Michelle Copeland
Growing Independence and Fluency
Michelle Copeland
Growing Independence and Fluency
Rationale: This lesson will encourage fluency. Through rereading a book, students will increase their fluency and word recognition. The review of the o_e = /O/ sound will help students recognize words with the long o sound within the book. Becoming a fluent reader makes reading much more enjoyable for children because it is smoother and they can understand it. To do this, they need practice in recognizing sight words and reading and rereading decodable texts.
Materials: Is Jo Home? (Educational Insights); copies of book (with no illustrations) for each child; crayons or markers; several sets of index cards with the following words on separate ones: pole, hole, no, go, bike, like, bone, cone, fun, sun, nose, hose, pet, get, hope, nope.
Procedures:
1. Begin the lesson by reviewing the o_e = /O/ sound.
I will use cover-ups to review the word rose. The o in
rose
says its name. The e on the end is silent and it makes
the
o
say its name. Start with the word rose written on an
index
card. What sound does the r make? “/r/”.
Good.
Now, lets add the /o/. “/ro/”. Great, now we can add the
/s/.
What is the word? “rose”.
2. Put the class into groups of three. Give each group a set
of index cards with words on them to play the matching game. I
will
explain to them that some cards have the long o sound and some
do
not. I will model how to play by putting the cards face down in
rows
of four across and four down. I will choose one at random and
read
what it says and choose another and read what it says. If they
rhyme,
I will keep them and continue. If not, I will tell them that it
is
the next persons turn and I would put them back. Instruct
students
to begin playing the game in their groups. (There are many long o
sound words in the game for repetition.)
3. Now say: Okay, class. First, I am going to read Is
Jo Home? Then, you are going to read it again while I
listen.
Then, you will read it again to illustrate your own book. Then,
you
will get to read it to your classmates in you groups. Does
everyone
understand? Good. Let’s Begin. After the students are
done with their games, I will read Is Jo Home? to the
class.
I will demonstrate a fluent and non-fluent reader. If I am
reading
fluently, I will have them to raise their hand. This will assess
their understanding of fluent reading.
4. I will have the class read the book as a whole. While they
are reading, I will assess the students for fluency by walking around
the
class and listening to each student individually.
5. Each student will have a copy of the book without
illustrations.
The students will illustrate their book’s pages with pictures of what
the
text says. So, the students will be reading the book silently at
their desks.
6. Afterwards, the children will get back into their groups of
three.
Have them read their book aloud to each other one at a time, so the
teacher
can assess the students that one did not get to before for fluency.
7. Have students go through book and write down one word each that
has the long o sound in it. They can discuss the words
with
each other. Give index cards for them to write on.
8. Each group will bring their words to the front of the class and
everyone will say each word together. All of the different long o
words will be put on the class word wall.
Reference:
Is Jo Home? (Educational Insights)
Eldredge, J. Lloyd (1995). Teaching Decoding in Holistic
Classrooms.
Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey,
Prentice Hall, p.61.
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