Fluency Focus is a sequenced programme of twenty one-hour whole class reading lessons for Year 5 pupils, to be delivered once per week in place of an existing reading lesson. The aim of the lessons is to improve pupils’ reading fluency and consequently their comprehension of challenging texts. The programme was developed and led by the London South Research School at Charles Dickens (part of the Research Schools Network), who trained teachers and an SLT champion to deliver the programme to Year 5 pupils. Lesson resources were provided in a comprehensive teacher handbook, each with a clear structure in which fluency strategies were taught, modelled and then practised by children.
Participating teachers and SLT champions attended one day of upfront, face-to-face training at the start of the autumn term: each school was also offered two coaching conversations, and training webinars.
- Evidence suggests that children should practice fluent reading of the same material within a guided setting while the teacher provides timely, specific feedback (Bashir and Hook, 2009). Fluency Focus was designed to address the challenge that poor fluency for some pupils in Key Stage 2 results in poor comprehension, with an associated attainment gap continuing to widen as these pupils move into KS3. The programme brings together seven evidence-informed reading fluency strategies to support the teaching of reading fluency:
1. Introduce unfamiliar vocabulary
2. Modelled fluent reading
3. Text marking and phrased reading
4. Echo reading
5. Paired repeated reading
6. Reading for performance
7. Comprehension questions
This pilot evaluation found evidence that Fluency Focus is feasible to deliver and acceptable to schools, representing a different approach to the usual practice of teaching reading. In all participating schools, staff reported that most pupils engaged well with the programme. There were occasional reports that those with the highest and lowest reading abilities engaged less well, and it is therefore recommended that the programme resources are adapted to ensure the lessons are accessible and appropriately challenging for all.
The evaluation also found that the programme shows promise in delivering its aims, with specific evidence in support of: - improved understanding and effective use of fluency strategies and fluency assessment among teachers; teacher-perceived improvements in pupils’ abilities to independently use fluency strategies, to read fluently, and to read aloud more confidently.
- EEF is currently considering commissioning an efficacy trial of Fluency Focus, subject to recommended adaptations to the structure of the training and support, monitoring mechanisms and the administration of pupil assessments.