Reading Makes Me Bananas
Growing Independence and Fluency
Rationale:
In
order for children to be able to have better comprehension, they must first
become readers that are more fluent. Without learning all the skills needed for
decoding, comprehension can become very difficult. Fluency must be achieved, but
only after the major correspondences have been mastered. Through repeated
readings, children can become more fluent, and will begin to grasp the content
of the story easier, their sight vocabulary will increase, and their reading
speed will increase.
Materials:
Charts to display the students' individual progress (monkeys that climb the
banana tree)
Sentence strips with sentences for students to practice
·
I enjoy riding in the
boat on the lake
·
Will you go to Meg's
party on Sunday?
Fluency Checklist (read fast, slow, stopped, did not stop)
Class copies of Monkey See Monkey Do
(1993)
Procedures:
1.
Explain to the class that it is important for them to be fluent when they read
in order to read quickly and accurately. Today we are going to continue to
become better readers by working on fluency. This skill will help you become
faster readers and you will be able to read words easier. We are going to do
this by reading and rereading a book. The more times you read a book, the more
practice you have the more fluent you become.
2.
I am going to read a sentence for you but I will read it in a different ways. I
want you to tell me what was different about the two readings. Are you ready?
(Modeling- Read the sentence first slowly, sounding out each word. Then read the
sentence smoothly and fluently.) "Which time was easier for you to understand?
Which way is how you want to read? The second time, right? That is what we are
going to practice today. Now let us practice some sentences together. Read the
sentence 'I enjoy riding in the boat on the lake.' Ready ok, now read it again.
Again. Which time was the smoothest? The last time right? Why? Because you
practiced. You were becoming more fluent with reading that sentence. Now try the
next one. (Repeat steps for the first sentence)
3.
Now listen as I read the sentence, 'I enjoy riding on the lake.' (Read the first
time in a slow, monotone voice, and second time with expression.) Which time was
better? Yes the second time. Why? Because I read with more expression. That is
something that we will practice when we read and reread our story.
4.
Now let us read Monkey See Monkey Do. This is about a monkey that bounces all
over the house doing different things. What kind of things let's read to find
out. We are going to read this several times, so go ahead and read to yourself
and then reread the story twice after you are done. After reading, ask the
student if there are any questions.
5.
Give the students a fluency checklist. Describe the different areas for them to
check. Tell them that they will be reading with a partner and they will each
fill out a checklist on each other. If your partner reads fast, you will mark
this box. If they stop you will mark the stop box. If they do not stop check the
did not stop box. If they read slowly check the slow box.
6.
To further assess the students, have the students come up to your desk and ask
them questions about the story.
Reference:
"Ready, Set, Read!" by Ann Ludlum
http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/insp/ludlumgf.html
"On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!!!" by Kristen Herren
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/connect/mcwilliamsgf.html