Fast! Fluency! Fun!

Growing Independence and Fluency

Lauren Davee

Rational:

In order to become better readers, students must learn to read fluently. Reading with fluency is being able to read with automatic word recognition, which results in the ability to read text at a quick, smooth rate, and with expression. Fluency helps students comprehend what they are reading since fluent readers are more focused on what the words mean then how to pronounce them. Rereading is one strategy that this lesson will use to help with fluency that. Rereading to create fluency really helps children to understand the meaning of the text.

 Materials

          stopwatch (to keep up with one-minute reads)

           Fun in the Woods decodable text,

           fluency checklist,

          worksheet with words read per minute.            

            pencils

1. Begin the lesson by explaining to the students the importance of fluency. Read the sentence , “Hiking with my family on a nice fall day is fun” (Stopping to sound out each word) Ask the students if they understood what you just read. Now re read the sentence with smoothness and enthusiasm. Talk about how important reading with fluency is and how it helps us understand more of what we are reading. Explain how rereading the same text helps us to better comprehend what we read. “Does anyone know the saying “practice makes perfect?” well today we are going to prove that it is true by rereading a book. When we reread books it helps us read quicker and smoother and helps us understand more of what we read. It helps us gain fluency”

2. Model how to read a passage with more expression from Fun in the Hills. “I am going to read a sentence to you in two different ways. When I finish, I want you to tell me which way you liked the best.”  First read in a very monotone voice pausing to sound out individual letters. Then read it again in an expressive, smooth voice. Sam and Ted ran and ran. They did not look back. They did not want to see. So, which way did you like best? I liked the second way the best too! Can you raise your hand and tell me something I did differently on the second reading?” Have students discuss what made the second reading sound better than the first. Another tool we can use is crosschecking. Cross checking is a tool that fluent readers use to make sense of the sentences that they read and to read more smoothly. It reminds us to go back and re read what we do not understand until it makes sense.

3. “Now it’s your turn to practice fluent reading.” Put students in groups of two. “With your partner, you will listen to them read one time through Fun in the Woods in one minute. Once one-minute is up, you will record the number of words you read in one-minute on the words read per minute worksheet.

4.  After all students are finished reading the story through give them further instructions, “You will do the same thing for the second and third time you read the story. Your partner will also be using the checklist to see each time you read if you remembered more words, read faster, smoother, or with more expression. Once you have read 3 times and your partner has recorded all the information for the checklist and the words read per minute worksheet, then you will switch and record the information for them.” Pass out Fun in the Woods decodable text to each student, fluency checklist, stopwatch, and worksheet with words read per minute. 

5. For assessment, I will observe the children as I walk around the room during their one-minute reads with their partner. I will have each child individually read one minute for me as I record their progress on my chart with the fluency checklist

Fluency Check-list:

Name of Reader: _______________________________

Name of Partner:_______________________________

            Words read first time:____________    

            Words read second time:____________

            Words read third time:______________

           I noticed that my partner… (Color in the circle)
      
          After 2nd          After 3rd
   
             0                       0      Remembered more words

             0                       0      Read faster

             0                       0      Read smoother

             0                       0      Read with expression

Resources:

Finish Line Fluency Meredith Willis:

http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/odysseys/willisgf.html

ZOOM! Speed Reading Meredith Pederson:

http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/odysseys/pedersengf.html

Return to the Doorways Index.