One way fluency contributes to comprehension is in how readers break up meaningful strings of words in more complex texts. Sometimes this is marked with punctuation, but it is also important to reflect on a reader's experience with language contexts. The contract example is a good one; sentence structure can flip meaning on its head. Lawyers with loads of experience in dealing with legal jargon will see those "ands" and "or" jump right of the page. Others who lack this experience will likely drown in the details. Directly addressing sentence structure and the implications of dealing with "genre", technical language or dialects will surely improve fluency. I would caution relying on a timer and focusing too heavily on speed. Why is one reader slower than another? Practice is only part of the equation.
On May 22, 2007, at 9:24 AM, Laura Klug wrote: > I agree with the importance of fluency to comprehension. The problem > that arises is how we work on improving fluency. Testing speed is not > the answer in my opinion.What I see a lot of in reading series and > "programs" is the repetition of text and subsequent testing to record > the rate of reading. Fluency has so much more to do with cadence > intonation , attention to punctuation , etc,. We need to be teaching > srategies for fluid reading the wy we teach strategies for > comprehension. The point is to increase understanding of the text. > > Things like Reader's Theatre and reading poetry do a lot more to > increase fluency because the format of the text forces the reader > to pay > attention to the issues involved in reading fluently. Another > effective > approach is working on studetns' writing to improve fluency. The > writer > knows how he/she wants the piece to sound. The writer as reader > intrinsically understands the importance of fluency to comprehension. > > Forgive my typos -- time presses :) > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dave > Middlebrook > Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 8:00 AM > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Re-replies to my fluency v. comprehension > > This is an interesting thread -- as evidenced in part by the fact that > it > has split a few times into sub-threads. My thoughts: Whether and to > what > degree fluency is important depends upon the text being read and what > the > reader needs to get from that text. Two examples come to mind: poetry > and > contracts. > > Poetry requires a lot of fluency. Lose the fluency and, more often > than > > not, you miss the magic -- and many layers of meaning as well. > > Contracts can -- and are often designed to -- put you to sleep. The > littlest details count. Much can hang on small words like "and" and > "or"; > and where you put the emphasis in a sentence -- which word or > phrase -- > can > often make all the difference in whether a deal will work for you. In > short, if you don''t put some serious fluency into the reading of a > contract, you can get skinned alive. > > Having said all that, I can also think of plenty of texts that don't > require > much fluency -- but even those are richer with fluency. Think "Stop" > signs > and advertising slogans and other such pedestrian texts that are the > wallpaper of our lives. Bottom line: fluency is important sometimes, > and > beneficial most of the time. Some texts make little or no sense > without > it, > and even where it's not necessary it can add richness to our lives. > > I agree with Laura's comments, below. Fluency is a bridge to > comprehension. > Children need to make the connection between fluency and > comprehension. > It > is an important tool. That said, I liked the way Nancy Haggerty > struck > the > balance: > > "...fluency will actually allow for more in-depth reading. We do have > to be > careful to take the entire child into consideration. Yea for the child > who > is exhibiting comprehension using the thinking strategies despite low > fluency, but I would also continue to work on some fluency with that > child. > These are all "pieces" to a complete package." > > Has anybody read "The Joys of Yiddish"? Now there's the argument for > fluency! > > > Dave Middlebrook > The Textmapping Project > A resource for teachers improving reading comprehension skills > instruction. > www.textmapping.org | Please share this site with your colleagues! > USA: (609) 771-1781 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 7:22 AM > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Re-replies to my fluency v. comprehension > > >> >> In a message dated 5/22/2007 7:19:03 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >> >> Skip the fluency and work on inference and questioning >> techniques... >> >> >> Hi all. Just weighing in here. Fluency is the "bridge" between > decoding >> and comprehension. >> When we free up brain space by developing fluency that is all the >> more > >> space >> children can devote to the thinking we are asking them to do. It can > not >> and should not be skipped. It also should not just be timed reading >> without >> attention to comprehension. We need to include retelling in our > fluency >> work >> to insure that the children make the connection back to > comprehension. >> >> Laura >> readinglady.com >> >> >> >> >> ************************************** See what's free at >> http://www.aol.com. >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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