Fluency is a crucial aspect of reading. It involves automaticity and the ability to connect different aspects of word knowledge.

In this episode, Maryanne Wolf and Melissa Orkin discuss:

the importance of fluency in reading
the factors that contribute to fluent reading
the need for an integrative approach to fluency instruction
the POSSUM approach to building word knowledge

Big Takeaway: Fluency is essential for comprehension and has social-emotional implications for struggling readers. The POSSUM approach can help students make the needed connections to be able to read fluently.

Want to Learn More?

The More You Know: How Teaching Multiple Aspects of Word Knowledge
Builds Fluency Skills by Melissa Orkin, Kirk Vanacore, Laura Rhinehart,
Rebecca Gotlieb, and Maryanne Wolf
Building Fluency with POSSUM
Downloadable lessons featuring the POSSUM approach:
- Grades K-2
- Grades 3-5
Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect: Repeated Reading Is No More Effective Than Continuous Reading for Improving Fluency and Comprehension in School-Age Struggling Readers by Elizabeth S. Norton
RAN and the reading brain with Elizabeth Norton (youtube video)
Word Finder wordfinder.yourdictionary.com - find words with similar patterns!
Crafting Minds Group
NIDO Learning

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

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Becoming and Overcoming | Carol Wilkinson | March 2009