Ready…Set…Let’s
Read!!
Growing
Rationale:
To become fluent readers, children need to learn how to read faster,
smoother,
and more expressively. Students will be able to work on their
reading
fluency through repeated and dyad reading. By rereading text,
students
will learn to read more words per minute. By working with
partners,
students may learn new decoding skills and will get more practice
reading. The more students read, the more their reading skills
will
improve.
Materials:
stopwatch (one
per two people),
pencil
paper
one race track
chart per child (The chart will have a race track
drawn on it. The goal is to win the race, which means to make it around
the
track. There will be three different levels: start, middle of the
track, and
finish),
class set of a
children's book about racing Eat My Dust!
Henry’s Ford First Race, by Monica Kulling,
worksheet with
three or four simple sentences to read aloud to
practice speed (ex. She has made a mess.)
Procedures:
1. Introduce the lesson by explaining the concept of
cross-checking. Give
an example of a sentence read the wrong way such as; I put my hat on my
foot."
Did that sentence make any sense? No, it should be I put my shoe
on my
foot. One thing to remember when you read is to make sure that
the
sentence makes sense when you read it aloud. Tell them that reading
fluently
results in reading that is more enjoyable and that today we are going
to work
on becoming fluent readers.
2.
Today we are
going to work on reading words as fast as we can. The point of
the
activity is not to skip any words or read them incorrectly. We
want to
read correctly as fast as we can. Model reading a sentence slowly
decoding
every word. Then read the same sentence faster to show the
difference and
the goal for the lesson.
3. Now,
I want each
of you to get a partner. I am going to hand out a worksheet with
some
sentences on them. I want you to practice reading the sentences
out loud
to your partner. Start slow to make sure you read all of the
words
correctly. Then try to say the sentences faster and
smoother. Take
turns and make sure each of you gets practice.
4. Read
the racecar
book aloud using the shared reading concept. Make sure the
students
follow along in their copy of the book.
5.
Explain to the
students how fast fluent readers read and how they should all practice
reading
at a quicker pace. Now that we have read the book, I want each of
you to
pick out two pages that are your favorite. I am going to pass out
another
worksheet with a race track on it along with a stopwatch. The goal of
this
activity is to see how fast you can read the pages you have chosen in
order to make
it around the track on the chart. Now boys and girls, you will
each take
turns reading to your partner. While one person reads, the other will
keep the
time on the watch. Then the next time you read, if your time has
improved, you can move the car to the start position and so on.
The car
only moves if you increase your speed. I want you to do this
activity until
you win the race or make it around the track. Once this is done they
should
then prepare to read the book for the third time. This time they should
read
the book to a peer. The peer should use a checklist like the one
attached
to this page to help assess their reading. They should take turns
reading to
one another. After this is done they should discuss the book.
Tell what
they liked and what they did not like. They should write a few things
they
talked about down and turn it in along with the checklists.
6. Once
you’ve won
the race on the chart, I want each of you to read the book silently to
yourself
until everyone is finished.
7.
Assessment:
Observe each
group of students by walking around to be able to
hear the fluency develop with the repeated readings. Look at the
charts
to see if they are improving their times. Allow students more
time to
practice reading silently.
At the end of
the day just before they are about to go home I will
allow the children to check out a book from the classroom with me and
carry it
home with them to read by themselves or with a parent. Hopefully
this
will be a way to get the parents involved with their child’s learning
as well
as motivate the child to learn. This book does not have to be on
the child’s
level. It can be any book that they would like to read.
These books
will be different than the books we use in our speed lessons.
They will
come from our classroom library.
Reference:
Eldredge,
J.
Lloyd. Teaching Decoding in Holistic Classrooms.