Decoding is the process of sounding out words. Students usually learn decoding skills in grades kindergarten through second and apply them whenever they read. Repeated readings give children many opportunities to encounter a variety of sounds and complexity of words. Teachers usually choose the passages which are beneficial because they can select various levels of text difficulty to meet the needs of all students in the classroom. Students have to apply phonics skills every time they participate in repeated readings. With frequent participation, they improve their ability to decode longer and harder words.
Fluency is the ability to read accurately and expressively at a smooth rate that aids comprehension. Repeated readings help children improve all these skills, assuming this activity is used frequently with the guidance of the teacher who can give feedback to the student. Students learn to pause at punctuation, adjust the tone of their voice when necessary and retell the important details of the passage.
Sight word recognition is also a benefit of repeated reading. These are words frequently found in print, like "are," "my," "want" and "his." Children usually study sight words from lists and memorize them, but might not be able to recognize them when reading independently. Repeated readings give students many opportunities to encounter these commonly-used words, enabling them to recognize and read them automatically in the future.
Comprehension refers to the ability to understand what's been read. Repeated readings have a direct impact on a child's comprehension. By reading the same passage over a period of time, a student should develop the ability to remember key words that convey the main idea of the text. This skill improves comprehension in other academic subjects in addition to reading.
Repeated readings can have a positive impact on students who do not like to read. Children who constantly struggle with decoding and receive no intervention assistance probably will not read voluntarily on their own. As they improve reading skills and progress to more difficult passages, they will experience success, which can help them develop a new love for reading.