Go for the Goal!
Growing Independence and Fluency
Rationale:
Fluent reading is reading in which words are recognized automatically. Fluent
reading is essential. Readers learn to read faster, and with fewer pauses.
Automatic word recognition brings about smoother and better reading. Students
also learn how to read with expression. Once fluency is mastered, students can
try reading silently. The best and most direct approach to improving fluency
involves modeling and practice with repeated reading under time pressure. When
students repeatedly read, they read a book until they become fluent reading the
book. In this lesson, the students will practice fluency using repeated reading
and recording their progress.
Materials:
*Student copies of Uncle Elephant (Arnold Lobel- An I Can Read Book)
*Word Count sheet for each student
*Reading Evaluation Checklist for each student
*Timer
*Fluency chart for each student (This will be a football field with a moveable
paper football. Numbers that indicate the number of words read in a minute will
be placed on the yard lines. Each time the child reads the text, they will move
their football to the appropriate yard line. The end goal is the end zone. This
will help to visually show the students their progress. These charts will be
kept and used in future fluency lessons. Students can take their fluency charts
home for further practice
Word Count Sheet
Name: _________________ Date: ________________
The first time I read ___________ words. Time__________
The second time I read __________ words. Time______________
The third time I read _________ words. Time___________
Total # of words________ Total Time______________
Reading Evaluation
Name: _______________
Date: _________
Evaluator: _______________
My partner………(check the circles)
After 2nd time After 3rd time
Read faster O O
Read more smoothly O O
Read with expression O O
Read the most words O O
Procedure:
1. Today we are going learn to read faster and smoother. Reading faster and
smoother makes us fluent readers. I will show you how by reading a bit of the
great book Uncle Elephant. Read the first sentence of very slowly and
without expression. Tell children that that was to slow and choppy. I should try
again. Read it again, this time faster and with a little expression. Tell
students that that sounded better, but I can make it even better the 3rd time.
Reread the sentence using speed, fluency, and expression. Explain to students
what I did. I read fast, using lots of expression. Show them once again how to
read the sentence fluently. Tell students that a fluent reader sounds like this.
Which type of reading sounds the best?
2. Explain to the students what they are
going to be doing by saying, “Today we are going to work on reading using speed,
fluency, and expression, just like I did. We are going to have to practice a lot
to get good so we will try reading Uncle Elephant 3 times. Each time that
we read it, we will become more familiar with the words and the word will become
more automatic. This will help us to read more fluently.”
3. Divide the class into partners. Give each pair of students a copy of Uncle
Elephant and two speed record sheets and reading evaluation rubric for each
partner.
4. Give the students directions. In this
activity each of you will have the job of being the reader and the listener. One
partner will get a chance to read as fast as they can without missing words. The
other partner gets to keep time using the timer. After the reader reads 5 pages,
you will switch places. You will repeat task this until each of you have read
the book 3 times. Each time you read you will start where you left off and read
5 pages. Check your time at the end of 5 pages. Be sure to record how long it
took you to read 5 pages. Your partner can help you record the information.
Count the words every time you read and record the time it took to read all the
words on those 5 pages. After each of you have read the book three times, you
will need to fill out the reading evaluation for you partner. Make sure you fill
out the chart with your names and all the information, because I will be taking
them up.
5. Give a book talk about Uncle
Elephant, “The little elephant has a mommy and daddy who went on a sail in
their boat. Little elephant didn’t go with his parents. There was a bad storm in
the night and the mommy and daddy elephant were lost at sea. Let’s read to find
out what will happen to little elephant.”
6. Give each student a football and a field with numbers marked. Explain how
they are to use them. Today you get to graph your reading fluency with these
football fields. You show where you started reading the first time on the field
with your football, and then you show your progression throughout the extra
readings. I hope that everyone's fluency improved and everyone read more words
per minute each time.
7. Once everyone has finished reading three times and filling out the charts, I
will ask the students to be sure their name and date is on their charts and then
ask them to turn them in to me. They will be dated so that we can chart further
progress. I will display the charts in the room or send them home to encourage
fluency practice at home.
Assessment:
Assess the Word Count Sheet and the Reading Evaluation Rubric. On the Word Count
Sheet, check for progression. These numbers should have increased with each
time. On the Reading Evaluation Rubric, each student should have accomplished
each of the goals on the rubric be the 3rd reading.
References:
Murray, Dr. Bruce. Developing Reading Fluency:
http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/fluency.html
Lobel, Arnold. Uncle Elephant. An I Can Read Book. Scholastic. 1981.
Adams, Marilyn. Beginning to Read
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/awakenings.html