GO WITH THE FLOW!

One of the most important activities to implement with pre-readers, is to read with them modeling fluency and prosody.  Fluency in reading can be defined as the ability to read text easily, quickly, and expressively without making much effort and with little difficulty, demonstrating comprehension of the text. Prosody in reading refers to the expressiveness the reader demonstrates.  It is the intonation, rhythm, and emphasis given when reading out loud.  Prosody is a key component in reading fluency.

As children begin reading, or even reciting books they have memorized, it is important for them to begin using fluency and prosody as they “read.”  Here are some additional facts about the effect of fluency and prosody on reading comprehension.

 

·     90% of children who struggle with reading comprehension have fluency problems.

• If children use up all of their energy decoding words, they have no energy left to help them comprehend text.
• Practicing oral reading with prosody improves children’s ability to read silently and improves comprehension.
•  Listening to someone read the print while the student follows along with the text, improves reading skills.
• Children of hearing impaired parents who watch television with closed captioning on, usually come to school reading.
• Reading aloud with students
• Builds interest in reading
• Builds vocabulary
• Builds comprehension

• The top three factors in literacy achievement are

                  1^st Parent involvement

2^nd Amount of reading done at home

3^rd Amount of reading done in school

                    

In the next segment, I’ll discuss some practical ways you can develop fluency and prosody skills by reading with your child.

This is the School Marm,

 Ringing her bell. 

School’s out!