse and perform a play for peers or others.  They read from scripts that have been derived from books rich in dialogue.  Students play characters who speak lines or a narrator who shares necessary background information.  Readers' theater provides readers with a legitimate reason to reread text and practice fluency.  Readers' theater also promotes cooperative interaction with peers and makes the reading task fun.
  • Word Study - Build student's sight word knowledge in order to recognize words quickly when reading.  Use a list of sight words, such as the Dolch List, Fry's 300 Instant Words and Fry's Instant Phrases and Short Sentences.


View Learning-Focused Reading Resources in the Literacy Collection by clicking on this link.