Category Archives: Fluency Interventions

Identifying Reading Problems In Kids

According to various certified surveys, one in five school going kids have reading problems. The extent of reading problems may differ from child to child as each one has a different pace of learning. If a child has a reading problem (struggles to understand written words), it is important to determine its extent in order to provide timely assistance to improve his reading capabilities.

Ways in which reading difficulties in kids can be identified are:

  • Slow And Effortful Reading: If a child is reading a book of his age level (for example, a phonic book for a 5 year old) with a lot of effort and considers it to be difficult task, then the child can be identified for having reading problems.
  • Frequent Reading Errors: During reading, recognize if the child adds, replaces, or omits words. All these are signs of reading inaccuracies which cause problems with the child’s understanding of sentences as the meanings of the context are changed.
  • Tracking Issues: To identify directional tracking issues, pay attention to the direction in which the child reads. If the child is reading from the right side towards the left, reverses letters in a word or skips lines, it could be a sign of a reading issue.
  • Comprehension Skills: These skills help to follow directions, understand what others are saying, and remember a series of words or numbers. Children with reading issues are usually not able to do these things and should be tested for different auditory processing disorders.
  • Decoding Issues: Decoding issues could be a sign of Dyslexia or other auditory processing disorders. These can be identified when the child finds it difficult to break down large words into smaller words or syllables (due to phonetics and fluency issues).
  • Other Signs: For a child going to school, observe whether he displays signs of poor attention, gets distracted easily, asks for the same information repeatedly, squints a lot, lacks focus, etc. These traits could be indicative of deeper issues along with reading disabilities that require timely intervention.

Conclusion

If the child shows poor reading signs, try to get in touch with a speech pathologist for identifying the exact cause of the reading problem. Consult the child’s teacher and pediatrician for better insight into the child’s behavior. Timely support is crucial for a child with reading issues so it is important for parents to be pro-active with getting help in the form of reading tools and remedial reading help (understanding phonetics, decoding and vocabulary aids, cognitive training; concentration, perceptual skills, logical thinking and reasoning, spatial relations, etc.)

See-n-Read Reading Tools provides a variety of reading products to kids facing reading problems. The tools help the kids to improve moderate to severe reading skills deficiencies. For more details on identifying reading problems in kids, visit 2533 Sutton Lane, Aurora, IL – 60502. You can also contact (630) 236 – 5592.

Fluency Interventions: Tips For Teachers

Fluency is one of the most critical components required for an efficient reading. It not only refers to the ability to read quickly, but also accurately and with the right expression. A fluent reader can easily comprehend the content being read and remember it for a longer period of time. Therefore, reading fluency is important for a child’s academic success.

Here are some fluency intervention tips to help teachers develop reading skills in children:

  • Model Fluent Reading: Teachers must read aloud to the students to make them familiar with the concept of fluent reading. Choose a small and easy paragraph, read at a normal pace, with the right tone to match the words in the content. Read a wide range of genres, including poetry, fiction, fairy tales etc. so that they can identify the difference in speech. You can also make them read a book while listening to its audio version at the same time.  
  • Do Repeated Readings: Allow students to practice the skill by reading the same paragraph again and again. If they are taking longer than usual or are not able to pronounce any word correctly, read it aloud and let them repeat after you. Encourage them to do repeated readings till they attain the desired level of fluency. You can also organize group readings to boost participation and reduce students’ apprehension about making a mistake.
  • Echo Read: It includes reading to the students and making them read back to you simultaneously. This technique will help them recognize the sound and expression of words in the context. By having the printed version of the text you are reading, they will identify the words and add them to their vocabulary. Start by making them echo a small phrase repeatedly before moving to a sentence or a paragraph
  • Promote Phrased Reading: Fluency involves reading information in phrases, rather than word by word. Hence, students must be taught to segregate the content into small but meaningful phrases so that they can understand it easily. They must also be made familiar with the usage and importance of punctuation marks at relevant places throughout the text.

