Flinders CCC Reading for Life

This section defines and explores reading and writing fluency. The composite parts, being accuracy in word decoding, automatic processing and prosodic reading are explained and exemplified.

Here, we warn that fluency in reading and writing is a hard-won skill, gained best through years of good teaching and plenty of practice.

We urge practice, persistence and patience when expecting fluency from children, as it is all too easy to try to bring fluency about by using pictures, rote memorization or guessing. These non–code-based methods may give a temporary veneer of success, but they do not help children become good spellers, or indeed fluent readers when the demands of text outweigh the child’s decoding skill.