I
Fluency and Guided Repeated Oral Reading by Sarah Lively
s reading fluently important for children’s academic future? Currently, the United States is facing a national reading crisis.Thirty percent of American students have reading difficulties in addition to another thirty percent having extreme reading difficulties (Honig, Diamond, & Gutlohn, 2000). The academic drawbacks of reading problems have serious implications. Children are expected to read fluently by the end of 1st grade. By 3rd grade, children are expected to read for learning. Thus, poor readers are susceptible to the “Matthew Effect”; good readers are enriched by their reading and poor readers fall further behind (Honig, Diamond, & Gutlohn, 2000). These students are at a disadvantage in all curriculum areas, creating limitations to their future academic success (Dudley, 2005). “Often they [struggling readers] drop out of school, earn lower incomes, and experience underemployment at a disproportionately higher rate than their average reading peers” (Dudley, 2005, pp.16-17). Conversely, reading fluently is not a direct curriculum topic, but an underlying basic skill that is often neglected in school (National Reading Panel, 2000). Previous research has found that reading fluency and reading comprehension have a positive correlation (Fuchs, Fuchs, Hosp, & Jenkins, 2001). Reading fluency and comprehension significantly influence children’s academic and career opportunities. How can the educational system fail to provide children with these fundamental proficiencies? Several explanations may clarify the reason why reading fluency has been forsaken in the school system. Teachers may possibly assume students already possess these skills. Moreover, enthusiastic teachers may focus too much attention on the wrong types of fluency strengthening
114