Jean:  Thank you for this excellent post on fluency.  Fluency is 
vital for reading comprehension.  One of the methods that can be used 
to improve fluency is played back is helpful to some.  Also, timing 
the reading and trying to improve the time is also useful.  I owuld 
not do this in a group format.

Mary S. Kelly, PhD
Director, Fisher Landau Center for the Treatment of LD
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1165 Morris Park Ave.
Bronx, NY 10463

At 11:50 PM 5/26/2009, you wrote:

>Reading fluency actually is a demonstration of the automaticity of the

>student's decoding ability. One of the huge issues with our low literacy

>learners is that they use all of their cognitive resources on decoding, and

>there is nothing left for comprehension. When we see our lowest literacy

>learners begin to develop fluency in their reading, we know one of two

>things: a) they are recognizing the words more automatically or b) they have

>memorized the text if the book is overly familiar (and I am not going

>there!) When the learner starts to phrase in their reading, they grasp a

>cognitive chunk and the brain can make sense of that information. We know

>that the working brain can only manage 7 +/- 2 bits of information at a

>time. When the words get grouped into a chunk, they count as 1 unit, rather

>than several individual bits. When the chunks combine into an idea, they

>reform into 1 bit again, leaving room for new information. Sweller's

>theories of cognitive overload come into play here. Our lowest literacy

>learners have the hardest time because their brains are stuffed too full

>with decoding of individual words that they can't recall the content for

>comprehension.

>

>

>

>In my dissertation work one of the clearest threads to come from the low

>literacy learners was that the goal of reading was about saying the words

>correctly, NOT about getting meaning from the text. If you consider the

>concept of cognitive overload, and their struggles with decoding words, this

>makes sense. However, if we can cause these learners to interact with text

>with words they are familiar with, we can teach them to group the words and

>"read it like you would say it". The best way to create this scenario is

>with material that is very easy for the learner to read, using material that

>is at their independent reading level, rather than instructional level.

>Using different "voices" allows the learner to play with the language and

>practice it, having fun with the process. By asking them to read it like a

>very old man, or a giant football player, or a squeaky mouse focuses them on

>the character and the voice, and they talk the part, using the language to

>communicate. This is the same with story books where there are different

>voices. A tape recorder is an effective way for the learner to self critique

>their reading. As we partner with them on their improvement, sometimes that

>distance helps.

>

>

>

>Fluency also helps us teach them about the pauses for punctuation and the

>other signals that we automatically use to help make sense of what we read.

>Early readers word call single words and need to transition to fluent

>reading to help the brain process it as received language. Our observations

>of their fluency can help us assist them in their metacognitive processing

>if we help them talk through what they are hearing and thinking as they are

>reading.

>

>

>

>Jean Marrapodi, PhD, CPLP

>

>Providence, RI

>

>

>

>From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov] On

>Behalf Of Sabatini, John

>Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 5:14 PM

>To: The Assessment Discussion List

>Subject: [Assessment 1900] Re: Basic Reading Skills Discussion Begins Today!

>

>

>

>Hello,

>

>

>

>A few comments/observations regarding reading fluency.  Note that we used

>reading aloud as an assessment technique, not as instruction, in the NAAL.

>There's an entire discussion about why it is a useful and valid measure for

>a survey assessment like the NAAL, and how it can be used as a classroom

>assessment that is helpful to the teacher and learners.  But let me focus on

>the comment about reading fluency in instruction.

>

>

>

>First,  reading aloud in a public setting like a classroom can create

>anxiety for any adult or child, especially if one is not good at it.  Also,

>one is often asked to read 'cold', that is, without having had a chance to

>pre-read, rehearse or practice with the text.  So, just be asked to read

>aloud without setting up a safe, constructive environment is risky.

>

>

>

>Having said that, reading aloud is a useful reading subskill.  As adults,

>there are a number of contexts in which reading aloud is quite natural -

>reading to children, public speaking, rehearsing for a play (even for

>leisure vs. professional acting).  It is a useful work skill, for example,

>in a phone customer service job, one might be expected to look up

>information and read it aloud to the person at the other end of the phone.

>Families also communicate to each other reading aloud at times.  It may not

>be a frequently used reading behavior, but it is a stretch to treat it as

>inauthentic or unnatural.  Skilled reading adults typically feel comfortable

>reading aloud with fluency.  Developing readers should not be denied the

>skill -- it is useful and typically a by-product of skilled reading - though

>some practice always helps in any domain.

>

>

>

>So, giving adults with low literacy practice reading aloud in a safe,

>pedagogical setting, can have benefits.  The instructional techniques built

>around 'guided repeated reading' have been shown to have benefits for

>developing readers both in improving reading fluency and are associated with

>comprehension gain.  In a study our team has been conducting, we have had

>positive results with a one-on-one tutored guided repeated reading program,

>as well as other structured programs that had adults frequently reading

>aloud.  But again, this was one on one with a trained teacher/tutor and a

>structured instructional program based on the best of what we learned about

>the techniques.  Adults generally reported positive responses to the

>instruction and we saw improvements in tests of skills, but we are still

>analyzing data, so best to treat this as promising practice at this point.

>

>

>

>Finally, reading fluency is not a substitute for reading comprehension

>instruction and skills.  One can read aloud a text with fluency and not have

>good comprehension of the same text.  As a skilled reader, I am generally

>fluent with all but the most dense texts, but my understanding is a function

>of other factors including my background knowledge.  And it does require

>attention to perform a text by reading aloud - I don't try to simultaneously

>read aloud and gain deep understanding of a text.  When I seek

>understanding, I reread a text and think about it, maybe discuss with

>others.

>

>

>

>I'd like to hear from others who have experience teaching guided repeated

>reading with adults have to say about it.

>

>

>

>Best,

>

>

>

>John

>

>

>

>   _____

>

>From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Dianna Baycich

>Sent: Tue 5/26/2009 2:27 PM

>To: 'The Assessment Discussion List'

>Subject: [Assessment 1898] Re: Basic Reading Skills Discussion Begins Today!

>

>In response to Marie's question, the report shows that there is a continuing

>need for adult literacy, especially at the lowest levels. With the current

>focus on transitions in adult education, there is a concern that students at

>these lowest levels will be neglected.

>

>

>

>The report also highlights the importance of reading fluency. Adult literacy

>teachers often neglect fluency, saying their students would "rather die than

>read out loud". How can we help students improve their reading fluency in a

>non-threatening way?

>

>

>

>Dianna

>

>

>

>   _____

>

>From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov] On

>Behalf Of Marie Cora

>Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 9:28 AM

>To: Assessment at nifl.gov

>Subject: [Assessment 1897] Basic Reading Skills Discussion Begins Today!

>

>Hello everyone, I hope this email finds you well.

>

>

>

>Today begins our discussion on

>

>

>Basic Reading Skills and the Literacy of the America's Least Literate

>Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)

>Supplemental Studies

>

>

>I am pleased to welcome Dr. Sheida White and Dr. John Sabatini as guests for

>this 4-day discussion.  Please visit the URL below for the full announcement

>and information on accessing the report.

>

>

>http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/assessment/09readingskills.html

>

>

>

>I hope you have had the opportunity to read through the Executive Summary of

>the report.  Please send your questions and comments about the report to the

>discussion list now.

>

>

>

>I will start us off with a question for subscribers:  What does the report

>tell you about the need for adult literacy services today, and how might

>this affect your program practice?

>

>

>

>Thanks!

>

>

>

>Marie

>

>

>

>

>

>Marie Cora

>

>Assessment Discussion List Moderator

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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