Reading Fluency: The Bridge Between “Can Read” and “Loves to Read”

By a Primary Teacher and Founder of Learning Loft

If there’s one thing years in the classroom have taught me, it’s this: children don’t fall in love with reading because of levels, stickers, or word counts. They fall in love when reading feels easy enough to be enjoyable and expressive enough to mean something. That sweet spot has a name — reading fluency — and it’s the bridge between decoding words and truly understanding them.

What We Really Mean by Fluency

In simple terms, fluency is reading with accuracy, automaticity, and prosody (that’s expression — pace, stress, and intonation). When children read fluently, they free up brain space for comprehension, interpretation, and enjoyment.

Research consistently shows that fluency is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. Children who can read aloud smoothly and with expression are far more likely to understand what they’re reading — and to enjoy it.

Yet, across many classrooms today, we’re seeing children who can decode well but struggle to read with rhythm or understanding. Recent reports show that reading fluency levels have fallen significantly since the pandemic, with gaps widening particularly among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The result is a generation of readers who can “read the words” but not always feel the story.

Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

In an era of digital distractions and short attention spans, fluent reading isn’t just about literacy — it’s about confidence.

Fluent readers are:

• More motivated to read for pleasure.

• Better able to access the full curriculum.

• More confident speakers and listeners in the classroom.

And most importantly, they’re the ones who see reading as something joyful, not something to “get through”.

What We Can Do About It

As teachers, we know the answer isn’t simply more reading. It’s better reading practice — structured, supported, and reflective. Children need time to hear good models, read aloud regularly, and self-assess how their reading sounds.

That’s exactly why we created LoftLibrary and LoftTalk at Learning Loft.

• LoftLibrary gives children access to a wide range of beautifully written, interactive books that spark curiosity.

• LoftTalk allows them to record themselves reading, listen back, and reflect — while teachers and parents can monitor fluency and expression over time.

It turns assessment into something empowering, not intimidating. Children start to take ownership of their progress — and begin to hear the storyteller within themselves.

A Bridge Between School and Home

Reading fluency shouldn’t end when the school bell rings. That’s why Learning Loft works just as well for in-class guided reading as it does for home support. Parents can see real progress, children can practise independently, and teachers can track development through authentic, expressive reading.

Because at the end of the day, reading isn’t just about sounding fluent — it’s about feeling fluent. And when children feel confident reading aloud, they don’t just read more. They become readers for life.

💬 Find Out More

If you’d like to see how Learning Loft can support reading fluency in your school or at home, we’d love to hear from you.

📚 Individual users: from just £9.99 a month

🏫 Schools: from £499 annually

Get in touch today to discover how LoftLibrary and LoftTalk can help every child find their voice — and their love of reading.

👉 Visit us at www.learningloft.co.uk or contact our team for more information who would happily give you a demo of the site and chat about personalised options available.