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Why Reading Hasn't Clicked Yet (Hint: It's Not About Reading Faster)
222 Plays2 days ago
Episode 90: In this episode, Beth breaks down one of the most important (and most misunderstood) reading skills: fluency. She explains why knowing letter sounds doesn't automatically lead to easy reading, what the real bridge between decoding and comprehension looks like, and simple, science-backed ways parents can help their child become a stronger, more confident reader at home.
What you'll learn
- What reading fluency actually means and why it matters
- The three components of fluent reading: accuracy, rate, and expression
- Why fluency is about far more than reading quickly
- How fluency supports reading comprehension
- The connection between decoding skills and fluent reading
- Signs your child may need extra fluency support
- Five simple ways to build reading fluency at home
- Why rereading favorite books can be incredibly powerful
- How strong fluency builds lasting reading confidence
Topics science of reading, reading fluency, reading comprehension, decoding, phonics, accuracy, reading rate, expression, early literacy, structured literacy, reading confidence, parent tips, foundational reading skills
About the host Beth Gaskill (Miss Beth) is a reading specialist, early childhood educator, and founder of Big City Readers. She helps parents support their children's literacy development through research-backed, science of reading strategies.
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Transcript
Understanding Reading Fluency
00:00:00
Speaker
When we talk about reading fluency, it's not just about the speed or reading faster. It's about reading in a way that sounds like language. It sounds like conversation. Play OnWords! This is Play OnWords from Big City Readers.
00:00:16
Speaker
And this Beth. Hello everybody. Welcome back to the Play On Words podcast. It's Miss Beth and I am coming to you from my Northwoods office. I'm in if you're watching this on YouTube.
00:00:33
Speaker
My little office. It's like fully screened in porch. I love it. I love that I can see all the campers walking by at our um summer camp in the north woods of Wisconsin, which is in the Midwest, if you are one of our many international listeners. um So I'm typically in Chicago, ah big city in the Midwest, and now we are seven hours north Wisconsin. the middle of nowhere, have to drive 30 minutes into town to go to a Walmart to get groceries.
Introduction to Play OnWords Podcast
00:01:06
Speaker
So it's very different than our typical life, but it's so fun. So we have a summer camp for boys ages 8 to 15. So there's like 340 people here all summer between counselors that come from all over the world, like Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa.
00:01:24
Speaker
I think there's 16 countries represented and it is Such a cool experience for all these kids to get to meet people from other parts of the world and spend the summer together. And it's really special for me. So luckily, I get to work remotely while Andy runs the summer camp. And I get to crush it on the pickleball court when i have some breaks in between my tutoring sessions or coaching calls or training of schools or any of the big fun projects we're working on with partnerships with hotels. Yes, there are multiple hotels in the United States that you can stay in. And when you turn on the TV, Miss Beth will read you bedtime stories. ah Andy's favorite joke is that he's like, I don't really know how I feel about other people getting to have you put them to sleep.
00:02:11
Speaker
Um, but so yes, that's what I'll be working on this summer remotely from this little office. If you are watching this and you see me looking around, it's because the dogs will see a deer and they'll go chasing it. And I just, I always get nervous that they're actually going to catch the deer. And I know that they won't that deer are so fast, but it's wild. And yes, there are bears, just black bears, which are basically like puppies.
The Importance of Reading Fluency for Children
00:02:36
Speaker
So today we are talking about reading fluency. But if you listen to this podcast, you know it's never just about one topic. And if you're like, oh, my kid's only four. I don't need to know about this. There will probably be a lot of nuggets of reading and early childhood education topics in here. So don't let that steer you away.
00:02:59
Speaker
It's tricky. Like as someone who has a podcast, I'm I hate that I'm like this, but I look at podcast titles and I'm like, i don't know if that's going to be relevant to me, even if I like the podcast. So It's hard to figure out how to decide what to name the podcast, how to like really say what's covered in that podcast, all that jazz. So anyway, let's dive in, shall we?
Overview of Summer Reading Program
00:03:26
Speaker
Before we dive into fluency, I do want to tell you, you have just a few days left to get into the summer reading program. So what this is, is if you have our kindergarten course, first grade course, or second grade course, you already have this program.
