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                                                         Elizabeth from Michigan asks.....

                                           How to Help a Choppy Reader

             "What lessons can I use to smooth
                                                    out choppy reading?"


    Thank you for your question, Elizabeth.  Choppy reading is common and can happen for several reasons.  The obvious one is that the material is too hard, and the child is reading word-by-word trying to figure them out,  rather than automatically recognizing most of the words and reading smoothly.  The other main reasons for choppy reading are HABITS and LACK OF PRACTICE. Let's look at some ways to remediate choppy reading whatever its cause.

1.  Model: Do partner-reading with your child, taking turns reading aloud.  When it's your turn, model smooth, expressive reading.  After your child has read a portion, praise them for reading the hard words, and say, "Let's pretend that you're reading this aloud to a younger child.  To make the story fun to listen to, we could read it like this...."  and reread the portion with smoothness and expression.  Have the child reread the same passage copying your expression.  Praise them for any improvement in their fluency, and have them read the same passage another time or two, then go on.  Repeat the whole process one or two times each reading session: you model, together practice a portion focusing on expression, and moving on in the story.

2.  Making a taped story:  You and the child agree on a picture book that he/she can tape record. If you have a younger child in the family that you can make the tape for, that's even more fun.  Have the child practice reading the story over and over, working on his/her smoothness and expression.  Help them practice via modeling and coaching.  Once they feel ready, tape record the story.  You can even ring a little bell signaling the listener to turn the page like the real story tapes do. 
  Listen to the tape with your child.  "What do you like about the tape?  Are their parts you'd like to do differently?"  Repeat the taping process until the child has made a story tape they're proud of.  You can give it, along with the book, to someone else to use and enjoy.
HINT:  Grandparents especially LOVE this gift!

3. Cold/Hot Reads:  The previous suggestions help break a child of the word-by-word habit as well as provide guided practice.  But another fun way, especially for children 2nd grade and above, is to do 1 minute timings.  Materials by READ NATURALLY are designed specifically for this, but you can use any reading material that is at your child's level. 
   The child reads a short article that he/she hasn't seen before.  They read for 1 minute.  This is called a "cold read"  and the number of words read in 1 minute is noted. They then finish reading the article and answer the questions at the end. 
   Next, they practice the passage with you, both of you reading aloud together.  Do this over and over until they feel ready for their "hot read."  Time them for 1 minute and compare the number of words read in the cold and hot readings.  The difference between the two is always encouraging for a child AND they enjoy doing it.  Also, it helps them feel comfortable reading at a smoother, faster pace. 

   I've found that children who practice lessons like these will quickly move from choppy reading into more flowing and fluent reading easily and happily.   If you give any of these a try, please let me know how they work for you!