Communication Skills

8.1.7.Fluency skills

Introduction

Fluency should be the aim of every reading and writing lesson. It should increase as learners progress from beginning to advanced readers and writers. Fluency enables learners to read and write with more understanding. They gain this skill through practice and observation. (Gudschinsky 1973)

Definition

Fluency skills are the ability to see larger segment and phrases as wholes as an aid to reading and writing more quickly.

Examples

Here are some examples of fluency skills:

• Immediately recognizing letters and frequent clusters of letters.
• Learning frequent words by sight
• Seeing phrases as wholes

· Using prediction skills within the phrase or clause

Definition

A fluent reader is one who reads and understands what he or she is reading quickly and with a minimum of effort.

Characteristics

Here are some characteristics of a fluent reader. A fluent reader

• has automatic decoding skills
• has built up a vocabulary of sight words
• has good comprehension skills
• has good word attack skills
• reads smoothly and with expression, and
• self-corrects (recognizes when something doesn't sound right).