Reading Fluency
Incremental Rehearsal Directions – Flashcards
Materials needed: sight-word flashcards
Procedure:
Run through all the flashcards with the student to develop a “Known” stack of
flashcards and an “Unknown” stack of flashcards (“Unknowns” are any words the
student does not know within 2-seconds).
1. Begin with one “Unknown” word flashcard. Read the word aloud and have the
student read the word while looking at the flashcard.
2. Add one “Known” word flashcard. Once the student is able to read each card
within 2 seconds, add another “Known” word flashcard.
3. If at any time the student says a word incorrectly, or takes more than 2 seconds
to respond, read the word aloud and then have the student read the word.
4. Repeat this process until the ratio is 1 “Unknown” to 9 “Known “flashcards.
5. Once the student reads all these words correctly within 2 seconds, the 1st
“Unknown” flashcard becomes “Known”.
6. Take out the first “Known” flashcard added to the rehearsal activity and add a
new “Unknown” word flashcard.
7. Repeat this process in 5-10 minute sessions, depending on the student’s
developmental level, until all “Unknown” words become “Known” words that can
be read within 2 seconds.
Notes:
*Use a quick pace, and frequent, enthusiastic, authentic praise for the student’s effort
reading (i.e., nice job, you got it, good work).
**You can reward the student’s hard work by doing a fun activity afterwards, or with a
sticker or some little toy the student would like. This may help motivate the
student to complete the repetitious activity. Frequent opportunities to practice
given explicit instruction are the foundation of an effective skill intervention.
***The 9:1 “Known” to “Unknown” ratio of flashcards is important for the student to
feel success while building reading skills.
Video example here