Timed
Reading Fun!
Growing Independence and Fluency
Rationale:
It is very important to learn how to become a fluent reader. One way to
really master reading and to help your fluency skills is through the process of
repeated reading. Repeated reading not only helps with reading abilities and
letter recognition, but it can also help you comprehend the text more clearly
because once those minor reading distractions are mastered, all you are left to
do is focus on the text! Another key quality is learning to read at a steady
pace. We want your reading to be translated to the appropriate manner of
speaking. There are many different components that all play into becoming a
fluent reading which is why it is so important to teach it to students at an
early age.
Materials:
Text: “What Will
the Seal Eat?” By: Sheila Cushman and Roan Kornblum; Illustrated by: Bob Brugger
(Enough copies so that each child has their own)
One stopwatch per
two children
Pencils
Fluency time
sheet
Progress board
Stickers
New text during
assessment
Procedures:
1. We will begin
the lesson by explaining to the students why it is so important to learn how to
become a fluent reader. “Today students, we are going to work on some reading
skills that will help us become fluent readers! When you are a fluent reader,
you speak and read the same way. When we speak, it is in a flowing and
continuous manner. We want our reading to come out the exact same way! For
instance, if you were talking to your friend and asked, “Caaannn I have yourrrrr
(pause) pencillll (pause) pleaseee?” That sounds very weird! We would not want
to speak with such long pauses and dragged out pronunciations. This is the same
with our reading! Also, once you become a fluent reader, your ability to
comprehend the text will follow that much more easily! Let’s give this a try!
2. “Now students,
remember those reading skill activities that were mentioned? Well what we are
going to do as a learning exercise is called a repeated reading! What we do in
this activity is we read as much as we can from a text in one minute. When the
time is up, at the last word that you read we will place a sticker! This will
help us not lose our place! After reading, you can count up how many words you
were able to read in that one minute! I know your main focus will want to be on
speed, but it is also VERY important to pay attention to what the text is
talking about! Comprehension is just as important of a skill that comes along
with you become a more fluent reader!
3. Now give a
book talk of the text. “This book is titled, What will the Seal Eat? This seal
is very hungry and needs to eat something! What do you think he will want to eat
or do to get some food? Let’s read and figure it out!”
“Now, I am going
to read certain parts of the book outloud to all of you and I want you to let me
know which one sounds the best to you all!” The first time I read the first
page, I will read it like a beginning reader, with many pauses, incorrect timing
and pronunciations of the words. It may be slow and then fast with
mispronunciations or careful effort to say each sound in each word. “Ok
students, how did that sound? It sounded weird didn’t it! How can I make my
reading sound better?” Allow them to discuss with you and offer suggestions as a
class.
“Alright, so now
let’s try to read the words as if you were talking to your best friend. Practice
with a partner, being calm and relaxed, just like you would be if you were
talking to them about something! Give it a try! Very good guys, you all are
doing great!”
4. “Now that we
have had some casual practice, I want you all, in your groups, to try reading
like you are speaking each other and mark your own fluency charts to see how you
did! Don’t worry, I will help anyone if they have questions or cannot figure out
the fluency chart.” (Hand out the book to each group, stopwatch, fluency chart,
stickers and progress sheet.) “Alright, so you all have all the materials that
you need. Now remember, read as much as can in a minute to your partner. Act
like you are reading the story to them, just like you would talk to them! When
the time is up, place your sticker at your last word read. Then count them up
and mark it on the fluency chart how many words! I know you all can do this!
Alright, so everyone get ready and try it in your groups!” (They will begin
working with their partner and doing the repeated reading activity.)
5. “Great job
everyone! You all did it! Now, we are going to try it again one more time to
compare scores. Do it the same exact way you did last time and remember to
record this new number of words on the sheet!”
6. Allow them to
do the activity one more time and record their data. There will be time for
classroom discussion on how the students think the activity went.
Assessment:
Each student will come up to me individually to talk about their progress
sheet and how the activity went. Then, I will have a new text provided in which
I will administer a timed reading with the student. I will be keeping a running
record while the student reads aloud to me. We will also add this score to their
progress sheet since they will also read only for a minute with me. Lastly, I
will assess their comprehension of the new text to see if they can read for
speed but also remember the text at hand.
References:
Liz Hooper:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/odysseys/hoopergf.html
Carlie Larson:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/odysseys/larsongf.html