Click, Clack, Mooing to
Fluency!
Fluency Lesson
By:
Amanda Svagdis
Rationale:
After students are provided with explicit phonics instruction, they learn to
recognize words automatically and more rapidly. In this lesson, children will be
able to gain fluency by reading and rereading texts, one minute reads, and timed
reading. Once children become fluent in their reading, they will be able
to read more smoothly without having to stop and sound out words.
Materials:
-Class set of Click, Clack, Moo Cows That
Type by Doreen Cronin, Scholastic, 2001.
-Stop watch for each pair of students
-1 cut out cow for each student with their name on it
Progress chart (This will be used for students to move their cow around the
farm as the number of words they read
increases. There should be a start line and a finish line which will have
a typewriter. Place the numbers 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, etc. around the farm.)
-
Fluency time sheets for scoring
(attached)
-
Pencil for each student
Procedure:
1. To begin the lesson, explain to students why being a fluent reader is so
important. "Today we are going to practice being fluent readers.
Fluent readers are able to read smoothly without having to stop and sound out
words like we have been practicing in our phonics lessons. Once we have
become fluent readers, we will be able to better understand what we are reading
and read more efficiently."
2. “Today we will practice becoming fluent readers by doing repeated readings.
We will be completing these repeated readings in one minute. We will be read for
one minute, after the one minute is up, the counter will count the number of
words their reading partner read in one minute. Be sure to read smoothly.
Do not try to read too quickly or you will make silly mistakes."
3. Present the book Click, Clack, Moo
Cows That Type with a book talk. "We are going to read the book
Click, Clack Moo Cows That Type. This
book is about Farmer Brown and his rowdy farm of animals. Farmer Brown has a
problem. His cows like to type and the sound of them clicking, clacking, and
mooing is annoying. The cows type a note asking for electric blankets because
the barn gets cold at night and Farmer Brown says “no way”. The cows leave
another note saying, “Sorry we’re closed, no milk today.” What other crazy items
will the cows ask for and will they ever get what they want? Let’s find out!
4. Model for the children how to reread. "Listen carefully to me as I read
the first page of this story to you in a few different ways." First read
to the students without using fluency and sound out each word slowly and
choppily. Ok, now listen carefully to me the second time I read the same page.
(Read with excellent fluency and expression.) "Which sounded best?" "Was
the first reading easier to understand or the second time I read it?" This
will show the students that being able to read fluently makes it much easier for
someone to understand what is being read.
5. Give each pair of students a copy of the book, Click, Clack, Moo Cows That
Type, a stop watch, a pencil, and a fluency time sheet. "First you
will decide who will read first. You will then read for one minute.
Try to read as many words as you can during the one minute. After the
minute is up, write down the number of words your partner read in the minute.
After you both read for one minute, move your cows to the amount of words that
you read on the farm progress chart. Your goal will be to get your cow to the
typewriter. It’s okay if you don’t get it there the first day. Fluency takes
lots of practice!”
6. After each student has completed a one minute reading have them read again
for another minute using the same directions as before.
7. Each student should complete three one minute timed readings. After the
fluency time sheets are completed, allow the students to go to the farm progress
chart to see how far around they have moved their cow.
8. To be sure that the students are doing the timed repeated reading correctly,
go around and monitor their procedure. Collect their Fluency Sheets for
additional assessment.
Assessment Sheet:
Date: ______________
Fluency Sheet
Your
name: _____________________
Partner’s name: ___________________
Book title:
_____________________
First Try:
Amount of time for reading: ___________________
Number of words read: _________________
Second Try:
Amount of time for reading: ___________________
Number of words read: _________________
Third Try:
Amount of time for reading: ___________________
Number of words read: _________________
References:
Vernon, Kayla. “Race to
Reading.”
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/journeys/vernongf.htm
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin, Scholastic, 2001
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