Taking Read-Aloud to the Next Level: Fluent Reading

Many teachers I speak with want to weave more progressive and effective forms of oral reading into their curriculum but don’t have the tools or the knowledge to do so. My book, The Fluent Reader, is meant to fill that gap by increasing teachers’ knowledge of oral reading fluency and providing ways to make oral reading and fluency instruction an effective and integral part of a balanced reading program. In my book, I provide a brief overview of the history, advantages, and general uses of oral reading and fluency. From there, the book offers a variety of effective strategies for employing oral reading in enjoyable and engaging ways, and providing evidence for their effectiveness.

Modeling Fluent Reading and Motivating Readers With Read-Alouds
Many of us have vivid childhood memories of being read to by a parent, grandparent, or teacher. There was something special about listening to an enjoyable story in the comforting company of a trusted adult. It probably comes as no surprise, then, that one of my favorite classroom activities is reading to students or watching teachers read to their students. At the schools I visit, just before read aloud, there is often a lot of nervous energy among the students as they take their seats or sit on the floor in front of the teacher. But their squirming, giggling, and chatting quickly dissipate as the teacher begins to read and transports the class to another place and time. The look of enchantment on children’s faces during read aloud says it all. Students not only love stories, but they also love having stories read to them.

Clearly, read aloud builds interest in reading, but its benefits do not end there. Read aloud also helps you achieve three important goals with your students: it improves comprehension and vocabulary, models fluent reading, and builds motivation.

There is no secret to reading aloud to children in a classroom. You just have to do it. However, the following considerations may help you make the most of the experience.

Timing
Choose a time for read aloud that is relaxed, quiet, and conducive to listening. For many teachers in self-contained classrooms, after lunch is best. For other teachers, the ideal time might be first thing in the morning, right before lunch, or at the very end of the day. For some lucky students, there may be even more than one read-aloud period per day. How long should you read? The answer will vary depending on your personal style and preference, as well as the nature of your schedule and group. Generally, 10 to 30 minutes is appropriate.

Atmosphere
Setting the mood for read aloud is important, too. Lower the lights in the room, especially the overhead lights. Have a desk or table lamp available for you to read by and a special chair to read from. Some teachers use a bar stool so they can see the entire group and project their voices. Others prefer a rocking chair to give the experience a warm, homey feel. Invite students to sit in front of you on a carpet. This arrangement works well not only for primary students, but for upper elementary and middle school students as well.

Book Selection
What are the best books to read to students? The answer is different for everyone, but whatever you choose, keep in mind one of the main purposes of read aloud: to develop in students a love of reading and books.

Practice, Practice, Practice
What makes read aloud special is hearing how the expressive voice of the reader adds meaning and energy to the reading of a text. That expressiveness comes from practice. Once you’ve chosen a text, read it over in advance once or twice. Familiarize yourself with the characters and the plot. Identify points at which to insert dramatic pauses, to raise and lower your voice, to increase your volume or to read in a whisper, to speed up or slow down, etc. I often ask my undergraduate students to read to children whenever they visit a classroom. To many of them, it seems like an easy task, so they do little to prepare. However, once they get in front of a group of eager and enthusiastic children, they often become a bit anxious, which results in reading with a flat voice, poor phrasing, and many hesitations and errors. And, of course, the children aren’t all that satisfied.

The primary purpose of read aloud is to provide students with an enjoyable literary experience. We often use read aloud to introduce students to unfamiliar genres or authors or to challenge them with texts they’d struggle with on their own. Experiences like these not only satisfy the listener, but they also provide a model of fluent, meaningful reading. In this sense, read aloud is a window into the reading process for students who are still developing. It is imperative, then, that we practice (rehearse) to provide them with the most fluent, and expressive, example possible. Through our own rehearsal we are modeling for students what they need to do in order to increase their own fluency—rehearse in order to read with expression and meaning.  

To learn more about how oral reading instruction will boost your students’ reading fluency, word recognition, and comprehension, you can purchase my book here.

About the author:
Timothy V. Rasinski is a professor of literacy education and holds the Rebecca Tolle and Burton W. Gorman Chair in Educational Leadership at Kent State University.  He, has written more than 200 articles and has authored, co-authored, or edited more than 50 books or curriculum programs on reading education. His research on reading fluency has been cited by the National Reading Panel. Tim has served on the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association and as editor of The Reading Teacher and the Journal of Literacy Research. He is past president of the College Reading Association and has won the A. B. Herr and Laureate Awards from the College Reading Association for his scholarly contributions to literacy education. In 2010, he was elected to the IRA Hall of Fame. Tim began his career as an elementary and middle school classroom and Title I teacher.