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Fluency Instruction
Teachers need to select and facilitate the best methods of fluency instruction for
their children and their classrooms. The following four components are needed
for good fluency instruction.

1. Model fluent reading.

2. Use guided oral reading instruction.
3. Give students ways to practice and perform.
4. Implement word study activities to build accuracy.

Here are some examples of activities for each of the components.

1. Model fluent reading: Students 2. Use guided oral reading

need to hear and see what fluent
reading looks like.
• Read Aloud - An adult reads
aloud a text to the whole class.
• Books on Tape - Children can
listen to stories on tape as they
follow along in a book.
• Buddy Reading - An upper
grade child reads aloud to a
lower grade child.
instruction: Students need
assisted, guided oral reading
instruction with a teacher, adult, or
a peer.
• Choral Reading - All the
students, lead by the teacher,
read aloud together.
• Peer/Paired Reading- Students
are required to work as pairs.
Each student reads their text
silently. Then the students take
turns reading the passage three
times orally to the other student.
The listening student acts as the
teacher by giving suggestions and
feedback.
• Echo Reading - echo reading,
the teacher reads a sentence,
paragraph, or page aloud and
then has the students chorally
reread that segment.
• Tape Assisted Reading -
Children listen and read along
with a tape.
• Buddy Reading - An upper
grade student listens to a lower
grade student read, giving
appropriate feedback.

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
3. Practice and Performance - Children need lots of practice to learn to
read fluently. Performing helps students learn prosody.

• Repeated Reading - Students choose their own appropriate text or the

teacher assigns a passage. The teacher discusses reading behaviors such
as phrasing, rate, intonation, etc. The students practice their texts several
times until fluency has developed. Poems and rhymes are great for repeated
reading. There are three ways to provide repeated reading experiences:
direct instruction (whole class), independent choice, or assisted method
(books on tape).
• Independent Reading - Children choose text on their independent level
to read silently.
• Reader's Theater - Reader’s Theater is an oral performance of a script
usually based on authentic literature. Meaning is conveyed through
expression and intonation—students need to interpret the script instead of
memorizing it, thus helping with comprehension as well as fluency. Repeated
readings, or rehearsals, helps students build fluency in a natural and
authentic manner.
• Radio Reading - A form of Reader's Theater, students, with copies of the text,
perform in front of class.
• Oral Recitation Lesson - This is a combination of a Reader’s Theater and
Round Robin Reading. In this strategy, the teacher introduces a new
selection with the focus being on comprehension. The teacher reads aloud
the text and fosters discussion on the content. After modeling a fluent
reading of the text and teaching the comprehension lesson, the teacher
selects students to act out the text while the rest of the class reads it from
individual copies.

Nursery rhymes, poems, songs, speeches, etc. are great for performing!
4. Word Study - Children need to build their sight word knowledge in order to
recognize words quickly when reading.

Using a list of sight words, such as a Fry's 300 Instant Words and or Fry's Instant
Phrases and Short Sentences.

• Speed drills
• Flashcard practice
• Word Walls
• Sight Word Bingo
• Vocabulary Activities

Not all students need fluency instruction!

Fluency instruction usually begins in the middle of first grade!

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
 First 100 Words

These phrases contain the first 100 words from the Fry Instant Word List
(1980), which represent 50% of all the words children encounter in
elementary school reading. Repeated reading of a few phrases per week
gives students practice reading high frequency words and developing fluency.
These phrases may be written on sentence strips, transparencies, or on a
chart for use in literacy centres or small group instructional setting.
Source: Rasinski, Timothy V. (2003) The Fluent Reader. New York:
Scholastic Professional Books.

The people But not me

By the water From my room

You and I Will you be good?

He called me. Then we will go.

What did they say? An angry cat

No way Write your name.

One or two That dog is big.

More than the other Two of us

How many words? The first word

This is a good day. I like him.

Sit down! Out of the water

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
We were here. More people

Could you go? Go down.

We like to write. Did you like it?

Into the water When did they go?

Look for some people. She said to go.

So there you are. Each of us

A long time What are these?

Have you seen it? There was an old man.

One more time It may fall down.

Up in the air See the water

Which way? But not for me

He has it. Write it down.

If we were older Who will make it?

It’s no use. What will they do?

With his mom We had their dog.

As big as the first When would you go?

When will we go? A number of people

From here to there How long are they?

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
Come and get it. For some of your people

Part of the time The other people

Can you see?

Now and then

Go find her.

At your house

It’s been a long time.

Give them to me.

Now is the time.

May I go first?

This is my cat.

Get on the bus

Did you see it?

How did they get it?

Number two

Look up.

All or some

A long way to go

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
Second 100 Words

Over the river It’s still here.

After the game Set it up.

Take a little I study in school.

Just the same I don’t feel well.

It’s only me. Point it out.

Think before you act Read the sentence.

Live and play. Big and small

Try your best. Such a big house

Any old time Show and tell

Study and learn They went here.

Mother means it. Good and plenty

The good American Even the animals

A little boy I think so.

Back off. A good man

We want to go. Another great sound

Turn the page. Our best things

A small house also Only a little

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
That’s very good Hand it over.

Three years ago Around the clock

Where are you?
A different land
I work too much.
Because we should
We found it here.
It turned out well.
Right now
Good things
Spell your name.
My new place
Tell the truth.
Most of the animals
Play it again.
Give it back!
We came home.

Answer the phone. My last name

Form two lines. I know why.

Read my letters. Mother says to now

Write one sentence. Kind of nice

We need more. Same time tomorrow
Where does it end?
Change your clothes
Such a mess!
I need help.
It turned out well.
Move over.
It’s a small world.
Through the line

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
The following day

Give it away.

Show us around.

The air is warm.

Another old picture

Where in the world

Put it there.

I’m an American.

My home is large.

Right now

This must be it.

Home sweet home

The men asked for help.

You must be right.

Get to the point.

Help me out.

It’s your place.

Read the book.

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
Third 100 Words A second later

Talk to my father.

Near the car Sing your song.

A few good men My family

In the country A very important person

It seemed too good. Watch the game.

Below the water So far so good.

It’s hard to open. I like being on the team.

Keep it up. The dark night

In the beginning A few children

The light in your eyes Watch the river.

We got together He started to cry.

We saw the food. Leave it to me.

It’s my life. The first day of school

We started the fire. Stay a while

Run for miles. My own father

Do it often. You might be right.

It’s time to eat. Read every story.

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
Next time Without a care

Will it last? My feet hurt.

For example Next to me

Light the fire. It began to grow.

A group of friends Too soon

Under the earth An important idea

Both children Almost enough

The big city Between the lines

Read the paper. Don’t open the door.

A good thought Add it up.

Is it really true? Along the way

Until the end Plants and flowers

Near the sea Something good

Read your book. Plant the trees

The long list Those other people

I miss you. In my head

Above the clouds We left it here.

I took the car. Close the door.

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008
Always be kind.

It never happened.

Once upon a time

We walked four miles.

Let me carry it.

Stop the music.

The young face

State your case.

I cut myself.

On my side

The young girl

The tall mountains

A good idea

A long life

White clouds

I hear the sea.

I hear the waves.

Almost four miles

Phrases and Short Sentences for Repeated Reading Practice

April 2008