Faster, Faster, Reading Masters!

Jenilee Foukal: Lesson Design in Growing Fluency

Rationale: Being able to read fluently is being able to recognize words automatically. When readers can recognize words automatically, their reading becomes faster, smoother, and more expressive. This soon leads to them being able to read silently. To reach this goal of becoming a fluent reader, we must encourage students as they read and re-read decodable words in connected text. In this lesson, children will be able to recognize the importance of automatic fluent reading and it will help them to gain more meaning and understanding from the text. The students will do this through the use of a decodable passage of 100 words or so at their instructional level.

Materials:

-Stop watch (for each group of students)

-Dry erase board

-Marker

-Pencils

-Paper

-Cover-up critter (one for each student)

-Book, In the Big Top (one for each student)

-One minute read chart

-Basketball fluency graph

Procedure:

1) I will introduce the lesson by explaining that in order to become better readers, we must begin to read quickly and automatically or fluently. "Did you know that when we become more fluent readers, we will be able to understand the text that we are reading better? It is important to learn to read fluently so that we can focus on the story and the meaning of the words we are reading. A great way to become a fluent reader is to read a story many times. Today we are going to read a story multiple times and each time we should try to read faster."

2)"Sometimes when we get stuck on a word, we get frustrated and this makes us not want to read anymore. We need to remember that learning to read is hard for everyone in the beginning. We're going to learn some ways that will help us when we get stuck on words. These things will help us to be able to read faster."

Next, I'll write the word block on the board. Model to the children how to use their cover-up buddies. "When we come across a hard word we can use our cover-up critters so we can sound it out. I am going to look at the vowel first. I know that the short o says /o/. Now I am going to look at the letters before the o. I see /b/ and /l/. So I have /b//l//o/. Next I am going to look at the letters after the /o/ I have a ck which says /k/. This now says /b//l//o//k/. Block. So everyone remember the next time you have some trouble with a word, you can use your cover-up critter to help you figure out what it is. After you think that you've sounded out this word correctly, be sure to finish reading the sentence to make sure that the word makes sense. Sometimes when we finish reading a sentence all the way through, we realize that how we read a word might make the sentence not make sense. Then we can go back and reread the sentence to figure out which word was read incorrectly.

2) "Sometimes when we read a sentence for the first time it does not sound very smooth. When we can read more smoothly, we become better readers and reading is more fun." Model to students how a sentence can be read with and without fluency and ways in which they can practice reading more fluently. Write Jack went home to get his jacket on the board. "First, I will read this sentence like a non-fluent reader would read it: J-j-ack-- w-w-en-t-- home-- to-- g-et-- his-- j-a-ck-et. Could yall hear how slowly I read the sentence? Now listen to how I read the sentence this time. Jack went home to get his jacket. Which way sounded better and was easier for you to understand? Right, it's easier to understand books when we know how to read fluently. It is okay if you cannot read a sentence perfectly the first time through, but when that happens, it helps to read a sentence more than once. When you practice reading, reading will become easier and you'll be able to read more smoothly. This will help you to understand what the book is talking about, and the books become more fun to read!"
3) Every student will receive a copy of In the Big Top: "This book is about a mom, dad, and three kids. Here, they are all dressed up and in this car. They're all in funny outfits and playing around in this car. I want all of you to read it to see why they are dressed like this and playing in this car. Remember that if you get stuck on a word that you can use your cover-up critter to help you figure it out. Also, finish reading the sentence because this could give us clues as to if we are reading all of the words correctly." We will come together after all students have read the book and will discuss it. I will also remind them that reading fluently helps us to understand the text better.

4) Next, I will have the students pair off. I will explain to the activity and the basketball-themed fluency graph. "When you break into pairs, one of you will be the reader and the other will be the recorder. The reader will read the book for one minute three different times. The recorder will start and stop a stop watch, and will announce when it is the time to begin and end after the end of one minute. The recorder will also write down the number of words read in one minute on the record sheet. After each time the passage is read, the reader can move their basketball player closer to the slam-dunk. After the reader has read three times, you will swap jobs and do the same thing again."

5) For an assessment, I will have the students bring me the results of each timed reading and their fluency graphs and will view their progress. I'll provide each student with encouraging words about their progress. I will then have the children do one-minute reads with me to check their fluency and accuracy. I'll ask questions or make a comment about story events after the reading to keep a meaning focus. Also, I'll collect miscue notes to analyze for missing correspondences, and will then help the student learn the words he or she struggled with, using cover-up critters.  After identifying the word, I'll have the student reread the sentence.

References:

<!--[if !supportLists]--> ·        <!--[endif]--> In the Big Top:

<!--[if !supportLists]--> ·        <!--[endif]--> Hurry…Hurry..Off We Go!: Hayle Lipham; http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/sightings/liphamgf.html

<!--[if !supportLists]--> ·        <!--[endif]--> Flowing With Fun Words: Allison Sanders; http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/sightings/sandersgf.html

<!--[if !supportLists]--> ·        <!--[endif]--> Murray, Bruce. Developing Reading Fluency. Reading Genie. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/fluency.html

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