Repeated Reading Exercises to Improve Oral Reading Fluency

Repeated Reading Exercises to Improve Oral Reading Fluency

Oral Fluency and Literacy �There has been a growing emphasis on literacy instruction at the elementary level. This trend has largely been driven by the increasing use of comprehensive testing; literacy skills are considered to be a fundamental component of education, and such skills are the focus of high-stakes tests for many elementary students (Kinniburgh & Shaw, 2007). �With this in mind, educators have worked to develop and implement strategies that will improve literacy rates for students, and strategies that cultivate reading fluency provide a solid basis for the development of overall literacy skills (Kinniburgh & Shaw, 2007).

Repeated Reading and Fluency �According to Young & Rasinski, reading fluency is generally defined as “the ability to read the words in a text with sufficient accuracy, automaticity, and prosody to lead to good comprehension” (2009, p. 4). �Oral reading fluency is considered to be closely associated with silent reading fluency; as such, oral reading is often used as an indicator of general reading fluency (Young & Rasinski, 2009; Musti-Rao, Hawkins & Barkley, 2009). �Reading fluency precedes reading comprehension and provides a basis for academic achievement (Rasinksi, 1990).

Repeated Reading Implementation � Repeated reading exercises can be conducted in a number of ways, including the implementation of strategies that involve entire general education classrooms, small group exercises, individual exercises and interventions (Ates, 2013). � One approach that has received significant attention is the Readers Theatre model. Readers Theatre is a process wherein students read aloud from a script; unlike a play or other such performance, no sets, costumes or props are used, nor are students required to memorize scripts. Readers Theatre participants act out the script by reading aloud; this provides the opportunity to develop and demonstrate oral reading fluency. Scripts for Readers Theatre projects can be based on virtually any appropriate subjects, and can be authored by teachers or students in upper elementary grades, or accessed through educational resources (Kinniburgh & Shaw, 2007; Young & Rasinski, 2009).

Benefits of Readers Theatre �The participatory nature of Readers Theater invites students to become more deeply invested in the material; according to Young and Rasinski, “Students are more likely to practice or rehearse (assisted and repeated readings) if they know that they will be performing a reading for an audience” (2009, p. 5) �Readers Theatre sessions are generally split into sections; first students are given the opportunity to review and rehearse scripts; after suitable rehearsal time, the scripts are preformed. According to Vasinda & Mc. Leod(2011) , Readers Theater exercises allow students to become familiar with written material, to read it orally in a fun and inviting context, and to develop fluency and comprehension skills.

Repeated Reading Exercises: Beyond Oral Fluency �Repeated reading interventions need not be limited to language arts instruction. In recent years a renewed emphasis on literacy has prompted educators to implement a variety of strategies in the classroom that focus on reading aloud, assisted reading, and other literacy-based exercises (Young & Rasinski, 2009). �Because reading fluency is associated with comprehension, repeated reading exercises can be used to help students learn and master difficult concepts such as those taught in science classes. Kinniburgh and Shaw (2007) suggest that Readers Theater exercises can give students the opportunity to become familiar with challenging technical and scientific terms while in lower grades, thereby providing a firm basis for further learning when they advance to higher grade levels.

Conclusions �Evidence has shown that repeated reading exercises are an effective means of developing oral reading fluency skills in the general education classroom, and can also be used as interventions for students with poor fluency skills �Repeated reading strategies can be contextualized in a variety of ways, from individual or small group settings involving materials selected by instructors to strategies involving entire classrooms �Readers Theater exercise and other repeated reading strategies can also teach concepts for classes outside of language arts.

References Ates, S. (2013). The Effect of Repeated Reading Exercises with Performance-Based Feedback on Fluent Reading Skills. Reading Improvement, 50(4), 158 --165. Kinniburgh, L. , & Shaw, E. (2007). Building reading fluency in elementary science through readers' theatre. Science Activities: Classroom Projects And Curriculum Ideas, 44(1), 16 --22 doi: 10. 3200/SATS. 44. 1. 16 -22 Musti-Rao, S. , Hawkins, R. , & Barkley, E. (2009). Effects of repeated readings on the oral reading fluency of urban fourth-grade students: Implications for practice. Preventing School Failure: 54(1), 12 --23.

References Rasinski, T. (1990). Effects of repeated reading and listening-while-reading on reading fluency. Journal Of Educational Research, 147 --150. Vasinda, S. , & Mc. Leod, J. (2011). Extending readers theatre: A powerful and purposeful match with podcasting. The Reading Teacher, 64(7), 486 --497. Young, C. , & Rasinski, T. (2009). Implementing readers theatre as an approach to classroom fluency instruction. The Reading Teacher, 63(1), 4 --13. . doi: 10. 1598/RT. 63. 1. 1