ABSTRACT
Fluency in writing should be a fundamental goal of every literacy program. All writers, through their thinking and problem solving, learn about both writing and reading and how they are connected. A reader who up to has been able to read with fluency—that is, speed, accuracy, and prosody—may suddenly begin to read more slowly, or less accurately, and with less confidence. The use of more varied punctuation will likely reduce fluency until those new patterns can be practiced. A minimum of 20 minutes per day of silent reading—more if possible—will go a long way toward providing the necessary practice for increasing fluency. In fact, reading rate charts do show a drop-off at grade four, when reading requires more emphasis on expository text. The oral recitation lesson is another fluency instruction intervention that contains the key ingredients of effective fluency instruction and provides teacher assistance and modeling.
