What Can Parents Do to Support Reading Fluency at Home?

1.            Reading and re-reading easy books is a great way to build your child’s reading fluency. Have your child select a favorite book and read it aloud two or three times. This approach, called repeated readings, is one of the best ways to promote reading fluency.

2.            Model fluent reading for your child by reading aloud daily. Be sure to use expression in your reading. You can even use funny voices for dialogue as you read aloud.

3.            Echo reading helps to build reading fluency. You read a phrase, sentence, or paragraph aloud to model fluent reading. Your child then reads the same phrase, sentence, or paragraph afterwards, like an echo. Continue this pattern until you have read a book, story, or page of text with your child.

4.            Have your child practice reading a simple book to share with a younger sibling or another young child. Once your child is able to read the book fluently, ask him or her share it with the other child. Both children will benefit from the reading experience.

5.            Poetry can be used to practice fluency. Take turns with your child reading a short poem until he or she can read it fluently.