Modeling+and+Support+for+Fluency

Initiated by Katie Gianniny Children understand what they hear before they understand how to read. In the early grades, interactive read alouds are a significant part of a child’s literacy instruction. It is a time for teachers to share the passion and enjoyment of reading as children listen to high quality children’s literature. The role of children during an interactive read aloud should not be passive, but should rather be active listeners as they pay attention to their teacher as she reads the story aloud. While interactive read alouds provide wonderful opportunities for students to engage in discussion about the text, it is also a valuable time for teachers to model fluency with books that their students many not be able to read yet at their independent level.
 * __Modeling Fluency Through Interactive Read-Alouds__**

Fluency can be defined as the ability to read accurately, with automaticity and with expression. Students who are more fluent readers are often more successful in comprehending text since less time is spent on decoding isolated words. While some students may identify sight words in isolation quickly and accurately, they may lack the ability to read fluently when reading a book. Therefore, fluency is not completely dependent on the ability to read a list of sight words quickly because it may not transfer when reading the words in the context of sentences. When a teacher uses an interactive read aloud as a part of literacy instruction, she is providing a time for students to listen as she models fluency through important parts of reading that proficient readers often use in their reading including speed, expression, intonation, and pausing in appropriate places all at the same time. It is a time when teachers “can model and demonstrate the ways in which the language of the book is different from spoken language” (Hedrick & Pearish, 2003).

One factor to consider is that teachers should always familiarize themselves with a text prior to reading it to the class by previewing and practicing the book. A teacher should “take the time that is necessary to thoroughly understand and appreciate the book” (Barrentine, 1996). This benefits children because when the teacher is more familiar with the story, she will be familiar with the sequence and events of the text as well as the characters. Previewing the text will provide the teacher with practice in using natural voice variation as she changes her voices to express things such as moods, emotions, and voices of different characters. If a teacher practices prior to the read aloud, it is much more likely that she will be more successful in her modeling of fluent reading and less likely that the flow of the story will be interrupted due to oral reading errors. Also the more animated the teacher will be, the more likely that children will be more engaged with the story. Again, teachers should familiarize themselves with the books before the interactive read aloud.

Interactive read alouds provide direct and indirect instruction in fluency for all students. English language learners benefit because it provides a strong English language model for them, since teachers should choose books that are above the students’ independent reading level that contain rich vocabulary. Children from poverty may hear little spoken vocabulary being used at home so interactive read alouds provide them with an opportunity to hear words that are not currently used in their everyday language. Sometimes, teachers may choose a book with rhyme and repetition in the younger grades. These types of books are useful for having students repeat phrases that are modeled orally by the teacher.

Children are often eager to read a book that their teacher read aloud previously. If a child picks up a book that the teacher previously read, it gives him an opportunity to practice his fluency skills. Children often copy what they hear. When their teacher models fluency, they are then more likely to pay attention to reading with automaticity and with expression. Also, if they heard a new vocabulary word read aloud within the context of the story, they will be able to have practice with these new words. As teachers, our goal is to inspire our students to pick up books and to have the ability to transfer what they learn during interactive reading alouds to independent reading.

References Barrentine, S. (1996). //Engaging with reading through interactive read-alouds. The Reading Teacher, 50(1)//, 36-43.

Fisher, D., Flood, J., Lapp, D. & Frey, N. (2004). //Interactive read alouds: Is there a common set of implementation practices? The Reading Teacher, 58(1)//, 8-17.

Hedrick, W.B., & Pearish, A.B. (2003). //Good reading instruction is more important than who provides the instruction or where it takes place. In P.A. Mason & J.S. Schumm (Eds.), Promising practices for urban reading instruction (pp. 6-24)//. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Hoyt, L.B. (2009). Interactive read-alouds. Retrieved from [].

Shedd, M. & Duke, N. (2008). //The power of planning: Developing effective read alouds//. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web.