Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies: B1 Lesson 1: Reading Short Texts with Reasonable Fluency and Comprehension

Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies B1

Lesson 1: Reading Short Texts with Fluency

Listen to a read-aloud of the story here.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to practice "chunking" (reading in phrases), skim a text for its main idea, and scan a text for specific details.

Before You Read 🧠

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

Let's learn these key terms for this lesson.

Fluency

| ភាពស្ទាត់ជំនាញ

Reading smoothly and easily, like natural speaking.

Chunking

| ការអានជាបន្សំ

Reading groups of words (phrases) together, not one word at a time.

Skimming

| ការអានត្រួសៗ

Reading quickly to find the main idea (gist).

Scanning

| ការអានរកព័ត៌មាន

Reading quickly to find a specific piece of information (like a name or number).

What is Reading Fluency?

Reading fluency doesn't just mean reading fast. It means reading smoothly, like you are speaking. The most important skill for fluency is "chunking"—reading words in meaningful groups, not word... by... word.

NOT FLUENT (Word-by-Word)

Sothea... is... a... tuk-tuk... driver... in... Phnom Penh. / He... wakes... up... early...

FLUENT (Chunking)

[Sothea is a tuk-tuk driver] / [in Phnom Penh.] / [He wakes up early,] / [around 5:30 AM...]

Your Reading Strategies: Skimming vs. Scanning

💨 Skimming (Finding the Gist)

The goal is to understand the main idea in 10-15 seconds. Don't read every word!

Read the title, the first sentence, and the last sentence.

🔍 Scanning (Finding Details)

The goal is to find a specific fact (like a name, time, or number). Your eyes move quickly, ignoring other words.

Look for "5:30 AM" or "Sothea".

Reading Passage: A Day in the Life of Sothea

Listen to the audio, or practice reading aloud using the '/' marks as short pauses (chunking).

Sothea is a tuk-tuk driver in Phnom Penh. He wakes up early, around 5:30 AM, because he likes to start his day before the city gets too busy.

His first trip is often a local family going to the market. He enjoys talking to his passengers, but his favorite part of the job is the freedom.

'I am my own boss,' he says with a smile. 'Some days are slow, but I always meet interesting people.'

Practice What You Learned 🎯

Practice Quiz: Comprehension Check

Answer the questions about the text. Click "Check Answers" when done.

1. (Skimming) What is the MAIN idea of this text?

• A) Sothea's morning schedule.
• B) A brief look at Sothea's job as a tuk-tuk driver.
• C) Sothea's passengers who go to the market.

2. (Scanning) What time does Sothea wake up?

• A) 5:30 AM
• B) 6:30 AM
• C) 5:00 AM

3. (Scanning) What is Sothea's favorite part of the job?

• A) Going to the market.
• B) Meeting interesting people.
• C) The freedom.

Key Vocabulary Reference (Click 🔊)

• Tuk-tuk | រ៉ឺម៉ក
  A three-wheeled vehicle used as a taxi in Cambodia and other countries.
• Passenger | អ្នកដំណើរ
  A person traveling in a vehicle (like a tuk-tuk, bus, or car).
• Freedom | សេរីភាព
  The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants.
• My own boss | ធ្វើជាចៅហ្វាយខ្លួនឯង
  A phrase meaning you work for yourself (self-employed).
• Interesting | គួរឱ្យចាប់អារម្មណ៍
  Arousing curiosity or holding one's attention.

Your Reading Mission ⭐

Practice Skimming & Chunking

1. Find a short news article in English (like from VOA or BBC).
2. Skim: Give yourself only 30 seconds to read. Then, try to write one sentence that explains the main idea (the gist) of the article.
3. Fluency: Go back to the article and read the first paragraph aloud. Focus on reading in "chunks" (phrases), not word-by-word.