This article describes pertinent information regarding national and state standards and tests; instructional techniques for teaching word recognition, fluency, vocabulary knowledge, and comprehension skills; the selection of appropriate texts and materials; reader response; the diverse student learner; and a variety of authentic assessments that…

A total of 46 children in Grades 2 and 3 with low word-level skills were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups that received supplemental phonics-based reading instruction. One group received intervention October through March (21.5 hours), and one group served as a control from October through March and later received intervention March through May…

This paper exposes how function words and their prosodic features play a part in learning and teaching to read in the early years. It sketches the place that function words have in the grammar of English and describes their phonological features, especially their weak stress and its role in the prosodic quality of sentences. It considers the ways…

Information processing theory suggests that sublexical fluency skills are important to word reading development, but there are few supportive data. This study investigated if sublexical fluency (letter name fluency, letter sound fluency, and phoneme segmentation fluency) contributed to the development of word reading and spelling in 92…

Italian dyslexic children are characterized by a pervasive reading speed deficit, with relatively preserved accuracy. This pattern has been associated with predominant use of the nonlexical reading procedure. However, there is no evidence of a deficit in the lexical route of Italian dyslexics. We investigated both lexical and nonlexical reading…

Word reading fluency, as indexed by the fast and accurate identification of single words, predicts both general reading ability and reading comprehension. This study compared the effects of context training and isolated word training on subsequent measures of word reading fluency. Good and poor readers were given 12 repetitions of two sets of…

The current study examined the effects of several combinations of instructional and motivational interventions on oral reading fluency in the context of small group reading instruction. A treatment package consisting of acquisition, fluency, and motivational components was examined and then dismantled. Results were evaluated individually for each…

The Curriculum and Instructional Projects Team at the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) developed "Guidelines for Reviewing a Reading Program" ("Guidelines") to assist reviewers in determining if a program is consistent with the scientific research on reading. Based on that work, the Center on Instruction Reading Strand developed this…

This action research project was developed in order to increase student literacy, particularly in the area of reading, for students who were considered at-risk. The targeted student population was 2nd grade students who were served within a primary cross-categorical special education program. The classroom was housed in an elementary (K-2) school,…

The purpose of this study was to develop and gather validity evidence for silent reading fluency passages. A number of passages were written following a traditional story grammar structure (character, setting, events) and placed on a computer for students to read silently. We describe in detail, the manner in which content-related evidence was…

Combine whimsical rhyming verses with practical activities that span the curriculum. Ideal for emergent and reluctant readers, this book offers: (1) repeated exposure to high-frequency words; (2) engaging opportunities for word-building, sentence development, and cross-curricular concepts; (3) fun ways to boost vocabulary and build reading…

For years, teachers thought that if students could learn to decode words accurately, they would be successful in reading printed text. While it is true that accuracy in decoding is important for fluency, it is not the entire story. Readers not only need to decode the words accurately; they also need to decode them effortlessly or automatically. …

Contends that the acquisition of fluent reading competency involves beginning readers' tacit recognition that they must learn to compensate for the absence of prosodic cues in the written signal by making use of the cues that are preserved. (HOD)

Discusses several principles that can help reading teachers create fluency activities: repetition, modeling, direct instruction and feedback, support during reading, emphasis on reading in chunks or phrases, and use of easy materials. Notes that these principles are guidelines for developing reading instruction and activities that promote fluency.…

A self-modeling, self-monitoring intervention to increase oral reading fluency was investigated in elementary school students (N=5). Videotapes of students reading were edited to create a system of self-modeling with feedback on subsequent efforts. Results indicate improvements in oral reading rate over time with advances in instructional…