Chapter 1
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness and Emergent Literacy
Course: Elementary Education Multiple Subjects 7001
Subject: Elementary Education Teaching Reading Subtest 7002
Chapter: Vocabulary And Fluency
1. Overview
Reading fluency is a multidimensional process that emerges in stages and is closely connected to decoding, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension. To develop fluency, students must first master foundational phonemic awareness skills, become proficient in word recognition, and then apply these abilities to reading connected text with automaticity, appropriate pace, and expressive intonation. Fluency does not develop in isolation; it must be supported through targeted instruction at all three levels—phoneme, word, and passage—based on where the student is in their reading development.
Each level requires specific instructional techniques and guided practice. When fluency is supported systematically across all three levels, students are more likely to read with confidence, understand what they read, and grow into lifelong readers.