See-N-Read Reading Tools can help to improve reading fluency in students of different ages. The fluency intervention tools help to improve concentration and filter on-page distractions to avoid skipping words/lines while reading. For more information about the reading tools, you can call at (630) 236 – 5592.

Reading And Fluency Interventions For Students

Reading involves more than just identifying and decoding words. It is important that students develop fluency in order to be a successful reader. It helps them read accurately at a definite pace along with the proper expression of words. A fluent reader will also be able to comprehend and memorize any text better. Here are some effective reading fluency intervention tips for students:

  • Model Fluent Reading: In order to be a fluent reader, students must be aware of the essential components of fluency. When they know how fluent reading sounds like, they will be better able to incorporate the style into their own reading. Hence, you should expose your children to various reading materials and the correct way to narrate them. Read aloud various poems, stories, speeches of their interest and let the students pinpoint elements that made you read fluently.
  • Guided Practice: You can also make your child learn simultaneously as you read. Pick out a paragraph or excerpt from a text and let your child repeat every sentence after you. Focus on the child’s expression of words and accuracy in pronunciation. Repeat the same process several times and praise the child for every improvement he makes.
  • Repeated Readings: Choose a book or a piece of text appropriate for the student’s academic level and let him read it aloud. When the child is unable to read a word correctly or takes a pause for a few second, tell him the correct pronunciation and make him repeat after you. Encourage him to repeatedly read the entire text until he is able to achieve the desired fluency.
  • Use Chunking And Paraphrasing: Students must be taught to use chunking technique to comprehend the meaning of the text. Segregating the information into small meaningful phrases will help them to differentiate between individual words and their usage in the context. They must also be made to understand the importance of using punctuation marks at proper places.
  • Offer Practice Opportunities: While the child is reading, get a copy of the text and count the number of words he pronounced correctly in one minute. Subsequently, let him read the same text twice or thrice and note the improvement from previous results. The student will gradually show a substantial improvement in his reading fluency.

If your child is facing problems in reading fluently, consider using See-N-Read Reading Tools. The research based fluency intervention tools have been designed to help students read accurately and improve comprehension. For more information, you can call at (630) 236 – 5592.

Strategies For Developing Reading Fluency

A lot of students struggle with reading fluently or maintaining place on a page. Reading efficiency can be assessed by the clarity and ability to read aloud along with expressions and understanding of the text. Various tools and tips can assist in enhancing the reading fluency of a child and also develop interest in reading. Some of these have been discussed below:

  • Exemplify fluent reading: In order to read fluently, children must listen and understand the sound of pronounced words. The teacher or parent can read the text aloud, emphasizing the stressed syllables and ask the child to repeat and stay focused on the text.
  • Repeated readings: The student should be encouraged to re-read the same content to get familiar with the context and words. You can begin with a short poem and then move on to stories. Reading passages aloud encourages fluency and expression. Repeated oral reading helps to build confidence and enhance the ability to understand the content.
  • Reading techniques: The child should be monitored for the ability of phrasing, reading a phrase together, the speed of reading and the emphasis given to certain words. The child should be encouraged to repeat certain sentences or phrases as repeated reading helps to build fluency.
  • Chorus reading: Two or more children can be given a text and asked to read a paragraph each, turn by turn. This will encourage them to read fluently and notice the reading style of a fellow student.
  • Silent sustained reading: This technique, referred to as SSR, is performed silently and independently. It aims at providing the child an opportunity to enjoy reading at a comfortable pace. The child can select the text to read so that his focus and motivation levels are high.
  • Audio books: Listening to an audio version of their favorite text or book can encourage children to read along with it. The audiobook can be paused and replayed several times for clarity and works as a positive fluency model to the listener.

See-N-Read Reading Tools are designed to encourage fluent reading skills while providing affordable and practical learning support. Our reading tools are aimed at helping children overcome reading difficulties and develop memory strategies. For more details, you can call at (630) 236 – 5592.