Reading fluency it the ability to read quickly with few errors and effective comprehension. Reading comprehension is the ability to understand a text, both at a surface level and a deeper level. In order for students to achieve reading fluency for a more challenging text, they must have some strategies for how to make sense of information they are not familiar with. As was addressed in chapter two some students may find comprehension strategies to slow them down but this is probably is because the book they are reading is a book they are already fluent with. Because each student may struggle with different aspects of a specific text, it is important to understand what aspects of a text each student is struggling with. Chapter 3 told how certain students may get hung up on surface structure such as the letters, words, or grammar in a text where others may have problems with meaning of concepts and the purpose of a piece or they may lack background knowledge that is important for understanding the author’s intent.
In my classroom each student has been assessed to find their reading level. We have a book box for each student where we put books that are at their level that they can practice reading during daily 5 time. Each student also has their own book bag. For those we have the students take a book home that is one level below where they are. This is to give students opportunity to gain fluency with their parents at home. They are allowed to bring the books back as frequently or infrequently as they want. During daily 5 time students also get time to meet with the teacher to read an at-level book where the teacher will give the student specific comprehension strategies pertaining to his or her specific needs.
At our school we are also trying to improve the students' fluency and comprehension. We have had to explain to many of the parents that the books their children are bringing home are going to be easy for the students. We do not want the students to be hung up on words that they don't know at home. We want them to concentrate on reading quickly and with expression. I think this is an important concept because if the students are reading books that they are unfamiliar with or that are very difficult they will be more concentrated on sounding out the words that they don't know.
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