Building Strong Readers: What to Do When a Student Struggles with Fluency

(Note: This is Part 5 of an 8-week blog series called Building Strong Readers. If you haven't read the rest of the series, check it out HERE)

Once students start decoding words, the next essential step is to work toward fluency. Fluency is the ability to read text accurately, smoothly, and with expression. Fluency isn’t just about speed; it’s the bridge that connects decoding skills to true reading comprehension.

In this post, we’ll explore what fluency really means, how to recognize when students need support, and effective strategies to build fluent reading.

What Is Fluency?

Fluency is made up of three key components:

• Accuracy: reading words correctly

• Rate: the speed at which a text is read

• Prosody: using appropriate expression, intonation, and phrasing

Why Reading Fluently Is So Important

When readers are fluent, decoding becomes automatic and effortless. This frees up cognitive resources to focus on understanding the meaning of the text, and not just on decoding words.

Fluency is often referred to as the bridge between decoding and comprehension. 

When the bridge is open and strong, the two "islands" are connected and students can move from word recognition to comprehension. Fluency is the critical link between the two.

Consider this analogy... 



If a bridge is “out,” chances are, there will be a detour available to complete your route.  However, it is likely that the detour will take more time, be less efficient, and use more fuel.

The same is true for a disfluent reader. It will take longer to finish the passage, and he will have used less efficient strategies that required more cognitive energy.  A disfluent reader has less fuel at the end of his trip to apply toward comprehension.

Lack of fluency at any age or grade negatively impacts comprehension.

Signs a Student Struggles with Fluency

Here are some common signs that a student needs extra support with fluency:

• Reads in a slow, word-by-word manner, often pausing between words

• Makes frequent decoding errors or hesitations

• Struggles to read grade-level texts independently

• Reads with little or no expression; monotone delivery with no phrasing or emphasis

• May struggle to understand the text- meaning was lost due to halting, choppy reading

What to Do: Effective Fluency Strategies

Here are some strategies to help your students read more fluently:

1. Improve Reading RATE with Repeated Reads of Decodable Texts

Repeated reading means having students read the same text multiple times until they become more automatic and confident.

• Select a passage around the child’s independent-instructional level
• Have the child read for 1 minute while tracking WCPM
• Set a rate goal (20% higher than cold read)
• Have the student read and reread the passage until the goal is reached

This practice builds automaticity, which is the goal of fluency instruction.

Fluency at the Word Level

It's also important to work on building automaticity at the word level. Instead of using a passage for timed readings, use a list of decodable words. We like to use nonsense words to assess decoding and blending skills at the same time! 

These Nonsense Word Speed Read Booklets are great for helping students build automaticity at the word level. Each booklet focuses on a different phonics concept and includes space for 5 days of timed readings with nonsense words, a bar graph to keep track of progress, and a real vs. nonsense activity on the back.

They can be used at a center (after teaching your students how to do it themselves), as a progress monitoring tool, with a parent volunteer or older reading buddy, as at-home practice, etc! To learn more about the booklets and the 22 phonics concepts that are included, click HERE or the image below!

2. Improve Reading ACCURACY with Direct Instruction & Immediate Feedback

This can be done in a number of settings, including during and after a 1-minute read. 

• During the child’s cold read, slash words that are read incorrectly (on teacher’s recording sheet)
• After 1 minute is over, highlight words read incorrectly on student’s sheet
• Provide feedback and direct instruction on words that were missed before rereading the text
  
  

3. Improve Reading PROSODY by Modeling Fluent Reading

Students need to hear what fluent reading sounds like, but this is more than just listening to someone read. Here are a few pointers:

• The student needs to be actively involved the entire time
• While the teacher reads aloud, the student tracks with his/her finger
• Teacher models correct phrasing, expression, etc.
• This can also be done with a fluent peer or audio recording
  
  

Don't forget you can also model what fluent reading does not sound like, which might get a few giggles out of your students when you're reading like a robot 🤖

Tools for Fluency Instruction

• Decodable readers

• Audio recordings of fluent reading for modeling

• Stopwatch or timer for timed readings

• Fluency rubrics or checklists for prosody and expression
  
  

For Teachers: Best Practices

• Use short passages or decodable texts that match students’ current decoding ability—not too hard or too easy.

•  When using timed readings, start by prioritizing accuracy: speed should come after accuracy improves

• Track progress regularly to inform instruction and celebrate growth

• Make fluency practice engaging—use poems, short stories, or even scripts for readers’ theater

• Praise effort and progress, not just speed

• Remember: fluency develops over time, with consistent practice

• Integrate fluency work with vocabulary and comprehension instruction for best results

   

Final Thoughts

Fluency is more than speed—it’s about reading accurately and with expression so that students can understand and enjoy what they read.

By using repeated readings, modeling fluent reading, providing targeted practice, and monitoring progress, teachers can help students cross the fluency bridge and become confident, capable readers!

Building Strong Readers Reference Sheet (FREE DOWNLOAD!)

If you would like a printable version of these reading skills and strategies to apply when you spot a weakness, click the image below to download our free Building Strong Readers Reference Sheet!

The Resources You Need, All in ONE Membership!

We understand that purchasing resources one by one adds up fast—and as teachers, we know every dollar matters. That’s why our K-2 membership, Launching Literacy, is a smarter and more cost effective option. Our membership gives you everything you need for small group instruction—all in one place—so you can save time, money, and stress.

No more weekends wasted hunting for Science of Reading–aligned heart word resources, phonics lessons, and decodable texts. With Launching Literacy, you simply log in, choose the skill you want to teach, and instantly download detailed, ready-to-use lesson plans and activities.

In just a few clicks, your small group lessons are prepped and ready to teach—so you can spend less time planning and more time making an impact in your classroom. It’s planning made simple, effective, and affordable.

We hope that you found this blog post helpful! Whether you choose to join the membership or not, we are always here to help you in any way we can. Send us an email at: [email protected] with any questions you have!