If you’ve ever wondered whether fluency instruction still matters in upper elementary, this episode is for you! Many teachers assume fluency is something students master in the early grades, but the truth is, fluency plays a critical role in reading success at every stage. In this episode, we’re diving into why fluency is the bridge between decoding and comprehension—and why it deserves just as much attention in third, fourth, and fifth grade as it does in K–2.

Fluency is more than just reading fast. It’s about reading with accuracy, appropriate pacing, and expression—all of which help students fully understand what they read. Without strong fluency skills, students often struggle with comprehension, and those gaps can persist well into middle and high school. That’s why today’s conversation is all about making fluency a priority in upper elementary and finding simple, effective ways to incorporate fluency practice into your literacy block to set students up for reading success.

If you’ve noticed that some of your students read too slowly, skip words, or sound robotic when reading aloud, this episode will give you the tools to help them improve. We’ll discuss why fluency is essential, common fluency challenges in upper elementary, and a structured five-day fluency routine that you can easily implement in just a few minutes a day. With these strategies, you can boost your students’ confidence, comprehension, and overall reading success. Let’s jump in and make fluency a key part of your reading instruction!

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode240.