Reading Fluency and Its Effect on Reading Comprehension Essay Example for Free

culture Fluency and Its Effect on denotation Comprehension EssayAs an subdivisionary teacher, I set about often thought drill smoothness plays a large role in a childs reading development. Few reading programs give articulateness the recognition it deserves. Reading fluency has been a prominent and reliable benchmark for me, even when scholarly persons have acquaintance backbreakingies. Once fluency is appreciateed, the results were used to place students in their reading talent group. Often times, the fluent ratifiers were placed in the high ability reading groups. In the past, our district used a reading program that gave very lesser focus to reading fluency and few strategies for improvement. It assessed fluency based on rate and truthnot prosody. The previous reading series also failed to assess the students comprehension after they read independently. The non-fluent proofreaders spent so much effort on word identification it is difficult for them to enjoy rea ding the selection. I believe this is one reason they enjoy being read to. Students notify comprehend a story when it is read aloud to them, but it is their lack of fluency that inhibits comprehension when it is their turn to read.A current goal in our school improvement plan is to improve reading fluency therefore, in this review of literature, I forget examine reading fluency by focusing on how it affects comprehension. Literature Review The attention given to reading fluency has fluctuated throughout the years in education. It is currently gaining recognition and once again comely an advertised component in most reading programs. According to Avanchan (2010), fluency is a critical element of reading and should be taught in every school. This Literature Review will focus on the following research questions1. What is reading fluency? 2. What strategies can be used to improve reading fluency? 3. How does reading fluency affect reading comprehension? What is reading fluency? Read ing fluency is defined as the ability to recognize words rapidly and accurately. Under the reading fluency umbrella, there are three main components of fluency accuracy, rate, and prosody (Nathan Stanovich, 2001). Reading accuracy is the ability to decode and recognize words correctly. Without reading accuracy, a young reader cannot interpret the authors intent (Evanchan, 2010).To be considered an accurate reader a student has a strong knowledge of the alphabetic principle, ability to blend letters, and a significant bank of high frequency words (Hudson, Lane, Pullen, 2005). Reading rate refers to the speed one can read at with fluidity (Evanchan, 2010). This component of reading fluency is often described as a readers automaticity. With automaticity, a reader can effortlessly identify words in text (Evanchan, 2010 Hudson et al. , 2005) however, accurate word recognition alone is not a strong indicator of fluency.Speed also needs to be heavily considered. (Evanchan, 2005). Hudson et al. (2005) describe prosody as the music of oral language (p. 704). Prosody is what makes a reader enjoyable to listen to, because it includes appropriate phrasing, intonation, stress patterns, and duration (Hudson et al. , 2005). Prosodic reading suggests the reader has connected to the literature and understands what is being read (Hudson et al. , 2005). What strategies can be used to improve reading fluency? Numerous strategies can be used to improve reading fluency (Evanchan, 2010).One outline that continues to hold valiance is repeated reading, which is when students continuously read the same passage until they have reached a level of fluency (Mastropieri, Leinart, Scruggs, 1999). Once they have reached the predetermined level of fluency, they move to a more difficult passage. Hudson et al. (2005) suggested repeated reading is highly recommended for improving of fluency because it concentrates on on the whole components of fluency accuracy, rate, and prosody. Readers th eater is another strategy where children practice repeated reading (Evanchan, 2010).Readers theater brings a new, more exciting approach to repeated practice. Like repeated reading, readers theater focuses on all three elements of reading fluency. Readers theater requires students to reread, memorize, and perform the text, which are key components to improving fluency. Adding dramatic performance to a students reading experience will positively affect the students expression, or prosody, a key component to reading fluency (Nathan Stanovich, 2001). Modeling fluency is essential so students can better understand what reading fluency sounds like.Proper pattern focuses on accuracy, rate, phrasing, and prosody (Worthly Broaddus, 2001). Evanchan (2010) suggested proper modeling gives students exposure to vocabulary above their independent reading level. Modeling allows students to be engaged with text they may wrestle with independently, and comprehension is also enhanced (Worthly Bro addus, 2001). The students engagement and evidence of comprehension suggests students listening comprehension level is at a higher level than their independent reading levels (Evanchan, 2010).How does reading fluency affect reading comprehension? There are five essential components to reading. They are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Evanchan (2010), referred to the components as affiliations in a chain, and comprehension is the link that secures the chain however, if one of the four other components are missing, the ultimate goal of comprehension cannot be obtained. Before a higher level of reading can be obtained, a student must be able to decode the words in text (Nathan Stanovich, 2001).Without word recognition, a reader is likely to misconstrue the authors intent. Misinterpreting the text can develop a barrier for comprehension (Hudson et al. , 2005). When looking at fluency on a larger scale, growing automaticity forms the bridge betwee n reading fluency and comprehension. (Pikulski Chard, 2005). Although reading comprehension is not solely achieved through reading fluency, it certainly reflects upon it (2005). Automaticity and comprehension are intertwined and should not be separated during didacticsal modeling (2005).Doing so may affect the ultimate goal of developing meaningful responses to the text (Applegate, Applegate, Modla, 2009). Nathan and Stanovich (2001) and Hudson et al. (2005) agreed non-fluent readers have a difficult time focusing on comprehension because their cognitive capacity is limited, and they use all of their energy to decode words. Students who have efficient word identification and have achieved automaticity free up processing space so their cognitive resources can be used for comprehension and higher order thinking (Hudson et al. , 2005). Conclusion.There is a significant amount of information that acknowledges reading fluencys effect on reading comprehension. Through automaticity and prosody, a bridge can be construct between reading fluency and comprehension. Reading fluency needs to become an instructional focus in the classroom. While rate seems to get most of the focus, all three components of reading fluency need and deserve to be addressed equally. The earlier reading fluency strategies are administered, the greater chance the student has to becoming a reader who can respond to literature thoughtfully and with meaning, which is the ultimate goal.References Applegate, M. , Applegate, A. J. , Modla, V. B. (2009). Shes my best reader She just cant comprehend Studying the relationship between fluency and comprehension. Reading Teacher, 62(6), 512-521. doi10. 1598/RT. 62. 6. 5 Evanchan, G. (2010). Fluency is a vital link in the comprehension chain. Ohio Reading Teacher, 40(1), 11-18. Retrieved from http//search. proquest. com/docview/577071584? accountid=28680 Hudson, R. F. , Lane, H. B. , Pullen, P. C. (2005). Reading fluency assessment and instruction What , why, and how?.Reading Teacher, 58(8), 702-714. doi10. 1598/RT. 58. 8. 1 Nathan, R. G. , Stanovich, K. E. (1991). The causes and consequences of differences in reading fluency. Theory Into Practice, 30(3), 176. Pikulski, J. J. , Chard, D. J. (2005). Fluency Bridge between decoding and reading comprehension. Reading Teacher, 58(6), 510-519. Worthy, J. , Broaddus, K. (2001). Fluency beyond the old grades From group performance to silent, independent reading. Reading Teacher, 55(4), 334.