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Have you ever driven a car?
Recently, I learned how to drive a car, and I must say, I DO NOT LIKE DRIVING.
When driving a car there are so many things, you have to think about all at one time.
For instance, when I first started driver's ed, I would get so overwhelmed by having to think about:
if my foot is on the gas or the break,
am I clicking my turn signal in the correct direction,
am I looking at my mirrors,
am I paying attention to the pedestrians, the cars, the lines on the road, the light signals, and the traffic signs?
By the time I reached the end of my lesson, I wanted to throw the car keys away and take the bus.
So, congratulations to anyone who drives a car effortlessly.
When attempting to learn to read fluently, a non-fluent reader experiences the same overwhelming feelings I experienced while learning to drive.
Reading is Exercise for the brain!!
Reading is making meaning from print and it requires many skills to understand what you are reading.
So when your child is trying to read, he or she is engaging in several brain functions that require them to be able to:
Identify the words in print- a process called word recognition.
Build meaning from them - a process called comprehension.
Finally, being able to organize the identified words in a way that creates meaning. So, that reading becomes automatic and accurate- a skill known as fluency.
Sometimes your child may be able to make meaning from print without being able to identify all of the words.
Even if he or she can identify and comprehend words at times, reading will remain a difficult task if the processes do not flow smoothly.
For instance, try reading this quote by Patricia Cunningham from the book “Phonics They Use”:
The quote reads: “Our brains can attend to a limited number of things at a time. If most of our attention is focused on decoding the words, there is little attention left for the comprehension part of reading.”
How many times did you have to read the quote?
Did you read it smoothly the first time?
Probably not!
A non-fluent reader experiences this when trying to read a new book or text.
Therefore, fluent reading involves being able to combine word recognition and comprehension effortlessly. Each of these three processes is essential for your child to become a proficient reader.
What should I do to help my child become a more fluent reader?
What if you could help your child with reading fluency in 3 easy, tear-free steps? How would you feel knowing that you are doing everything you can to help your child learn to be a fluent reader?
This free guide provides parents like you with 3 easy-to-implement ideas that you can use to get your child to read more fluently.
You can download your guide here, FREE PARENT GUIDE, and get your child working toward better reading fluency today.