Some pupils can manage ordinary classroom reading but lose fluency when a passage begins with unfamiliar vocabulary, an unusual sentence structure or a cluster of difficult words. A short preview can remove the initial barrier without creating a separate reading routine.

The support should take only a few minutes and should end as soon as the pupil is ready to continue independently.

Decide whether a preview is needed

Use brief preparation when:

• the text is unusually demanding compared with the pupil’s normal reading;

• one or two words are likely to interrupt the opening;

• the first sentence has a complex structure;

• the pupil needs to read the passage independently during the lesson.

Do not preview every text. If the pupil regularly needs extensive help, review whether more sustained fluency or decoding support is needed.

Identify only the likely barriers

Read the passage in advance and choose:

• one or two words that are difficult to decode or pronounce;

• the opening sentence or another line that establishes the rhythm;

• a punctuation point that may affect meaning.

Avoid teaching a long vocabulary list. Word meanings that are essential for comprehension can be introduced separately, while this preparation focuses on reading the printed passage fluently.

Use a two-minute routine

1. Say and show the difficult word.

2. Ask the pupil to read it and place it back into the sentence.

3. Model the opening sentence naturally.

4. Let the pupil rehearse it quietly or with a partner.

5. Ask the pupil to continue independently.

For example, before a pupil reads a passage beginning “Without warning, the exhausted climbers stumbled towards the shelter”, the teacher might rehearse exhausted and model the opening phrase. The pupil then reads the passage without further support unless a real difficulty remains.

Hand over promptly

Once the pupil has established the pronunciation and flow, step back. Avoid following every line or prompting before the pupil has had time to try.

If the pupil hesitates later, use the least support needed. Supply an unfamiliar word where extended decoding would disrupt meaning, then return the reading to the pupil.

Check whether the preview was enough

Notice whether the pupil:

• begins the passage confidently;

• reads the rehearsed word accurately in context;

• continues without waiting for prompts;

• maintains the meaning of the passage;

• manages a similar text with less preparation later.

If brief preparation repeatedly fails, the problem may not be limited to an unusually hard opening. Share observations with the literacy lead and consider a closer look at decoding, fluency and text difficulty.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Previewing every difficult word.

• Turning a two-minute preparation into a full lesson.

• Explaining all vocabulary before the pupil reads.

• Continuing to support after the pupil is reading independently.

• Asking the pupil to perform the passage publicly.

• Using occasional preview as a substitute for regular reading support.

Evidence and further reading

The Department for Education’s Reading Framework covers fluency, curriculum reading and support for pupils who need additional help. The Education Endowment Foundation’s Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 provides practical classroom guidance on fluent reading and scaffolding.