Reading aloud to students gives them a chance to hear how a fluent reader sounds. From listening, they learn the art of inflection and how to read with emotion. Once students have mastered a group of simple words, pair them with a reading partner. Have each student read the simple phonics reader aloud to the partner and vice versa. After giving students time to read to each other, visit each group to hear students read.
Sight words serve a double purpose. Learning sight words helps students read more easily without having to stop to sound out every word. This adds to their reading speed. Recognizing the words also builds the confidence often needed to reinforce fluency. There are many games that can be played with sight words. A simple one uses flash cards to match a picture to the word. You can also use sight words to create a scavenger hunt.
Split the class into their reading pairs then give them each time to read a selected poem. Ask the groups to discuss the meaning of the poem. Reconvene as the whole class and discuss the meaning of the poem. Ask each student to write one word from the poem that, to them, best summarizes the poem. Explain in advance that there are no right or wrong answers. This plan focuses on comprehension and problem solving.
The readers' theater approach to developing fluency gives students a chance to act out the emotions they read. Have each student select a passage to present to the class from a story or poem the class has read. They may use gestures and small props to help convey the feelings presented by the passage if necessary. In this way, the exercise allows them to build interpersonal communication skills as well as increasing fluency.