Loving Learning Literacy

Reading Fluency

At school, we are continuing to strengthen students’ reading skills using approaches grounded in the Science of Reading. A key focus is reading fluency, the link between accurate decoding (sounding out) and strong comprehension.

What Is Reading Fluency?

Fluency is the ability to read:

• Accurately (words read correctly)
• At an appropriate rate (not rushed)
• With expression and phrasing

When children can recognise words efficiently, their brain has more capacity available for understanding the text. Fluency reflects secure phonics knowledge applied automatically, it is not about reading quickly.

How We Teach Fluency

In line with the Science of Reading, we:

• Provide explicit, systematic phonics instruction
• Use decodable texts that match taught sound-letter patterns
• Model fluent reading
• Engage students in repeated oral reading with feedback

Fluency builds from strong phonemic awareness and phonics foundations.

How You Can Help at Home

Here are practical ways to support your child:

• Encourage repeated reading of short passages across the week.
• Read aloud daily to model phrasing and expression.
• Try echo reading (you read a sentence, your child repeats it).
• Try choral reading (read together at the same time).
• Support accurate decoding (sounding out) by prompting your child to use the sounds they know.
• Practise with decodable books that match the phonics patterns taught at school.

Fluency develops through consistent, supported practice, not guessing from pictures or memorising predictable texts. Accurate word reading is what allows comprehension to deepen.

Happy reading!

Taryn and Nella

Literacy Leaders