Often seen as the domain of the primary classroom, approaches to reading fluency can be effectively translated into reading routines for older pupils. Fluency is sometimes described as a bridge from word recognition to comprehension, as pupils’ cognitive resources are freed from focusing on word recognition and can be redirected towards comprehending the text. This is especially crucial in supporting the comprehension of challenging academic texts in the secondary classroom.
In this‘Clip from the Classroom,’ Becky Grimshaw, Assistant Director of Manchester Communication Research School reflects on how she used guidance from Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 to develop pupils’ fluency during whole school reading time.
The approach in the video, featuring school leader, teacher and pupil voices, is based on:
- Guided oral reading instruction – the teacher models fluent reading, then pupils read the same text aloud with appropriate feedback.
- Repeated reading – pupils re-read a short and meaningful passage a set number of times or until they reach a suitable level of fluency.
Becky highlights the importance of the reading routines and text selection which underpin this approach:
Find out more:
Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 guidance report
The EEF’s fluency page
Why focus on reading fluency? – EEF guest blog by Timothy Rasinski