VOA慢速英语2023--Early Literacy: Fluency

Fluency¹ is the ability to read a text quickly and understand it. It is the bridge between reading a word and comprehension.

What fluency looks like

Fluent readers can do the following:

They can read with correct pauses and tone² of voice or expression.

They do not spend time figuring out each word.

They make connections between the text and their own knowledge.

They understand the larger meaning of the text.

Fluency grows over time, and fluency develops from a lot of practice. To read fluently, readers must be able to divide the text into meaningful "chunks³." These chunks, or pieces, include phrases and clauses⁴ within a sentence.

Fluency is not a reading stage of development in which students can read all words quickly and easily all the time. Fluency changes depending on the text. A student may be able to read a text they know fluently, but then read a new text very slowly.

Teaching tips for fluency

Read a text out loud. Then, read it again.

Students need to read and then re-read texts out loud to teachers and classmates. Teachers should give feedback. Use activities that make students re-read texts. A good activity for increasing fluency is "reader's theater." A description of this activity comes at the end of the article.

Choose the right text. The texts for fluency practice should not be too easy or too hard. If the text is too hard, students may have to work too hard to say the words while failing to understand them.

Read out loud. If a student has a low reading level, reading silently is not very effective. It is better to read out loud alone, with a partner, or with the whole class.

Model fluent reading.

Teachers should model fluent reading. Students re-read the text out loud.

Keep read-aloud activities interesting and active.

Students should hear many different texts read fluently. Read the texts out loud with active expressions and body language.

Read texts and not separate words.

Reading word lists might improve vocabulary. However, it may not help students to learn to read fluently.

Strategies for fluency

Strategy: "Reader's Theater"

Reader's theater is a fun activity to improve fluency. With reader's theater students read from a script. They do not need to memorize. The best scripts for this strategy have lots of dialogue and characters.

Choose a story that can be divided into parts. Give reading parts to each student. If you have more students than parts, you can have two or three groups act out the same story. Ask students to practice. First, they read their parts out loud. Then, the teacher helps them. Once the students have read the texts once or twice, they can design a set or costumes. Finally, they read their parts for an audience or their classmates.

Why use "Reader's Theater?"

It helps readers learn to read aloud fluently and with expression.

You can use this strategy for many kinds of writing. You can read science, math, and life skills lessons as theater.

It helps build reading confidence. Reader's theater can be fun for very shy students. Because they are playing a role, they may feel more confident to read out loud.

It allows students to be creative. They can make props⁵, costumes, and design a set. Students can play music.

It also tests a student's listening skills. They must know when one actor finishes a line before saying theirs.

Strategy: Partner Reading

With Partner Reading, students read out loud to each other. It helps students to work together and supports peer⁶ learning. Partner Reading can be used with many kinds of writing.

Pair students with the same reading ability, or pair high-level readers with low-level readers.

Tell students how they will use partner reading. For example, they can read out loud together. They can take turns reading parts. Or one person can read while the other person listens.

Partners can ask each other about the text. For example:

What was your part about?

What was your favorite part?

What words did you already know?

Which part gave you trouble?

Strategy: Group Reading

Reading together as a class gives less skilled readers the chance to practice and get help. It gives students a model for fluent reading. It helps to provide sight-reading ability. Choose a text that works well for reading out loud as a group.

Group reading should:

have repeated grammar patterns and repeated words

be not too long

be at the reading level of most students

Give each student a copy of the text or write it on the board. Read the text out loud. Model fluent reading for the students. As you read, ask the students to follow along. Have all the students read the text out loud together.

Assessment⁷ for fluency

It is important to assess often. This will guide your instruction. All assessments⁸ for fluency should be done one-on-one with each student. Choose a text that fits the level of your student. Have them read out loud. Record how long it takes them and how many mistakes they made.

When it comes to assessing fluency, experts say look for the following:

Does the student stress appropriate words?

Does the student's voice rise and fall at the right times as they read?

Does the student read punctuation⁹ correctly in the text?

Does the student read with emotion, such as happiness?

Does the student pause correctly where subjects and verbs end, at phrases, and with other language chunks?

Use the tips, strategies, and assessment methods that best serve your learners. Change them to fit your students and teaching situation.

Words in This Story

text –n. a piece of writing

comprehension –n. understanding

focus –n. the act of placing and keeping one's attention on something

script –n. a piece of writing that is meant to be read out loud or preformed

peer –n. a person who belongs to the same age group or social rank as another person

1 fluency   

n.流畅，雄辩，善辩

参考例句：

• More practice will make you speak with greater fluency.多练习就可以使你的口语更流利。
• Some young children achieve great fluency in their reading.一些孩子小小年纪阅读已经非常流畅。

2 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

3 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

4 clauses   

从句( clause的名词复数 )； （法律文件等的）条款

参考例句：

• Relative pronouns and adverbs introduce attributive clauses. 关系代词和关系副词引导定语从句。
• Please underline the noun clauses in the passage. 请用线画出短文中的名词性从句。

5 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

6 peer   

n.同辈，同等地位的人，伙伴，贵族；vi.仔细看，费力地看

参考例句：

• Children are easily influenced by their peer.孩子很容易受同辈影响。
• He is a peer.他是一个贵族。

7 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

8 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句

9 punctuation   

n.标点符号，标点法

参考例句：

• My son's punctuation is terrible.我儿子的标点符号很糟糕。
• A piece of writing without any punctuation is difficult to understand.一篇没有任何标点符号的文章是很难懂的。