00:03:41
Speaker
But right now in the summer, we've added more to it. We've given you an eight-week calendar of what you are going to do with your child every single day for eight weeks. Just some days like five minutes, some days are 15.
00:03:54
Speaker
And you will not only avoid the summer slide, you will not only avoid the summer slide, but I promise you, your child is going to make leaps and bounds in their reading and writing if you stick to this eight-week plan. So much so that I will get on a call with you if you don't see growth after the eight weeks because something else is going on and I would love to help you figure that out.
00:04:15
Speaker
So the summer reading program kicks off June 15th. If you're in New York, a lot of people are messaging about New York not getting out of school that early. It's on demand. You don't have to start June 15th. You can start later. That's just when the eight weeks start. So you can do the calendar modifications and start, you know, two weeks later if you want or take a week off if you're on vacation. we made it eight weeks and not like 10 or 12 so that people could modify. The only two things, this is a big bonus that's in this. The only two things...
00:04:44
Speaker
that are live, and but you can also get the replay, are the parent coaching calls. So the course is for your child. There's 20 lessons for your child. So they're about 15 to 20 minutes. You can break them up into two days. um We, on the calendar, put them as twice a week to get through the eight weeks. ah Some weeks have three lessons. Some people say that they watch five lessons in one day.
00:05:10
Speaker
It really depends on how you like to do the course. But the only two things that are live are the parent coaching calls. And this is an opportunity to meet other Big City Readers families across the globe that are doing the same course as you to hear about their experiences, to ask your own questions, to listen to their questions. And I will be live with you answering your questions about your specific child in real time.
00:05:32
Speaker
So... Those are the two things that are live. Everything else is on demand. And if you can't make it live, you can submit your questions as well. You'll also get weekly email updates from me with extra tips and checking in. So it's the accountability that everyone has been asking for ah and the flexibility that we want in the summertime. So it starts June 15th. That's when we're stopping the offer.
00:05:54
Speaker
So get in now. Like, seriously, what are you waiting for? This is my last live coaching of the year before have this baby. If you're watching on YouTube, this baby, wow, she's getting to be a big girl.
00:06:05
Speaker
I am already six months and I'm trying not to lose my breath while I'm talking, but I can feel her sitting on all my organs. So I am grateful though that I am tall. I'm 5'10 and so I do feel like Could be worse.
00:06:21
Speaker
I have more room for my organs to be ah displaced. But yeah, we're having a great time up here. I'm not looking forward to like the 100 degree July days, but right now it's only like 80 degrees.
00:06:34
Speaker
We don't have air conditioning, but I'm doing okay with it. So knock on wood. I'm like, I tell Andy every day, i'm like, you need to appreciate how low maintenance I am living in a house pregnant without air conditioning.
Addressing Parental Concerns about Reading Fluency
00:06:47
Speaker
Okay, so maybe you've listened to your child read and noticed that they're stopping to sound out a lot of words. And you're wondering if that's normal or like, shouldn't they be reading more fluidly by now? Or maybe they're reading really slowly or sounding a little robotic.
00:07:06
Speaker
Or maybe they can read the words on the page, but it sounds choppy and you just don't know how to help them. So if this sounds at all like you or someone you know, you are not alone. This episode is for you. We're going to talk about what reading fluency actually is, why it matters so much, and some simple ways that you can support it at home.
00:07:30
Speaker
So what is reading fluency? a lot of times people talk about reading fluency in an inaccurate way. and what I mean by that is they think it's the most important thing to fix. But a lot of times kids are struggling with their reading fluency because they're actually struggling with their decoding. So I would make sure that their decoding is actually really strong.
00:07:54
Speaker
I would start with looking at words that they can decode, like like the word compensate. A first grader should be able to decode that word if they've been properly taught how to read. So I know that feels like a big word, but they should be able to look at each of the syllables and determine if they're open or closed syllables and be able to decode that word.
00:08:14
Speaker
If they're struggling with that word and don't know how to break it down, then I would guess that they still need some decoding work and less fluency work. But we're still going to talk about reading fluency. And a lot of people think that when we think about reading, they think it means that their child can read fast.
