Silent reading fluency - the hidden hurdle in reading

“Our children struggle with stamina and concentration, but nothing we do seems to help” – sound familiar?

This is one of the most common challenges schools face when they first come to us for support. “Being able to read but not able to understand what they read” is another.

The pillars of reading

Our comprehensive online reading programme, Reading Plus, places a strong emphasis on enhancing not just one but three crucial aspects of reading: fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. These pillars serve as fundamental building blocks during the transition from the initial stages of learning to read, to the more advanced stage of reading to learn. By focusing on these key areas, we guide students towards becoming proficient readers capable of leveraging their reading skills effectively to acquire knowledge at their designated academic level.

In addition to assessing reading skills, our programme prioritises nurturing students’ internal drive to read. We do this by evaluating their personal beliefs about self-improvement, confidence levels and overall interest in reading. Through concentrating on these aspects, we aim to cultivate not just reading ability but a genuine enthusiasm for it.

What is reading fluency?

To foster well-rounded and skilled readers, it’s vital to be proficient in silent reading. It’s worth emphasising that a child proficient in silent reading is not only better prepared for academic success but is also more inclined to find joy and intrigue in reading for leisure. This skill can open doors to exploration and curiosity, nurturing a potential lifelong love for literature and learning.

The power of silent reading fluency

To develop strong and proficient readers, and to prepare pupils for lifelong success in various aspects of life, they need to become fluent in silent reading. An additional point worth noting here is that a child who can read with fluency is also more likely to be a child who will read for pleasure, and with curiosity.

How does word decoding impact comprehension?

Frequently, students find themselves using up their working memory capacity just to decode text, leaving little mental bandwidth for critical thinking skills. However, by nurturing students’ silent reading fluency and endurance, this obstacle can be overcome. Through consistent practice, their word decoding speed improves, their sight vocabulary broadens and word recognition gradually becomes second nature. Over time, with exposure to appropriately-levelled texts, a significant portion of words in a text will transition into sight words. According to various theories, this shift means that the working memory previously dedicated to word decoding can now be redirected to bolster reading comprehension. This transformation not only enhances students’ reading capabilities but also lays a solid foundation for their overall academic success.

Where does vocabulary fit?

A reader’s comprehension level is heavily influenced by their vocabulary knowledge and familiarity with the words in a text. When students are assigned texts that are too challenging, they may find themselves rushing through the words without fully grasping their meaning. This tendency is not limited to struggling readers; even those with strong reading skills can succumb to this behaviour if the text is overly demanding. As a teacher, accurately assessing a student’s comprehension becomes challenging if we cannot gauge their reading ability and adjust the material accordingly. 

On the flip side, when readers demonstrate a comfortable pace of silent reading coupled with strong comprehension, we refer to this as comprehension-based silent reading rates. These rates provide valuable insights into a reader’s fluency and comprehension skills, serving as a meaningful measure of their overall reading ability.

How can Reading Plus help with silent reading fluency?

All measures of silent reading fluency in our online programme Reading Plus are comprehension-based silent reading rates so students will be individually placed at their current reading level.

Reading Plus develops students‘ stamina and fluency by using a Guided Window system, which guides the reader’s eyes across a page of text. This is done at a bespoke speed for each pupil to build fluency and stamina.

Read more about the Guided Window feature here.

Do you want to elevate your students’ silent reading fluency? Look no further than Reading Plus for the ultimate solution.