Several of my students needed extra support with fluency this year, so I began using quick warm-ups during small group sessions. These short fluency phrases have helped build word recognition and confidence while keeping our routine simple and effective. Let me share some of my top tips to incorporate fluency and comprehension in K-1.
Tip #1: Use Fluency Phrases for a Warm Up
Fluency phrases have become a go-to in our small group time. We start each page with a “Get Ready” box at the top — this includes the sight words that will appear in the phrase. We read the words three times to build automaticity, then move into the short sentences underneath. We start the year reading the “Get Ready” box all together in whole group, then slowly integrate it in small groups or independently (when students are ready).
This little warm-up has made a huge difference for my struggling readers. It keeps our routine consistent and helps them feel successful right away, which is key for boosting fluency and comprehension in K-1.
👉 Need fluency freebies? Check out this freebie set of reading resources that’s perfect for early readers!
Tip #2: Use Highlighters to Build Word Connections
Even after practicing the words in the “Get Ready” box, some of my kiddos needed a visual to connect the dots. That’s when I brought out the magic highlighters! We went through each phrase and highlighted the matching words from the top box. Seeing those connections lit them up — and they were suddenly reading the phrases on their own! This visual strategy really reinforces fluency and comprehension in K-1 by helping students make direct connections between the words they’re reading and the words they’ve learned.
You’ll also notice tiny birds under each word — those are for finger tracking! They help students follow along as they read, left to right.
I picked up this idea from the Reading Intervention Resources post and it’s been so helpful in guiding directionality.
Tip #3: Check Comprehension with Drawing
After reading the progressive phrase 3 times, we got to work on the comprehension questions. My little readers also drew a picture to show me what they know about the phrase. Drawing a picture is such an effective way to have kids tell you about a story. Many are so much more comfortable with drawing than putting their ideas into words.
Many of my students feel more confident drawing their thoughts instead of writing them.
They show me exactly what they understood — and I get a quick, visual snapshot of their comprehension.
See those little birds under each word? Those are there to help my kiddos point as they read
If you’re looking for more comprehension ideas, this post on reading intervention activities your students will love is full of quick, kid-approved ideas!
Bonus Tip: Build Fluency and Comprehension in K-1 with Partners
Some of my readers are doing very well and do not need that extra scaffolding. For those readers, I have been using my reading comprehension passages for some of our small group reading sessions. Using partnerships also builds on cooperation and collaboration skills, something our young learners can use work in.
Before I go, I have to share an example of how these passages can help students. In the example below, this student did not know her letter sounds when she came to me in September. Now, she can read passages and answer comprehension question independently.
We have also been using my reading passages with our reading partners. We practice taking turns to read and we work together to find evidence in the text for the inferencing questions.
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