Record an initial sample of the student's reading on audiotape when you begin reading instruction. Use this tape to assess the student's rate and accuracy. Some learners may be interested in hearing this tape later to see how far they have progressed, but others may be embarrassed or uncomfortable about their previous performance.
Record your voice reading samples of text to model fluency and vocal expression for your students. Read and record a variety of materials, including fiction, nonfiction, and functional print such as signs and forms, for the recording.
Assign the teacher-recorded material for homework and give the students copies of both the tape and the reading material to review and practice. Hearing fluent, expressive reading and practicing a text out loud increases student reading rate and fluency. Practicing at home gives students privacy to gain confidence before reading out loud in front of the teacher or class.
Recommend audiobooks for reading students to use to increase their comprehension and to build their recreational reading skills. Learners can listen to them in class with headphones for silent reading practice, or they can take them home. Listening to a book on tape lets an adult learner enjoy a story above his independent reading level and strengthens his comprehension skills while hearing a model of fluent reading. The discovery of reading for pleasure can be a powerful motivator for an adult who has always seen reading as a difficult, unpleasant task.