What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction - International ...

among your students with very little preparation. Be as specific as
possible. Spend 10 to 15 minutes planning one of these activities, and
then do it. Afterward, take a few minutes to think about how it went.”
In addition to their pursuing this activity before the next session,
suggest that participants also consider these questions: What
characteristics might students demonstrate that lead us to believe they
are developing word consciousness? How can teachers foster word
consciousness in the classroom?
Open the next session with a brief discussion on these topics.
SESSION 9
Reading Fluency: Its Development
and Assessment (Chapter 8)
Fluent readers recognize printed words quickly, effortlessly, and
almost unconsciously. Fluency reduces the need for text processing
devoted to word identification and allows the reader to attend actively
to comprehension. Author Jay Samuels stresses the importance of
supporting children’s development of fluency and provides a detailed
description of repeated readings, a strategy designed to increase
automaticity in word identification and recognition. He concludes
with tips on assessing students’ levels of fluency.
Framing the Session
Desired outcomes
• To determine the characteristics of a fluent reader
• To note the differences between beginning and fluent readers
• To examine techniques for building fluency
Guiding questions
• How is reading fluency developed and how can it be assessed
appropriately?
• Why is time spent reading vital to reading fluency?
From the Professional Development Edition of What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction
(3rd ed.), © 2009 International Reading Association.
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