What is the role of repeated reading in fluency development for students?

Repeated reading plays a critical role in fluency development by providing students with the opportunity to practice decoding and comprehension skills. When students engage in repeated readings of the same text, they become more familiar with its structure, vocabulary, and often the context. This familiarity allows them to focus more on the expression and phrasing of their reading rather than solely on decoding individual words.

As they read the same text multiple times, students can improve their automaticity, which is the ability to recognize words quickly and with little cognitive effort. This automaticity contributes to smoother, more fluid reading, enabling students to allocate more cognitive resources to understanding the text, which enhances their overall comprehension.

Additionally, repeated reading fosters confidence in readers, as they often notice improvement in their fluency over time, motivating them to engage further with reading. Overall, this technique supports both the mechanical aspects of reading and the ongoing development of comprehension skills, making it an effective strategy for fostering reading fluency among all students, not just advanced readers.