Rhythm and Reading: Strengthening Executive Functions and Fluency in Every Classroom
The Hidden Barriers Beneath Reading
Every leader knows the tension between the vision and implementation. Reading sits at the heart of this both in terms of giving access to the curriculum and a measure of inclusion. Yet, in too many schools, the challenge of weak fluency persists. Many pupils still decode mechanically and if fluency is weak, comprehension remains out of reach.
The new inspection toolkit calls for “rigorous and sequenced teaching of reading that develops pupils’ fluency, confidence and enjoyment.” But fluency is more than pace. It’s a delicate balance between rhythm, attention, and understanding, which together generate the anticipation of what is coming up next in the text.
Fluency in reading begins long before school. It develops in the rhythm of speech and play, in patterns of call and response, and in 'conversational turns' which are the rhythm of conversation. These foundations are weak when attention is scattered, or when executive functions are not yet online.
Rhythm as the foundation of learning
Rhythm is not decorative. It is physiological, as well as underpinning communication and learning, it helps to organise sound, structure time, and steady attention. When rhythm is strong, executive functions are online. Working memory holds information long enough for comprehension; inhibitory control supports focus and attention; and cognitive flexibility allows pupils to adapt to continuous flows of syntax and meaning.
When rhythm weakens, fluency becomes mechanical and comprehension collapses. This is why the teaching of reading, and the professional learning that supports it, must go deeper than conventional methods.
At its core, rhythm is what gives reading flow, prosody, and meaning. It is the suppleness that flows between phonemic awareness and understanding.
Spotting the rhythmically hesitant child
Every classroom holds pupils whose reading seems fast but empty, or halting and effortful. The pace differs, but the result is the same: meaning never fully takes hold.
Once teachers know what they are looking for, they can spot the rhythmically hesitant child with ease: the one who pauses mid-sentence, loses track of structure, or guesses words when working memory falters.
These are not signs of disinterest or inability; they are indicators of executive function not yet fully online. And these are the pupils most likely to benefit from rhythm-based intervention.
Why CPD must go deeper
If rhythm supports the foundations of fluency, then CPD for the teaching of reading must go deeper too.
Online professional learning now allows sustained, evidence-informed development that strengthens attention, working memory, and comprehension. Ten minutes a week can help teachers embed practices that nurture fluency and confidence in pupils who have struggled to engage with reading.
For school leaders, this is more than a literacy issue. It is a question of access, inclusion, and curriculum quality. It speaks to the new inspection priorities that call for “reducing barriers to learning,” “securing strong foundations in communication and reading,” and “building collective expertise through evidence-informed professional development.”
What this means for leaders
For leaders, the opportunity is to align inclusion, curriculum, and professional learning within one coherent approach. Rhythm-based Online CPD offers a framework for embedding evidence-based fluency work across classrooms and phases: measurable, sustainable, and grounded in research on rhythm and cognition.
This is what credible professional learning looks like: it connects evidence with lived classroom experience, and it gives teachers tools that work in real time with real children.
In a landscape saturated with short-term fixes, this is the deeper work: restoring rhythm and rebalancing the foundations of literacy.
A Reflective Invitation
If your current CPD focus touches on fluency, inclusion, or foundational literacy, you may find it valuable to explore how rhythm-based approaches strengthen phonemic awareness and executive function — building the confidence, precision, and ease that underpin fluent reading.
I’ll be reflecting further on these ideas in The Rewards System Webinar — a live session where we’ll explore rhythm, attention, and the quiet architecture of reading. If this resonates with your school’s journey, you would be warmly welcome to join the conversation.