<h3>What Reading Fluency Means</h3><p><strong>Fluency</strong> is the ability to read smoothly and naturally. It has three ingredients:</p><ul><li><strong>Accuracy</strong> – reading the words correctly.</li><li><strong>Rate</strong> – a comfortable, steady speed (not too slow, not racing).</li><li><strong>Expression (prosody)</strong> – using your voice to show meaning, following punctuation and tone.</li></ul><h3>Growing Your Vocabulary</h3><p>A larger vocabulary helps you understand more and express yourself clearly. Two reliable tools:</p><ul><li><strong>Context clues</strong> – nearby words that hint at a word's meaning.</li><li><strong>Word parts</strong> – prefixes (added in front) and suffixes (added at the end). For example, <code>un-</code> means ‘not’, <code>re-</code> means ‘again’, and <code>-less</code> means ‘without’.</li></ul><div class="callout"><strong>Kenyan context:</strong> Suppose you read, “The <em>arid</em> north of Kenya receives very little rain, so herders move their cattle in search of water.” Even if ‘arid’ is new, the clue ‘very little rain’ tells you it means dry. Keep a vocabulary notebook and add words you meet on the news, in church or mosque, or at the market – for example <em>resilient</em>, <em>negotiate</em>, <em>budget</em>.</div>