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To improve oral reading fluency rate and promote its generalization to unpracticed texts, this study investigated a Varied Practice approach that involved passages with a high proportion of overlapping words (M = 85% unique word overlap). Fourth graders were randomly assigned either to the Varied Practice treatment (n = 405), where they read three different passages one time each, or the Repeated Reading comparison (n = 422), in which they read the same passage three times each. Both groups read with a partner for about 20 min, 3–4 times per week, over an average 12 weeks (30 total sessions). Results indicated that students in Varied Practice demonstrated significantly better fluency outcomes than students in Repeated Reading, but both groups demonstrated growth near the 90th percentile. Results of a quantile regression revealed that low-to-middle achievers benefited from Varied Practice the most. Overall, the findings suggest fluency approaches rooted in statistical learning hold promise as an alternative to approaches focused on practicing words in redundant contexts.

This meta-analytic review investigated non-repetitive reading fluency interventions for K-12 students with reading difficulties. Eight studies met inclusion criteria. The approaches were distinguished by their intervention structures; student groupings; and text difficulty, length, and genre. The overall multivariate weighted average standardized mean difference with robust variance yielded an improvement of less than 0.2 SD ( d = 0.176) for non-repetitive reading fluency interventions, but results were positive and statistically significant. The moderator analysis revealed that the effect on comprehension outcomes ( d = 0.239) was slightly larger than fluency outcomes ( d = 0.105), but differences between the magnitude of the two outcomes were not statistically significant. Moreover, there was no indication of concern for publication bias. Studies comparing repeated reading and non-repetitive reading fluency interventions produced reading outcomes similar in magnitude, with no significant differences. Results indicated that non-repetitive reading fluency instruction may be a feasible approach for students with reading difficulties.

Many students with learning disabilities struggle with sentence writing fluency, the skill of quickly and accurately generating words that follow rules of semantics, spelling, syntax, and usage within sentence structures understandable to readers. Students who struggle with sentence writing fluency may face difficulty fully expressing their ideas while engaging in academic writing. In the present article, we describe how a combination of explicit instruction and fluency practice can improve the simple sentence writing fluency of students with learning disabilities. We detail how five design and delivery steps can help to create a supplemental writing intervention that addresses simple sentence structure, syntax, and usage.