00:08:34
Speaker
And sure, that can be great. But I always challenge kids to read slowly that are like obsessed with reading fast. And then we build the fluency from there. But reading fluency goes a lot further and deeper than that.
00:08:48
Speaker
Reading fluency is the ability to read accurately, smoothly, and with expression. So think about the difference between a child reading like this. The dog ran to the park.
00:09:05
Speaker
and a child reading, the dog ran to the park, or the dog ran to the park. It's not just about reading slow that is the problem or choppy. We want them to read with the proper expression as if they're talking. So we want them to read with excitement when there needs to be excitement or sadness when there needs to be sadness. And that can be challenging for a lot of kids.
00:09:30
Speaker
When we talk about reading fluency, it's not just about the speed or reading faster. It's about reading in a way that sounds like language. It sounds like conversation. So the first thing is accuracy. We need to be able to read the words correctly.
00:09:45
Speaker
Then we look at rate. Reading at a comfortable pace. I hold speed tests and fluency tests loosely. You know, I hold all types of assessments loosely because there are so many different variables. But the rate comes next, and I don't want you to focus so much on how many words per minute they need to read, which is something that I used to do as a reading specialist and a teacher, and i don't recommend that anymore.
Components of Reading Fluency
00:10:11
Speaker
But we want them to be reading at a comfortable pace. At the same pace they might be talking in conversation. Sometimes they're more excited they talk faster. Sometimes it's a little bit slower because it's a deeper conversation. we want them to be reading at a comfortable pace.
00:10:25
Speaker
And then third is prosody, which is just a fancy word for expression, phrasing, and sounding natural when you read. So you're not trying to perform. you want to sound natural.
00:10:37
Speaker
So when all three of these pieces are working together, reading becomes easier and more enjoyable. I'm going to give you some tips in a couple of minutes about how to build on these things, so stick with me.
00:10:50
Speaker
But first, why does fluency matter? This is something that I wish all parents knew. Being able to sound out words and being a fluent reader are not the same thing.
00:11:07
Speaker
I think a lot of people know this, especially people listening to this podcast, but a lot of times people think it's the same thing, but it's not. A child can know phonics skills and still not be fluent yet. Doesn't mean that the phonics isn't working.
00:11:21
Speaker
Think about like learning to drive a car. When you first learn, you're thinking about everything, right? I remember when I first learned to drive a car, my dad took me out driving and I was in Jarvis Ed. I hadn't started it yet.
00:11:35
Speaker
And I got in the Suburban. I learned to drive in a Suburban. And he's like, okay, put your foot on the gas. And I was like, I don't know how to stop. And I like pulled onto the um the parkway because I like didn't know what I was doing. I like didn't know to keep my hands still unless I'm turning. I like didn't know how far to turn.
00:11:54
Speaker
And now I can drive anywhere. I can drive across the country and I don't think about it I'm not nervous about it. So same thing happens when we're learning to read. So when we first learn to drive, we're thinking about everything. Where's the brake? Where's the gas? Check the mirrors. Lock the doors. Use the turn signal. Am I going too fast? Am i going too slow?
00:12:17
Speaker
We're using so much mental energy just doing the basics. But after a few years, those same skills become automatic. Reading works the same way. However, it doesn't just come automatically. like We have to practice the skills that feel slow and feel like a lot of energy for it to become automatic.
00:12:36
Speaker
So when children have to put all of their energy into figuring out individual words, they're left with very little brain space for understanding what they're reading. So a lot of times kids can read something, but it's not at their independent level because they use up too much brain space to remember what they just read.
00:12:56
Speaker
But when reading the words becomes automatic, they can focus on the story, the information, and the meaning. Now, here's where people get into a debate because when we say reading needs to become automatic, a lot of people that are fans of telling kids to memorize sight words would say, see, we should just have them see the words and know that they are automatic. They should just know them automatically instead of making them sound them out.
00:13:22
Speaker
That's not what I'm saying. Every word wants to be read automatically. We still have to practice it and store it in the brain. So there's still this process that we have to go through. And some kids take longer and some kids pick it up more quickly.
