Middle-school teachers don't read aloud to their students as much as elementary students do, but middle-school students need to hear good models of fluent reading, too. When you read aloud to your students, model fluent reading by reading with expression and combining words into meaningful phrases. Show students how to combine several words into a phrase by sweeping your finger under the phrases instead of pointing to each individual word as you read. Explain some of your reading techniques by saying things like, "When I see a comma like this, I pause."
Put students in pairs, and have them read and reread a passage with their partners. Pair higher-level readers with lower-level readers, and choose a reading passage that matches the reading level of the lower-level student. Have the higher-level student begin by reading the first paragraph while the lower-level student reads along. Then have them switch and have the lower-level student read the same passage while the higher-level student reads along. When they have finished reading, have them discuss the passage by asking questions and answering them together. Have the students identify the main idea and pick out the most important ideas.
Readers' theater is a method of reading aloud in a similar format to a play. Students each have a copy of the script, and they practice their own parts, either in class or ahead of time. By giving students preparation time, teachers can create a safe way for struggling readers to read aloud in a group. As students prepare and practice their parts, encourage them to speak clearly and with appropriate volume, to read with expression and to read accurately so they don't change the meaning of the script. After the students have practiced, give them an opportunity to exhibit their read-aloud skills by performing for a younger class or for their parents.
Books on CD are great for listening to in the car, but they can also be great tools for helping increase fluency in middle-school readers. Obtain a book on CD that you also have print books of, and have the students follow along in their books as they listen to the CD. Actors who make the recordings are masters at fluency, using inflection to add meaning to the words on the page. Listening to the way professionals read aloud can help your students to understand how the words on the page form meaningful concepts, increasing comprehension.