5 Ideas for Focusing on Fluency During Your Read Aloud with Aylin Claahsen

Listen to the full episode to hear Aylin’s tips on focusing on fluency during read alouds:

All this month we’ve been having discussions around read alouds, why they’re effective, and what texts to choose. But did you know that you can also use read alouds to work on literacy skills with your students? One of the best literacy skills you could work on is fluency. In today’s episode, we have special guest Aylin Claahsen, who is sharing 5 ideas for focusing on fluency during read alouds.

Aylin Claahsen is a certified reading specialist, literacy consultant and curriculum designer who loves sharing literacy tips for teaching readers. Specializing in Kindergarten-5th Grade, she can be found sharing literacy tips on her blog or through social media at Literacy with Aylin Claahsen. She has a huge passion for small group reading as she has seen the impact it has on readers of all ability levels. Creating engaging literacy resources is one way that Aylin loves to connect with students and teachers all around the world. Aylin personally believes that building confidence in readers is one of the most important things teachers can do.

While most fluency instruction happens during small groups or one-on-one with a student, focusing on fluency during your read aloud is actually the perfect place for it. This way, students are actively listening to how you read a story, put emphasis on certain words, pause at the right time, and so much more.  

As most of you know, Aylin is an expert involved in anything related to fluency. During the episode, she shares how to focus on fluency, and to be honest, some of them aren’t mind blowing. Like she says, they’re tips you already know how to do, but either don’t put much of an emphasis on them or think your students are too old for them. So, when she shares them, don’t count them out! 

When focusing on fluency during your read aloud, the most important thing is to be intentional about the time you’re giving it. Fluency isn’t a skill that takes a lot of time or is difficult to prepare, but the benefits are incredible. If you’re looking for a simple way for your students to build confidence, improve their comprehension, and become more accurate readers, begin focusing on fluency during your read alouds today!

In this episode about fluency during read alouds, we share:

• Aylin’s 5 tips for focusing on fluency during read alouds
• Why fluency doesn’t take a lot of time, but the benefits are immeasurable
• 3 ways to best include students during read alouds
• A simple way for students to hear how they read and correct their fluency
• Reasons why students should hear more than just story and chapter books to work on their fluency

Resources Mentioned:

• Seasonal Literacy Activities Bundle
• Join the Writing Made Simple Membership
• Aylin’s Fluency Course: The Fluency Files
• Episode 106, 4 Best Practices for Executing a Successful Read Aloud Experience
• Episode 107, How to Choose Effective Read Alouds

Connect with Aylin:

• Follow Aylin on Instagram
• Connect with Aylin on Facebook
• Read more about her ideas on her blog
• Check out Aylin’s TPT store

Connect with Megan:

• Check out my TpT Store
• Subscribe to my E-mail list
• Instagram Posts
• Blog Posts
• Facebook Posts

About The Literacy Dive Podcast:

Do you find yourself seeking new ideas when it comes to literacy instruction in elementary classrooms? The Literacy Dive Podcast was created to offer actionable steps and to share information for teachers, like you, who are always looking to improve their craft! ELA is our jam and we are excited to dive into all things reading and writing with you!

Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner behind The Literacy Dive and loves to support students and their teachers with curriculum, literacy instruction, best practices, and engaging literacy activities.

Dive in with us every Monday for a new episode from Megan! She, and her guests, will chat about various literacy topics and will bring you tips and tricks that can easily be implemented in your classrooms. You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts! Listen to The Literacy Dive Podcast on platforms like Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and more! If you find value from listening to this podcast, please rate this show, leave a review, and follow!