Go, Read. Go!
Growing Independency and Fluency
Rationale:
To become fluent readers, children
need to learn how to read faster, smoother, and more
expressively. Fluency
refers to a student’s ability to read words accurately and
automatically. In this lesson, students will learn how to
read quickly, smoothly, and expressively in order to gain
fluency.
Students will gain fluency through repeated readings, timed readings,
and
one-minute reads. It has been proven
that the more students read the more their reading skills will improve.
Materials:
Chalk
Stopwatch for each pair
of students
Pencil for each student
Copy of the book Go,
Dog. Go! for each student
“Traffic light” progress chart for each student
Die cut car for each student
List of comprehension questions for each student
Crayons for each student
Construction paper for
each student
Procedure:
2. Model
for the students how to read
with fluency. “First, I am going to read you a sentence without
fluency.” Write on the board the following sentence:
The dog ran up a hill. “The d-o-g r-a-n u-p the h-i-ll.
Now I
am going to read the sentence as a fluent reader. The dog ran up
the
hill. Did you hear the difference between reading with fluency
and
reading without fluency? Listen as I read the sentence once
again.
The dog ran up the hill. This time I read the sentence
faster
because it was not the first time I had read these words. The
first two times
I read the sentence gave me practice and helped me read the sentence
fluently
the third time.”
3. “The story you will
be reading to practice becoming a fluent
reader is Go, Dog. Go! As
you read you do not want to skip any words
or read them incorrectly but read every word correctly while reading at
a fast
pace.” Model reading Go, Do.
Go! aloud as a fluent reader for the
students.
4. Remind students to cross check if they do not automatically recognize a word during their reading. "Do not forget that cross checking is a tool that fluent readers use to make sense of the sentences that they read and to read more successfully. If you do not automatically recognize a word cover-up part of the word to make it easier to sound out. Once you have determined the pronunciation of the word, go back and reread the sentence to see if the word makes sense in the sentence. If the word does not make sense in the sentence, you can change your guess to a word that fits the sentence. If you and your partner cannot figure out how to pronounce a word correctly, come ask me and I will help you figure it out.”
5. “Now that you have heard me read the book as a fluent reader, you are going to practice reading fluently with a partner.” Divide the students up into groups of two and give each student a copy of the book. “Once you are seated next to your partner, pick out your six favorite pages in the book that you will read to each other.”
6. “To keep record of
our progress in becoming a fluent
reader, each of you will have your own “traffic light” progress chart.” Give each student a “traffic light” progress
chart and a die cut car. The “traffic
light” progress chart is simply a piece of construction paper with a
big
traffic light containing a red, yellow, and green light on it. Also, give each pair of students a
stopwatch. Explain to the students how
to use the progress chart. “The goal of
this activity is to see how fast you can read the pages you have chosen
in
order to move your car from the red light to the green light on the
chart.
You will each take turns reading the six pages to your partner. While you read, your partner will use the
stopwatch to keep the time. After you have read the six pages you
will
stop and write down your time on a piece of paper and place the car on
the red
light. Then you will read the same pages
again and if your time has improved, you will move the car to the
yellow light and
so on. The car only moves if you increase your speed. You
will
continue reading the six pages until your car reaches the green light
and you
can “go!” The students should take turns
reading to one another.
7.
Observe the students
participation in the repeated readings by walking around the classroom
and
listening to their fluency develop with each repeated
reading.
8.
After each student has read
their favorite pages enough times to reach the green light on the
“traffic
light” progress chart, the students will respond to questions to check
for
understanding and comprehension.
1.
What size
dogs are in the book?
2.
What
color are the dogs in the book?
3.
Where
are the dogs going?
4.
What
hat did the dog like at the end of the book?
9. Pass out
a piece of
construction paper, box of crayons, and a pencil to each student.
“Now everyone is going to draw and color a
picture of their favorite dog in the book.
Underneath your picture write a sentence explaining what your dog is
doing in the picture. We will display
each of your pictures and sentences on our reading bulletin board!”
10.
“As you draw and color your
picture, I am going to call you up to my desk one at a time so that you
can
prove to me how smoothly and quickly you can read your favorite pages
in the
book Go, Dog. Go!”
11. In order to assess each
student’s reading fluency, let them individually complete a one-minute
read by rereading
a few pages from Go, Dog. Go! aloud
to the teacher. A one-minute read is a
fluency checking activity in which a student reads aloud to the teacher
for one
minute which is timed by a stopwatch.
The teacher has a progress chart for each student.
It is the students’ goal to move from the
beginning point on the progress chart up to the ending point on the
progress
chart. If the student reads more
fluently, the object will move up the progress chart. While the
student is
reading the book, note reading miscues. Also collect each
student’s
“traffic light” progress chart to assess how quickly the student read
six pages
with his or her partner.
12. After each student has completed a one-minute read with the teacher, review the meaning of a fluent reader with the class and give the students their homework assignment. “Today we have learned how to become a fluent reader. At home tonight I want you to reread Go, Dog. Go! to a parent or older sibling so that they can enjoy the book while you show them how to read fluently.”
References:
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