| Reading fluency is the ability to read quickly and | | | | This is one of the two steps researched by the |
| accurately. A person with good reading fluency is able | | | | National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). |
| to comprehend more because they instantly group | | | | The second step they found for improved fluency is |
| and recognize words. Doing this instantly frees up the | | | | silent reading done independently by the students. |
| brain for comprehending what is actually being read. | | | | Practice is one of the key factors to an |
| Good reading fluency will help people learn more and | | | | improvement in reading fluency. |
| excel at school or on the job. It is common for | | | | The NAEP has also laid out their definition of reading |
| people to struggle with this. There are, however, | | | | fluency. They define it as: "the ease or 'naturalness' |
| specific training programs that allow an individual to | | | | of reading." |
| strengthen their reading fluency. | | | | In 1995 the NAEP found that 44% of United States |
| An individual struggling with fluency can be extremely | | | | fourth graders were on the lower end of the fluency |
| frustrated with learning because they have to spend | | | | scale. The study also confirmed that reading fluency |
| extra time trying to understand what they are | | | | and reading comprehension are directly related to |
| reading. This can negatively impact people in a school | | | | each other. It has been proven that many American |
| or professional work setting. When a person | | | | classrooms neglect to teach or train students to |
| struggling with fluency reads out loud their reading will | | | | become more fluent readers. This in turn affects |
| typically be slow, choppy, and without natural | | | | student's reading comprehension in the present and |
| expression. | | | | carries over later in life. |
| Besides having difficulty reading aloud an individual | | | | To help your child or a loved one become a more |
| who struggles with reading fluency may also notice | | | | fluent reader it is important to have them take a |
| that they identify words in a list well, but they can't | | | | simple reading fluency test at a quality learning |
| read the same words fluently in a phrase. It is vital | | | | training center. This test will help you understand their |
| that you help students move from word recognition | | | | strengths and weaknesses on the fluency scale. |
| in isolation to reading fluency in context. This can be | | | | After the test the learning training center can put |
| accomplished with the proper testing, training, and | | | | together a plan of action for helping to improve the |
| practice. | | | | reading fluency. This includes having your child receive |
| The National Institute for Literacy said on their | | | | professional feedback on their reading. This training |
| website that, "Repeated and monitored oral reading | | | | process has proven to help improve reading fluency |
| improves fluency and overall reading achievement." | | | | for a lifetime. |