00:13:35
Speaker
But that's why fluency is such an important bridge between decoding and comprehension. It's often the missing piece connecting those two.
00:13:47
Speaker
Okay, so fluency starts with strong foundations. We know this. I see parents and teachers make this mistake so often. They are focusing on fluency only, like focusing on fluency practice.
00:14:02
Speaker
when they should be practicing other skills to become a strong reader. So they'll have a child reread passages over and over or send home the same books to reread saying it'll build their fluency.
00:14:14
Speaker
And I don't really think this is the way to do it. Fluency doesn't happen in isolation. It grows from strong foundational reading skills. So we know... Sorry to sound like a broken lit record, but children need skills like phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, letter sound knowledge, phonics, decoding, word blending, morphology.
00:14:37
Speaker
All of these things are the basics, like learning where the brake is, learning where the gas is before we can just drive down the street to our friend's house or drive out of state to college.
00:14:50
Speaker
These skills, these basics, are what allow children to recognize words automatically over time. So if a child is struggling with fluency, it's worth asking whether the underlying reading skills are solid yet. So take a look at that list and see if the underlying skills are solid, if if you have them practice in isolation.
00:15:10
Speaker
Sometimes fluency struggles are actually a signal that a child needs more support with decoding, like I mentioned at the beginning. So here are some signs to look out for that your child might need some fluency support or what fluency challenges might look like.
00:15:27
Speaker
It might look like reading very slowly. it might look like stopping frequently to sound out words. It might look like they can sound out a word, but then they struggle with it in the text that they're looking at. It might look like reading one word at a time. It might look like ignoring punctuation, not pausing at a period or pausing before a period.
00:15:48
Speaker
It looks like reading without a lot of expression, having trouble telling you what they just read, and avoiding reading altogether. a lot of times kids will avoid it altogether if they feel like they're not good at reading or they they feel they don't have the flow. They notice it.
00:16:05
Speaker
So if any of these sound familiar, don't panic. These are common challenges, especially for developing readers, especially for second and a little bit of third grade.
Methods to Enhance Reading Fluency at Home
00:16:14
Speaker
The goal is not to compare your child to someone else. The goal is simply to help them continue growing. So here are five easy ways that you can build fluency at home.
00:16:24
Speaker
All right. I know this is like what everybody's like, this is what I came for. Maybe in the show notes, I'll put like start at this minute. ah No, I won't because I want you to hear the background of why it's important. Okay, so what can you actually do?
00:16:38
Speaker
Read aloud to your child. I know you've heard me say this before, but reading aloud is incredibly powerful for building attachment and connection. And kids still need you to read aloud when they can read to themselves.
00:16:52
Speaker
Because the books that they can read to themselves are written at a level that they can decode. But when you read aloud to them, they're written at a higher level.
00:17:03
Speaker
And that's where they can build on comprehension skills. That's where they can hear how you read with expression. That's how they can learn vocabulary words that they probably wouldn't think about as a vocabulary word because they're stuck decoding. But if you're reading it to them, they can think, oh, I wonder what that word means. Or What other word would make sense there? So reading aloud is so incredibly powerful. It does not replace teaching your child to read, but it is as important to read aloud to your child.
00:17:32
Speaker
So when children are hearing fluent reading, they are absorbing the pacing, the expression, the vocabulary, the structure. And yes, even like your fifth grade kids should be read too.
00:17:46
Speaker
Don't skip it. Okay, try echo reading. This is one of my favorite strategies for building fluency. This does not replace any decoding practice. You read a sentence or a paragraph first, and then your child reads the same section back to you. You can make it like an acting game too. They're essentially just echoing your fluent model. So this is not instruction on decoding. This is about fluent model practice. It's simple and silly, and you could read it like...
00:18:16
Speaker
I'm going to read it like a robot. Now you read it like a robot. Now I'm going to read this sentence like I'm happy. Now I'm going to read it like I'm sad. Now going to read it loud and just practice different inflections. Practice. You can do silly accents. You could try different emotions. Like whatever feels fun for you guys is great.
