By Samiya Cogmon
Did you know that students who don’t read proficiently by 3rd grade are four times more likely to leave high school without a diploma than proficient readers (aecf.org)? Kids who become illiterate adults are more likely to be stuck in the cycle of poverty with limited opportunities for both employment and income generation.
This is why reading fluency is such an important foundational skill. Reading fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression.
Reading fluency is crucial for every student, but is a common pitfall. To read fluently, kids need to instantly recognize words, especially words that can’t be sounded out (ex. irregular words like of and the). Reading fluency speeds up the rate at which they can read and is essential for effective reading comprehension. It is important to be able to sound out words, but decoding every word can take a lot of effort and can even be discouraging for kids.
This is where word recognition comes in. Word recognition is the ability to recognize whole words instantly by sight, without having to sound them out. When a student can read quickly without making too many errors, they are “fluent” readers. Fluent readers read smoothly at a consistent pace. They may group words to help with meaning, and they use the proper tone and inflection in their voice when reading aloud. For example, changing their voice when they see an exclamation point or question mark at the end of a sentence.
To improve your child’s reading comprehension they must improve their word recognition. My favorite method is to use sight words. A student sees the word again and again until they can recognize it instantly. The time that it takes for this to happen may vary as average readers need to see a word between four and 14 times before it becomes a “sight word”. Meanwhile, kids with dyslexia, for instance, may need to see it up to 40 times. Either way, consistency is key.
If your child is still working on reading fluency, you are not alone. Lots of kids struggle with reading fluency. Like other reading skills, kids need lots of specific instruction and practice to improve word recognition. Reading often is the main way to improve this skill.
Practice makes progress so get your kids reading.
A message from the writer
Samiya Cogmon
I have been immersed in educating children, especially in urban communities for the last seven years. Back in 2019, I founded Horizon StarTutoring Co. with a mission to bring the joys of academic achievement to others…the confidence that you take into adulthood. It all starts with the student’s academic foundation.
