Crosschecking Cats
Developing Fluency
by: Kim Brackin
Rationale:
For children to become successful readers it is important that they
practice fluent reading. By reading
fluently children can recognize words automatically, accurately, and at a steady
pace. This is helpful because
students should be spending their reading time comprehending the text rather
than decoding individual words. An
important strategy that students must use is crosschecking.
By using crosschecking students can make sure that what they are reading
is understood. When students use
crosschecking for understanding they are a step closer to fluent reading.
Materials:
Book:
Up the Hill by Matt Sims.
Novato, Ca: High Noon Books, c1999.
(Copies for teacher and each student),
class copies of Crosschecking
worksheet
class copies of reading
passage
Procedures:
1.
Introduce the lesson. “Today
we are going to learn about a helpful tool that will help us become good
readers! This tool is going to help
us read faster and help us understand what our story is about!
When we are able to read faster we can understand what our story is all
about. That can make it fun to read!!”
2. Crosschecking is an
effective was for students to read unfamiliar words.
Introduce crosschecking to the students.
“Crosschecking is figuring out the correct word when we get stuck on a
word or our sentence doesn’t make sense.”
Model crosschecking with a simple sentence.
“I am going to read you guys a sentence and show you how crosschecking
makes it easier for me to understand.
I like to go swimming in the pole in the
summertime. Wait a minute, that doesn’t make sense.
You can’t swim in a pole.
But I can swim in a pool. Let’s try
that.
I like to go swimming
in the pool in the summertime.
Ahh! Much better! It makes
sense because you can’t swim in a pole, but you definitely can in a pool.”
3. Give the students an
opportunity to try. “Now, I want to try and crosscheck this sentence that I will
read. Raise your hand when you
think you know which word should be in the sentence.
My favorite foot is an apple.” Give
class a few second to think about the sentence.
Once they give their response ask them to explain why they changed the
word.
4.
Pass out copies of short passage.
Explain this practice to the class.
“Now I want to you to follow along as I read.”
Read the passage pretending to read slowly, missing words, skipping
punctuation, etc. “Wow, that didn’t
make much sense at all. Maybe I
should read it again. This time I
will crosscheck as I read. Follow
along with me.” Re-read the passage
this time crosschecking as I read.
5. Assessment Part 1: With the students more familiar with
crosschecking now we can give them independent practice.
Pass out the Crosschecking worksheet (see attachment).
Do the first sentence together as a class.
“On this worksheet you are going to read the sentence.
Then you are going to cross out the incorrect word and write the correct
word in the blank. We will do the
first one together.”
6. Now, allow
students to practice individual reading. “Now,
let’s practice our new skill.
Remember to crosscheck and to read fluently so that we can all become better
readers! Today we are going to read Up
the Hill. It was six in the
morning and Kim was not out of bed yet.
Kim got out of bed and made breakfast.
She got in her car to go meet Jan for a run.
You will have to read to find out if Jan and Kim get to go on a run."
Instruct them to read on their own quietly.
7. Assessment Part 2: Have
students come up one at a time and read a page aloud to you.
Check their reading for fluency, accuracy, and crosschecking. It is
important that the teacher keep a running record of each students’ progress.
References:
Up the Hill.
Educational
Insights, 1990.
Adams, Marilyn Jager.
Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print.
Mail to : Kim Brackin