Like with any learned skill, becoming a fluent reader is achievable with proper instruction and practice. There are certainly many things that can help a student become a more fluent reader, and it is probably worth looking into all of them, but one of my favorites is just through simple modeling. I used to take trombone lessons in high school, and sometimes the best thing my instructor could do to help me with a difficult passage was to just play it so I could get a better feel for how it went. I remember reading being similar. While it is good to just spend some time struggling, it can also be nice to just hear how it is supposed to be, especially when it comes to texts you are not used to. For example, I’ve always liked listening to Shakespeare, but if I have to read it on my own I am lost. So, while there are many ways to help a student develop good reading fluency I think it is important to not overlook the benefits of simple modeling. I think modeling, when used in conjunction with some of the other practices that help to ensure the student actually understands what s/he is reading, can be very effective.
Question: What has helped you the most with fluency?
I totally agree with the modeling practice to help any student learn even outside of reading fluency. I am a visual learner so whenever my teachers would show me how to perform a task or work out a problem I could automatically grasp the concept and solve the problem. This may be hard for some students because they may be auditory learners, etc but I do feel that visual aspects of teaching will enhance a students learning.
ReplyDeleteStacey-
ReplyDeleteI agree with helping a child learn fluency through modeling. I think that modeling is definitely a way in which children can pick up on inflection in one's voice. I also think through modeling, as a child listens, they might be able to answer questions regarding the texts. I think understanding what one has read is the hardest part of learning how to read as a child. Reading to a child, and than asking them questions, might help them develop critical thinking skills. Again it brings up the question, is someone reading if they don't understand what they are reading?