Fluent Readers are Fabulous!
Growing Independence In Fluency
Rationale:
While reading, we should aim to be reading fluently, which is smoother, faster
and with expression. Reading fluently has four indicators: reading faster,
reading more expressively, reading silently, and reading voluntarily. This
lesson's focus is on reading faster. The goal in reading fluently is reading
with automatic word recognition. While we are reading, we want out words to flow
just like when we are talking to our friends. We want our readers to not have to
decode, but to have automatic word recognition. A timer will be used during
repeated readings to track students reading.
Materials:
-A Job for Zach
-Timer
-Check list for time
Procedures:
1.Start the lesson by explaining to students what fluency means, and why it is
so important.
Say: "Today we are going to be working on fluency. Fluency means just reading
words smoother, faster, and with expression. It's just like you're having a
conversation with your friends. Fluency is so important because you will be able
to read so much more and be able to comprehend the story and enjoy reading it at
the same time.
2.While reading today, it is important to go back and reread words until our
sentence is as smooth as if we are talking to our friends. A strategy we are
going to work on today is cross checking. Cross checking just means going back
to the unfamiliar word and using strategies to figure it out. The more times we
read a word, the easier the word is going to be for us to read.
3.Use modeling to help students understand the concept of fluency.
Say:
"When I'm reading a new book, sometimes I come across words that I have never
seen before. Have you ever noticed that your reading pace slows down when this
happens, and you sometimes even forget what you just read? I'm going to show you
how to fix this problem when you come to an unfamiliar word while reading."
Read this passage slow and struggling with words:
"He set down a bill for the buns."
"He s-a-t (sound out word slowly
and then go back and figure out it is set) oh, set d-o-n don down a b-i-l-l
f-o-r t-h-e b-o-n bon oh, b-u-n-s"
Say:
"Did you see how much trouble I had with reading these words? Did it sound
smooth when I read? Did it sound like I was talking to my friends? Since this
passage was so hard for me to read, I'm going to read it again and really focus
on reading fluently."
Read passage again making few mistakes:
"He set d-o-w-n a bill for the b-u-n-s"
Say:
"This time I didn't make any mistakes, but I still had to sound out some words.
I was able to read it faster because I recognized those unfamiliar words that
slowed me down the first time." Now I'm going to read this sentence again but
try not to sound out any words and not make any pauses."
"He
set down a bill for the buns"
Say:
"The more times I read the sentence, the better my fluency got. Re reading
sentences helps us build fluency.
4.Say:
"Now we are going to read the book
A Job for Zach.
This book is about a boy named Zach that has to run an errand for his mom. While
on his errand, he sees a box fall out of a delivery truck. Zach decides it is
his duty to get the box back to the owner. Let's read to find out what trouble
Zach gets into. First, we are going to read by ourselves to page 10. Then we
will pair up with partners and time ourselves.
5.Pair the students up and have them read together.
Say:
"This time we are going to be taking turns while reading. One of you reads,
while the other times you. Each of you should read to page 10 three times. You
are going to record the times after each reading on the paper I hand out to you.
While your partners reads make sure they are reading with fluency, like they are
talking with a friend.
6.Say:
"Great job class! See how much easier it is to read fluently?"
Assessment:
The paired reading records will be collected and words per minute will be
calculated based on children's reading times. We will also have a component in
writing, having student answer three questions about the story.
References:
-
Reading Genie Website:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/fluency.html
-Blast off with Reading by: Mallie Frasier
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/realizations/frasiergf.htm
-Speeding on the seam foam with fluency by: Andrew Brown
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/invitations/browngf.htm
-A
Job for Zach,Matt Sims. High Noon Books, 2002.
Checklist: Timer
Name:__________
Date:______________
Time:
After 1st read:
_______
After 2nd read:
_______
After 3rd read:
________