What is prosody, and why is it important anyway?
Prosody is just one component of oral reading fluency. Students who lack prosody read word by word, without expression, and/or do not pay attention to punctuation cues that tell us when to stop, slow down, or change the pitch of our voice. This type of dysfluent reading leads to a lack of comprehension, because students are simply reading words without context or meaning.
I often remind students that when we read with prosody, we sound like we are talking to a friend. When we don't, we sound like robots. When students read with prosody, they are able to communicate meaning through speech. Prosody is important, because reading fluently is directly linked to increased reading comprehension. Without comprehension, reading is literally meaningless!
I often remind students that when we read with prosody, we sound like we are talking to a friend. When we don't, we sound like robots. When students read with prosody, they are able to communicate meaning through speech. Prosody is important, because reading fluently is directly linked to increased reading comprehension. Without comprehension, reading is literally meaningless!
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Research outlines several strategies and practices that have been shown to increase prosody. Among these are repeated reading, teacher modeling, and giving students a real purpose for reading. Practices that increase motivation, engagement, and reading attitude are of particular importance. One instructional strategy that meets all these criteria is Reader's Theater.
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