Final answer:
The teacher should assess whether the student also has difficulties with decoding.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first thing the teacher should do in order to help the student who lacks fluency when reading aloud is assess whether the student also has difficulties with decoding. Decoding is the ability to sound out words and recognize letter-sound correspondences. By assessing the student's decoding skills, the teacher can determine if the lack of fluency is due to difficulties in decoding and provide appropriate interventions to improve the student's reading fluency.