How to increase reading fluency, according to EduTwitter

As we get ever nearer to the (much-deserved) Christmas break, the team at #PrimaryRocks show no signs of slowing down, continuing to ask interesting questions and promoting discussion amongst the education community.

The @PrimaryRocks Twitter account is a fantastic place for primary educators to come together and support each other, sharing resources, discussing new ideas and sharing best practice. Every Monday, between 8pm & 9pm they post a question, or series of questions put forward by the education community on Twitter.

The last #PrimaryRocks of the year, (Mon 16th Dec) threw up a question that caught our eye: ‘What do you do to make your class become more fluent readers?’

It’s an interesting question, and one that many primary teachers wrestle with. We looked through the responses provided by teachers and have listed some of the more popular answers. Let’s do it!

1. Whole class reading - suggested by (amongst others) @deputygrocott

This seems to be the most popular approach amongst teachers who responded to the question. The pressure to raise reading standards has led to some teachers moving away from guided reading in smaller groups, in favour of whole class reading. This approach allows pupils to engage in reading together as a group, providing a shared experience where everyone sees the text and no-one is left behind. It also allows the teacher to pause at any point, to deal with any comprehension issues that the group, or certain individuals may have.

1. Echo reading - suggested by @thotch78

Echo reading involves the teacher, (or a partner who can read at a higher level) reading a particular sentence, phrase, paragraph or page, which the pupil then echoes back. It is used to help students gain confidence and fluency when reading, as well as matching what is said to the printed word.

1. Paired reading - suggested by @talkativeteach1

As its name suggests, paired reading involves pupils finding a partner before taking turns to read aloud to each other. This approach allows more fluent readers to be paired with those less who are less fluent, encouraging children to work together and supporting peer-assisted learning.

1. Guided reading - suggested by @LukeCHale

Guided reading involves children breaking off into small groups and reading or analysing a text. The small group scenario allows teachers to focus their attention on each pupils specific needs, intervening where necessary and accelerating their progress.

So there we are. Various different methods, all with the same end goal of encouraging children to become more fluent readers. Do you agree or disagree with one or more of these? What would you suggest? Let us know.

The beauty of Learning by Questions is, it will work with any of the above approaches. The flexibility of the platform ensures that it complements your teaching methods, increasing reading fluency and broadening understanding.

If you’re looking for some shorter stories or other reading resources to teach reading skills, check out our Reading Question Sets for KS2 & KS3 pupils. Our highly experienced, specialist subject teachers select classic extracts and create/write original texts, all of which are accompanied by curriculum-aligned questions. To access all this and MUCH MORE, make sure you register for an account at Learning by Questions.