Teaching reading fluency is usually a combination of phonics and reading comprehension

Teaching reading fluency takes time. We are talking years not months. Teaching reading fluency is an ongoing part of your child’s primary school education. And it is not until your children are 10 to 12 years old that

they can read fluently. So it is an ongoing part of your child’s education. And you can make it easier.

To start teaching reading fluency I recommend a phonics program.

When learning to read a phonics program your kids like will go a long way to in improving their reading fluency. I like the Montessori method for teaching reading fluency because she uses sandpaper letters and kids just love the feel of the sandpaper on their fingertips. With this program you need to be there to help by making up the words and phonics sounds.

If your children want a computer based program see “Click n’ Read” phonics.

Once your children can read with phonics you need to be around to explain what some words and sentences mean. After your children have mastered phonics they can read nearly everything fluently, but they will not always understand what they are reading. That is where you come in to explain what they don’t know.

Also it is a good idea to ask your kids what the story is about so you know if they understand what they are reading. It is a good idea to read in bed to your kids to try and get them to love reading. There is a lot of competition out there from the TV, videos and the computer so teaching reading fluency to your kids can be difficult so just stick with it.

For more information about phonics courses I recommend including a Montessori course see our Teach Reading page.