The Role of Fluency in Comprehension - Essay Example

This paper, basically, examines the effects of reading fluency on comprehension. Fluency refers to the ability to read aloud automatically and expressively with understanding (Fountas & Pinnell 62). Fluency is one of the requirements for becoming an excellent reader. Excellent readers are efficient problem solvers, who utilize syntax and meaning as they quickly decode unfamiliar words efficiently. Fluency should, however, not replace the meaning as the main focus of reading (Fountas & Pinnell 64).

According to Mrs. Pepper, a speech pathologist in Athens, fluency is the ability to pronounce the words without struggling. She suggests that struggling to call words affects people’s thoughts. The National Reading Panel defines fluency as the ability to read comprehension accurately, quickly, and with proper expression (Fountas & Pinnell 68). The study of fluency among school children became a significant concern, after NRP realized the children were not getting the proper fluency required out of them.

Limited fluency makes it difficult for the children to understand what they reading. The researchers analyzed two teaching approaches since they had not settled on one. The first approach requires students to read comprehension orally with feedback and guidance (Fountas & Pinnell 65). This includes paired reading, assisted reading, repeated reading, and shared reading. The second approach encourages students to read extensively. This includes programs such as accelerated reader, drops everything and read (DEAR), sustained silent reading (SSR), or any other appropriate incentive program (Fountas & Pinnell 67).

The researcher at NRP established that Guided Repeated Reading procedures are efficient enough to improve reading fluency, and general reading achievement. These procedures improve word fluency, recognition and comprehension (Fountas & Pinnell 70). However, the researchers found out that children do not improve their fluency if they are left to read on their own. It is also necessary recognize that these programs do not improve reading skills. Fluency is usually analyzed with respect to comprehension.

After the Pre-Kindergarten level, children are expected to begin reading independently. As the complexity and volume of reading materials and expectations get wider, children who still have a problem in reading fluency usually have difficult times understanding and handling schoolwork (Fountas & Pinnell 69). Students who cannot read and understand passages lose both the academic and intellectual grounds. The NPR identifies a strong correlation between comprehension and fluency. Fluency frees reference materials to process meaning.

Fluency is something that is instantly acquired, and therefore, it is long-term. Classroom activities and strategies like repeated reading can encourage students achieve fluency (Fountas & Pinnell 72). There are various strategies that tutors can use to develop, and improve fluency among their students. For instance, teachers and students can do repeated reading in classroom, try readers’ theater in class, and model fluent reading (Fountas & Pinnell 65). Modeling provides approaches through which the teachers demonstrate unfamiliar reading strategy or skill to the students.

Teachers are experienced readers, and they do modeling whenever they participate in literacy activities. Pre-Kindergarten students learn from their teachers when they turn pages, hold books, and read from left to right. They also listen to the tonal variation and