Ready, Set, Read!

Valerie Loveless

Rationale:
Even with accurate decoding skills, readers need further instruction in fluency in order to maximize comprehension. In this lesson, students will learn the importance of reading with speed, accuracy, and expression, as well as have practice doing so by reading aloud to a peer.

Materials:

• Class copies of Jane and Babe (Educational Insights)
• Stopwatch
• Evaluation sheets with the following information for each student ( you will need three sets of criteria per student):

1. Pitch rose and fell.              YES / NO
2. Paces sped up and slowed.  YES / NO
3. Volume rose and fell.          YES / NO
4. Phrasing made sense.           YES / NO
5. Number of missed words      _______
6. Number of words read in 1 minute_______

Procedure:

1. Explain to students what the word fluency means. (Fluency means to read quickly, accurately, and with expression). Stress the importance of fluency. “When we read with fluency, words sound more like a spoken sentence, so it is easier for us to understand than by reading word by word. Let me show you what I mean.” Read page one of Jane and Babe slowly and blend aloud. “Now listen to how this same page sounds when I read it fluently.” Read page again, this time quickly and with expression. Ask students to tell you which sentence sounded better and why they think so.
2. Have the students practice reading the first page of Jane and Babe aloud together three times. Point out to them how much better their reading sounded after the third time.
3. Give a quick book talk about Jane and Babe. “Jane is a zookeeper at the zoo where Babe, a lion, lives. They are very good friends. One day, Jane tries to wake Babe so they can play, but Babe only wants to sleep! You will have to read the book to find out if Jane is able to wake Babe. Now I want you all to spend ten minutes reading Jane and Babe silently.”
4. Divide students into pairs. Have students alternate reading aloud to each other several times. While students are reading aloud to one another, call up one student at a time to do a one-minute read aloud. Repeat the read aloud two more times, recording the data on his or her evaluation sheet.

References:

Coley Duke, I’m Nuts About Reading! http://www.auburn.edu/%7Emurraba/connect/dukegf.html

Dr. Bruce Murray, The Reading Genie. http://auburn.edu/~murraba/

Educational Insights