NEWS FLASH: Fluency doesn't simply pertain to the rate at which one can read.
Went to my final Reading Specialist meeting for the school year; it was hosted by our Palm Beach School District and it was quite informative (as usual). It was there we discussed how much fluency has been dismissed over the past few years in our local schools. As a district, we heavily utilize Fountas & Pinnell's intervention systems. While doing Reading Running Records, we as educators should be assessing fluency. However, many times, it is glossed over as we go for the bigger issues, i.e. comprehension. Often, but not necessarily always, Fluency has a role to play in poor comprehension. In order to understand that fully, it must be understood that there are 6 Dimensions of Fluency:
1. Pausing
2. Phrasing
3. Intonation
4. Stress
5. Rate
6. Integration
Fast processing also plays an important role in fluency and eventually comprehension. As the level of text increases, the processing should become faster. Fast processing is related to how readers solve words and use visual sources of information. Emergent readers use smaller units of words whereas proficient readers use larger units of words.
Hope you find this information useful and for information, I would suggest purchasing Fountas & Pinnell's "When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works" It's a great professional tool that I do not let out of my sight! Here's the purchase link if you're interested: http://www.heinemann.com/products/E01826.aspx . It's a great tool filled with information as well as helpful tips to be used by educators and even parents and tutors.
Sincerely,
Karen
1. Pausing
2. Phrasing
3. Intonation
4. Stress
5. Rate
6. Integration
Fast processing also plays an important role in fluency and eventually comprehension. As the level of text increases, the processing should become faster. Fast processing is related to how readers solve words and use visual sources of information. Emergent readers use smaller units of words whereas proficient readers use larger units of words.
Hope you find this information useful and for information, I would suggest purchasing Fountas & Pinnell's "When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works" It's a great professional tool that I do not let out of my sight! Here's the purchase link if you're interested: http://www.heinemann.com/products/E01826.aspx . It's a great tool filled with information as well as helpful tips to be used by educators and even parents and tutors.
Sincerely,
Karen
