Fluency means knowing how to read accurately and quickly. Fluent readers are able to read at a natural pace and with expression as though they were speaking.
Reading with expression means using different voices for characters, reading with excitement if there’s an exclamation point, and trying to read with the same voice you use when talking with a friend.
Children who can read accurately, quickly and with expression will have an easier time understanding what they read because they won’t be stuck on sounding out words. Building fluency is like building a muscle, it takes practice and reading many times to get stronger and faster!
Watch and Learn
Captions and Languages
To watch videos with subtitles: Click the settings icon in the lower right-hand corner, next click “subtitles,” and then “English.”
To see subtitles in another language, after selecting English, click on subtitles again, then click “auto-translate” and select the language of your choice.
Try These Activities
Help Your Child Sound Out Words and Stop Guessing
Check out these tips from All About Reading to learn how to help your child sound out words instead of guessing when they come across a word they don’t recognize. The more they practice, the more fluent readers they will become.
Read Books On The Right Level
It’s important to help children avoid too much frustration as they try to read. This means finding a book that they are able to read comfortably and that offer only a slight challenge. In other words, you want your child to be able to comfortably read most of the words they see. Early reading books with pictures and large fonts are good choices. It helps boost children’s confidence and excitement when they realize they can actually read their book!
Echo Reading
While reading a book to your child, have them repeat a sentence from the story after you have read it. Let them practice making their voice sound natural and changing the tone as the sentence ends. If a character in the story speaks, model how they talk, then have your child repeat after you.
Chorus Read
A chorus read is when you and your child read at the same time, like how singers sing in a chorus! Pick a paragraph in a story and let your child get practice in reading fluently with you.