Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies: A2 Lesson 1: Reading Simple Sentences with Increasing Fluency

Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies

A2 Lesson 1: Reading Simple Sentences with Increasing Fluency

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From Words to Smooth Sentences

You have learned to read many English words. Now, it's time to learn how to read sentences smoothly and naturally. This skill is called Fluency¹.

Fluent readers don't read one... word... at... a... time. They group words together in meaningful chunks. Today, we will practice this using a strategy called Repeated Reading⁴.

How to Build Fluency

1. Practice Phrasing³: Look at the text below. Notice how the words are grouped into meaningful phrases in parentheses ( ). Try to read these chunks together as one idea.
2. Listen to the Model: Press the "Listen" button and hear how a fluent reader sounds. Notice their pacing² (speed) and how they group the words.
3. Read it Aloud 3 Times: Now, you try! Read the same text aloud three times. Each time, you will feel yourself becoming smoother and more confident.

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Fluency Practice Text

Read this short story about life in Kampot. Try to read the words in each ( ) as one group.

(My friend Sophea) (lives in a small house) (near the river in Kampot.)

(Every morning,) (she rides her bicycle) (to the market.)

(She loves to see) (the colorful boats) (on the water.)

(It is a beautiful) (and peaceful place.)

Check Your Fluency

Self-Check Questions

After you have read the text three times, ask yourself these questions:

• Was my reading smoother and faster the third time than the first time?
• Did I start to group words together instead of reading word by word?
• Did my voice sound more natural and confident?

If you can say "yes," then you are building fluency. Great job!

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Fluency (*noun*)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ភាពស្ទាត់ជំនាញ (Pheap stuat chum-neanh)
   The ability to read smoothly, accurately, and with natural expression, like speaking. ↩ back to text
2. Pacing (*noun*)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ចង្វាក់ (Chang-vak)
   The speed of your reading. Good pacing is not too fast and not too slow. ↩ back to text
3. Phrasing (*noun*)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការแบ่งឃ្លា (Kaa baeng k'lea)
   Grouping words together into meaningful units when you read. ↩ back to text
4. Repeated Reading (*noun*)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការអានដដែលៗ (Kaa aan da-dael da-dael)
   The strategy of reading the same text multiple times to improve your smoothness and speed. ↩ back to text

Homework Task

Practice Your Fluency!

1. Choose any short paragraph from a past lesson that you found interesting.
2. Read it aloud three times. Focus on grouping words into phrases.
3. If you have a phone, record yourself reading the paragraph on the third try.
4. Listen to the recording. Do you sound more fluent than before?

This is one of the best ways to become a great reader!