Reader's theater is an engaging way to improve fluency in reading. In reader's theater, children are assigned roles from a selected text and they read the text aloud, acting out the parts that they are assigned. This activity encourages children to read fluently, with expression and intonation as they act out the story. There are no props or costumes used, simply the voices of students, so in order to get the message and the tone of the story across, children must use fluent reading skills. Another benefit: Peers serve as models for fluent reading, allowing those who may be less fluent to apply such skill to their own reading. Choose a story or a play that appeals to your fourth grade class as the script for reader's theater.
As the name suggests, choral reading refers to students reading aloud in unison. This type of reading helps develop fluency, as children are able to hear examples of fluent reading and apply such skills to their own reading. Additionally, it encourages reluctant readers to exercise their reading skills, as they are part of a group and don't feel singled out. To perform choral reading with your class, print out words to a poem, a short story or a song on a piece of chart paper. Read the words aloud to your class and invite them to read as a group while you point to each of the words. Encourage intonation and perhaps even include a beat to help develop fluency and make the activity more engaging.
Use books on tape as a means of providing fluency development in fourth-grade students. Create your own books on tape, or purchase these tapes from a bookstore. Offer children a copy of the book and the taped reading. Children play the tape and read aloud along with the tape. This activity provides children with an opportunity to directly mimic the fluency that they hear on the tape, thus increasing their own fluency.
Another way to improve reading among fourth-grade students is through buddy reading. In buddy reading, students are paired up with a buddy and they read aloud a selected text. This type of reading allows students to practice reading aloud and use their fluency skills. Team up with a teacher of a lower grade and pair your students up with the students in the class. Your students will benefit from reading aloud to the younger students and the younger students will also benefit, as they are read aloud to.