Today is rung 9 of 11 on this topic
Fluency — reading like talking
Can do: Reads Grade 2 text at roughly 90 words a minute, in phrases, with expression and attention to punctuation.
Why it matters
Ninety words a minute is roughly the speed at which comprehension stops being limited by decoding. Below it, understanding is being paid for out of working memory.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Accurate but slow and flat, and every comprehension question is answered with "I don't remember".
⏱️ Two-minute check
Time one minute on a book at their level, count words read correctly.
Solid looks like: 80–100 by the end of the year, with the voice rising and falling.
The full activity for this topic · 10 minutes
Phrase Scooping
- 1Read a paragraph and draw a scoop under each meaningful phrase — not each word.
- 2Read it scoop by scoop, one breath per scoop.
- 3You read a sentence, they echo it with the same rhythm.
- 4Reread the same passage three times and note the time each go.
- 5Record them reading on a phone and play it back — hearing themselves changes more than being told.
If it's too hard
Read it together in one voice first, matching your pace.
If it's too easy
A page of dialogue, with a different voice per character.
Say this
"Read it in chunks, not word by word. Take a breath at the comma."