The Fluent Reader: Oral & Silent Reading Strategies for Building Fluency, Word Recognition & Comprehension

by Timothy V. Rasinski, D. Ray Reutzel (Contributor)

Tim Rasinski’s groundbreaking book has been updated to include coverage of the latest research on fluency, teaching strategies based on that research, new classroom vignettes, and suggestions for using a variety of texts to teach fluency such as poetry, speeches, and monologues and dialogues. You’ll also find background information, assessment tools, step-by-step lessons, and teaching tips—plus video clips showing the strategies in action. For use with Grades 1-8.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Professional Development, School, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my summertime goals is to increase my understanding of how to teach reading and build stronger readers. This book includes research and implementation ideas. I’m walking away with a plan. Love it.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only does this book provide plenty of strategies for improving word recognition, fluency, and comprehension through oral reading, it does a nice job of explaining why oral reading should be done. Rasinski begins the book by presenting a theoretical and historical look at oral reading so the reader can understand how it benefits students and why it should be included in the classroom every day. Though the strategies presented in this book are geared toward K-3 classrooms, Rasinski also discusses how they can be used in upper level classrooms as well, which makes this book appealing to teachers of all levels. Some of the strategies he discusses in this book are Reader’s Theater (plenty of information!) Radio Reading (a type of Repeated Reading), and ways for students to respond after a Read Aloud (oral, written, visual, and physical responses!). A nice feature of this book is the enlarged forms such as examples of reading records/logs and sight word lists for easy copying. Not only did I get plenty of ideas to incorporate in my lesson plans for this practicum where I am working with a seven and an eight year old, I also have some great ideas for teaching at the high school level.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent ideas and suggestions for oral reading and fluency.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical ideas you can implement immediately. Easy to read and interesting as well.

[C. Varn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fluent Reader a theory and practice book by one of the foremost fluency researchers, Timothy V. Rasinski. My partner and I both work on education and even though our masters degrees were completed about a decade apart, we both used articles by Rasinski in our research on fluency and its relationship to literacy. This book goes a long way to define what fluency is and isn't--it is not just speed counts for words read--and then goes into various practices: the use, overuse, and limitations of round robin reading, the ways different reading strategies can be employed at all levels to build fluency and comprehension, and ways to organize your class to aid in achieving and improving literacy: this is particularly helpful for low skill readers in middle and lower high, average readers in the lower elementary, and ELL teachers. Many teachers may be frustrated with the first chapter as it is mostly theory but it does help to understand WHY one is doing a pedagogical intervention conceptually so its results and aims can be better monitored, which is why I believe it was included. It's not perfect and I have not read the new edition, but it is very helpful book.

[Nika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big Timothy Rasinski fan! He has the heart of a teacher. I have used so many of his instructional strategies, even before implementing those from The Fluent Reader. I have seen significant gains in reading comprehension and oral reading skills since incorporating his suggestions for an oral reading program. Today, my 6th grade students are reading excerpt from Robin Hood, written in Old English, completes with thee, thous, dost, and couldst. Their voice inflection shows that they are getting it in a way that they would not have before we discussed the tenants of oral reading fluency. As a former high school teacher, I feel excited to be preparing kids for Shakespeare in their 9th grade year. I know they will approach it with less fear and that is a great first step.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to see Mr. Rasinski speak and was given this book at his seminar. I'm giving it 4 stars because it forced me to really evaluate some of my current reading practices in my classroom. The actual reading of the book, I'd probably rate it more of a 3. The book does a good job of "reminding" you about what you should and could be doing. I find his Fluency Development Lessons to be genius. I've done my own thing before, but taking what he suggests and tweaking it for my classroom, I believe will have fantastic results. I think this is a good book for any early elementary teacher to read.

[Sheila Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful resources! Fluency is much more that reading speed. Dr. Rasinski's book is an eye-opener! It is research based and loaded with ideas that have been proven to work! Let's follow his advice and have kids singing, reading poems, and doing reader's theater! Let's push those test prep folks out of business and get back to the basics...teaching kids to love to read and open up the doors to deep thinking! Life is so much more that A., B., C., or D.! Kudos to The Fluent Reader for giving teachers the research that proves what we all knew in our heart!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for any reading teacher. It has practical strategies that really work. I am now using "paired reading" with a student who has been struggling with fluency all of his life, and he is making great progress. I just wish I had read this book earlier.

[Mary Flowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a course I just finished, while I found some of the ideas were out of date (and the studies they used dated to the 70s and 80s), there were some very good tips and strategies I plan to implement in my classroom!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid strategies for building oral reading fluency and a nice discussion of silent reading fluency. I especially appreciated his multidimensional fluency scale as a way to measure expression and phrasing.

[Kerry]

Helpful to anyone attempting to teach students to read more fluently (or in a graduate reading program).

[Robbyn Glinsmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a dork and rereading this book because I am going to hear him speak in a few weeks.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has good reasons for why a student may not be a fluent reader and many ideas for how to fix that.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as part of a book study at school. Great information and resources on how to teach students to be fluent readers.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great author!! I went to a reading conference and heard him speak; he is so inspiring! He makes me want to buy all of his books because they are full of fun strategies to teach kids to read!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really got some great ideas and tips from this book. I heard him speak a few years ago and his book is as great as his seminar was.

[Kianaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical way to improve student achievement.

[Kim]

This book is has great ideas to increase the fluency of your students.

[Susan Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen to Timothy rasinski's podcast from IRA about Fluency Lessons