What Does The Research Say?
Difficulties with reading fluency are nearly universal among individuals with learning disabilities (Mastropieri, Leinart & Scruggs , 2001). Additionally, problems in reading fluency have long been considered to be among the most common characteristics of students with mild disabilities and other special needs (Spear-Swerling, 2006). It is evident that this problem is ongoing and current. In addition to this being an ongoing issue, the State has recently changed the learning standards and the state is asking much more of students. There is an increase in testing as well as an increase in demands. Students are asked to think more critically and apply what they are learning. This is a difficult task, especially for students who are having difficulty reading fluently.
Reading fluency is correlated with comprehension, so therefore, if a student cannot read fluently, they do not comprehend what they are reading as well as a fluent reader. It is said that reading fluency is one of the defining characteristics of good readers, but if a student is dysfluent, it is said to be a characteristic of a poor reader (Hudson, Lane, & Pullen, 2005). Dysfluent readers tend to only concentrate on actually reading the words on the page rather than understanding what they are reading. This becomes an issue as they get older because the progression usually states that students learn to read, but then they have to read to learn.
Students are struggling with becoming fluent readers, especially among the younger levels and students with disabilities. This capstone project will educate teachers and parents about the importance of reading fluency as well as provide them with a variety of strategies that can truly be beneficial and effective in the classroom. The strategies will be presented so that they are easy to integrate in to the classroom. The variety of strategies will be presented because not every strategy will work with each student. Therefore, it is important to know the students so that the best education and support can be provided to them.
Chard, Vaughn, and Tyler (2002) say that becoming a fluent reader is a challenge that must be overcome in order to progress from decoding to understanding what is being read. What exactly defines a fluent reader? To be identified as a fluent reader, a student must be able to accurately read the connected text at a conversational rate with appropriate expression over a long period of time as well as avoid distractions and read in an effortless and flowing manner (Hudson, Lane, & Pullen, 2005). This is a very difficult task for students in the lower elementary levels, especially children who have learning disabilities. If this problem is not addressed and successfully “attacked” a student can truly continue to struggle throughout the progression of their education.
Many strategies have been identified to be effective in the classroom when it comes to enhancing reading fluency. Strategies such as sight word instruction, repeated reading, question generation, Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend, and many more have been known to be effective in the classroom when it comes to supporting struggling readers. Identifying and implementing the correct strategy is dependent upon the student and their learning style. It is important for teachers to evaluate their students before deciding which strategy can or will be the best for that student. However, the process of identifying the best strategy can come through the process of trial and error. The teacher may have to try a specific strategy and if that doesn’t work, they would progress to a new one.
Reading fluency is correlated with comprehension, so therefore, if a student cannot read fluently, they do not comprehend what they are reading as well as a fluent reader. It is said that reading fluency is one of the defining characteristics of good readers, but if a student is dysfluent, it is said to be a characteristic of a poor reader (Hudson, Lane, & Pullen, 2005). Dysfluent readers tend to only concentrate on actually reading the words on the page rather than understanding what they are reading. This becomes an issue as they get older because the progression usually states that students learn to read, but then they have to read to learn.
Students are struggling with becoming fluent readers, especially among the younger levels and students with disabilities. This capstone project will educate teachers and parents about the importance of reading fluency as well as provide them with a variety of strategies that can truly be beneficial and effective in the classroom. The strategies will be presented so that they are easy to integrate in to the classroom. The variety of strategies will be presented because not every strategy will work with each student. Therefore, it is important to know the students so that the best education and support can be provided to them.
Chard, Vaughn, and Tyler (2002) say that becoming a fluent reader is a challenge that must be overcome in order to progress from decoding to understanding what is being read. What exactly defines a fluent reader? To be identified as a fluent reader, a student must be able to accurately read the connected text at a conversational rate with appropriate expression over a long period of time as well as avoid distractions and read in an effortless and flowing manner (Hudson, Lane, & Pullen, 2005). This is a very difficult task for students in the lower elementary levels, especially children who have learning disabilities. If this problem is not addressed and successfully “attacked” a student can truly continue to struggle throughout the progression of their education.
Many strategies have been identified to be effective in the classroom when it comes to enhancing reading fluency. Strategies such as sight word instruction, repeated reading, question generation, Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend, and many more have been known to be effective in the classroom when it comes to supporting struggling readers. Identifying and implementing the correct strategy is dependent upon the student and their learning style. It is important for teachers to evaluate their students before deciding which strategy can or will be the best for that student. However, the process of identifying the best strategy can come through the process of trial and error. The teacher may have to try a specific strategy and if that doesn’t work, they would progress to a new one.