Difficulties with fluent word reading can stem from different underlying causes. Problems with automatic word recognition can contribute to difficulties with fluency, and in turn, often cause problems with comprehension. Fluent reading is necessary for comprehension, because attention required for effortful reading draws resources away from comprehension (Perfetti, 1985).
Problems with automaticity and fluency may appear as problems with dysfluent word reading and/or with reading comprehension, including:
Universal screening starting in Kindergarten should assess automaticity, in order to identify children who are experiencing problems developing early skills, such as letter names and letter-sound correspondences, which are associated with later difficulty. These children may require instructional support or additional practice to prevent future difficulties. Older children should be assessed for oral reading fluency. For more information about universal screening and a list of Massachusetts-approved screening assessments, see Early Literacy Screening Assessments.
Possible root cause(s) of problems with automaticity and fluency include:
Many children who experience problems with automaticity and fluency did not receive systematic and explicit instruction and practice in foundational skills of reading. For many children, problems with automaticity and fluency can be prevented with strong core instruction, that includes phonological awareness, phonics, and decoding.
Following a systematic scope and sequence for teaching phonics patterns and providing enough practice for each new letter pattern is critical for preventing automaticity problems.
Targeted fluency practice builds prosody and automaticity (Rasinski et al, 2016 ).
Once students have secured basic decoding, independent reading promotes growth in fluency.
"When I have a struggling reader, when they break through a struggle, it's the best thing that I ever experience, because not only are you proud of them, but you see them actually grow, you see the confidence in them, they sit up straighter, you see the biggest and brightest smile on their faces. And when they say to you, 'I can do it. I didn't need your help. I figured it out.' It's the most rewarding experience ever." Beth Villani Reading Specialist Sweetsir School, Merrimac, MA
Intervention is necessary when children do not make adequate progress with reading automaticity and fluency even after receiving strong core instruction with opportunities to practice. It is important to determine whether a difficulty with automaticity and fluency is stemming from a problem with phonological skills, phonics and/or decoding before proceeding with intervention.
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