Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

What aspect of reading instruction can assist with fluency?

1. Language experience approach

2. Spelling and memorization

3. Idioms and phrases

4. Graphophonics practice

The correct answer is: Language experience approach

The language experience approach is an effective method in reading instruction that can significantly assist with fluency. This approach leverages a learner's personal experiences and oral language to create written texts, fostering a deeper connection with the reading material. As students engage with their own narratives, they practice reading those texts repeatedly, promoting familiarity with word patterns and sentence structures. This repetition, combined with the personal relevance of the content, helps to develop confidence in reading, leading to improved fluency. In contrast, options like spelling and memorization focus more on isolated skills rather than holistic reading practice, which can limit fluency development. Similarly, idioms and phrases might enhance comprehension but do not directly target automaticity in reading. Graphophonics practice, while important for understanding the relationship between letters and sounds, also does not explicitly promote fluent reading through repeated reading of meaningful texts as the language experience approach does. Therefore, the language experience approach stands out as the most effective strategy for improving reading fluency.