However, this undesirable outcome can be alleviated through repeated readings by an adult and a child together. By having children reread a passage until fluency is achieved, their attention can be focused on comprehension, and improved understanding will result. The procedure is then repeated with a new passage. In a similar fashion children can listen to tape-recorded stories, follow along in the text, rehearse and reread the story until oral fluency is reached. The function of repeated readings is to provide the practice needed to make decoding automatic, which then enables the reader to concentrate on comprehension.
Instruction does make a difference, especially for at-risk children.
Comprehension of written material is generally recognized as the ultimate goal of reading. It appears that one important meaningful strategy for at-risk learners is for them to know that there is a reasonable association between the sound and the spelling of words. When they add the realization to the general concept that written text makes sense, has meaning, they can often overcome reading problems. The problem with a beginning reader who stumbles may not be comprehension, but rather one of verbal planning. She is usually too busy reading words to plan for the next phrase or sentence.