00:18:39
Speaker
Okay, I have said this forever. I've said this about toddler books, but reread the books. Let them reread their favorite books. If your child wants to read the same book for the 15th time, let them. Seriously, repeated reading is one of the best ways to build fluency.
00:18:57
Speaker
Each reread allows your child to spend less energy decoding and more energy reading smoothly. Again, this does not replace the decoding practice. So we don't want to see kids being sent to home with reading practice of just reading the same passage over and over. we want to see them having a solid mastery of decoding, of phonological awareness, of phonics, of phonemic awareness, and And then we're adding in this piece. So this is what's coming after we've checked that all those things are solid.
00:19:29
Speaker
Keep practice short. Fluency practice does not need to take an hour. In fact, shorter, more frequent is better with all reading and writing instruction. So a short poem, a joke, ah the back of a cereal box, a decodable passage, or even a note from you can provide meaningful practice. consistency matters so much more than length. I think about this all the time. When I read a book about habits, they were like talking about eating vegetables. If you wanted to get more vegetables into your diet and you were like, I can only eat fresh organic vegetables, but the place was so far away. So you could only go like once a month.
00:20:05
Speaker
Well, then it's better if you're going to eat canned vegetables because that's what's available to you. And that's what you're going to do. The best practice is a practice that you're going to do. So consistency over length. the Same thing with working out, you know, like I often will like, i don't have enough time to work out. But if I say no to an entire workout because I didn't have 45 minutes, but I actually did have 10 minutes, that adds up. 10 minutes, maybe I could find 10 minutes three times throughout the day to do a little bit of a workout. That is better than nothing. So we want consistency over length.
00:20:36
Speaker
And my last tip would be continue building those decoding skills. Remember, fluency grows out of accurate word reading. Continue practicing phonics patterns, blending sounds, and decoding unfamiliar words. The stronger those foundational skills become, the easier fluency becomes.
00:20:55
Speaker
Okay, so the last thing we're going to talk about is reading speed. A lot of parents worry about reading speed. And many parents think that fluency means reading as fast as possible, but it doesn't. Fast reading isn't necessarily fluent reading. If a child rushes through a passage but doesn't understand any of it, that's not the goal. The goal is smooth, accurate reading with comprehension.
00:21:20
Speaker
fluency should support their understanding, not replace it.
Fluency and Reading Confidence
00:21:24
Speaker
Okay, before we wrap up, I do want to talk about one thing that's often overlooked, and that is confidence. Because fluency isn't just about reading skills. It's also about how children feel about themselves as readers. So you can actually build fluency and your child's confidence in practicing acting or or talking or even like performing a commercial, um if you just like do a pretend commercial for your what you're having for dinner as a family. You know, building fluency comes from a lot of confidence too. So we want kids to feel good about themselves as readers.
00:21:58
Speaker
And when reading feels hard, kids do start to believe that they're not good at it. And I don't really know anybody that likes to do things that they're not good at. They may start to avoid books, they might become frustrated, and they might decide that reading just isn't for them.
00:22:13
Speaker
But as reading becomes easier and more automatic, confidence grows. They might even volunteer to read, pick up books on their own, take risks at unfamiliar words because they're not afraid of failing, and they'll start to see themselves as readers. And that is one of the most beautiful transformations we get to witness.
00:22:32
Speaker
So if your child isn't a fluent reader yet, that's okay. Fluency develops over time and through strong foundational skills, lots of reading opportunities, and patient practice.
00:22:46
Speaker
Remember, we're not chasing perfection. We're helping kids build the skills and confidence they need to become lifelong readers. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. If this episode was helpful, I'd love for you to share it with a friend, another parent, a teacher, or anyone supporting a young reader.
00:23:05
Speaker
And if you're looking for more science-backed ways to help your child build reading confidence, be sure to explore our courses for kids, workshops for parents, and tons of free resources on the blog at bigcityreaders.com.
00:23:17
Speaker
And please reach out on Instagram if you need anything in the meantime or via email, hello at bigcityreaders.com. I appreciate your reviews and your shares so much. I love being able to bring this to so many families all over the world.
00:23:33
Speaker
So until next time, keep reading, keep learning, and keep making literacy fun.