How to Read Fluently
Smooth reading sounds like talking. A 1-minute read shows how you are growing.
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How to do it
- Read the steps for a 1-minute timed read together.
- Talk about what smooth reading sounds like.
- Keep the chart nearby during each timed read.
Teaching tip
Set a goal a little above the last score. Growth matters more than any one number. This sheet is aligned with Common Core RF.3.4.
About this chart
How to do a 1-minute timed read and score it, plus four tips for smooth reading: right words, just right speed, phrases and punctuation.
What kids practice
Fluency is reading accurately, at a good pace and with expression, the way people talk. Third graders read longer stories and nonfiction passages, and fluent reading frees up their attention for understanding. Timed one-minute reads track progress, and practice with phrases and end marks builds smooth, expressive reading.
Watch for
- Racing through the words and skipping punctuation.
- Reading word by word in a flat voice.
- Focusing only on speed and not on what the passage says.
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full fluency passages guide for 3rd grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. My Reading Speed GraphA bar graph for 12 timed reads, up to 160 words correct a minute, with a goal line. 
3. Timed Reading PassageThird-grade stories and nonfiction passages with running word counts, a score table and three questions.
4. Phrase ReadingEighteen longer phrases, like "in the middle of the night," to read smoothly.
5. Read It with ExpressionSentences and lines of dialogue to read as calm, asking, excited, quiet, sad, scared or angry.