In transparent orthographic systems, such as the Greek one, reading problems of students with reading disabilities are related mostly to reading fluency rather than to decoding. Consequently, systematic and explicit instruction in reading fluency is considered necessary. Therefore, our major research goal in this study was the development of reading fluency of three second-grade students, who faced severe reading difficulties through a multi-component intervention program. In particular, it was explored whether the use of specially designed texts in conjunction with specific instructional strategies can enhance the reading fluency of students with severe reading difficulties. The intervention followed a within-subject design including pretest /post-test measures without control groups. The intervention program lasted for two months and included 16 individual sessions. Four illustrated books with controlled texts were designed and used within the program. Regarding instructional strategies- model reading, assisted repeated reading, self-monitoring and reinforcement were implemented. Based on the results it was revealed that the intervention program had a high impact on reading fluency in the four instructional texts. Analysis of pretest and post-test scores showed that the intervention program had a different effect for each individual on the measured skills. No effect was recorded for students' reading fluency. However, the program significantly improved participants' reading comprehension. Implications and limitations of the study are included in the discussion.