Let’s Read Tanya Ison
Growing Independency and Fluency
Rational: Inorder for a child to read
a sufficient amount of text in a certain period of time the child must
be able to read fluently and skillfully. Reading fluency is the
ability to recognize words accurately, rapidly, and automatically,
fluent reading also includes the ability to read with expression.
The goal of this lesson is for the students to develop reading fluency
by using timed readings.
Materials: stopwatches,
timer, reading logs, Racing reading sheets with Velcro strips on them
to allow the race cars to move easily, the book Authur’s Reading Race
by Marc Brown.
Procedure:
1. I will begin this lesson by explaining the importance of being
able to read fluently. It is important for you to become a fluent
reader because fluent readers can understand and interpret text better
than non- fluent readers can. Today we will learn techniques to
make us fluent readers.
2. Model for the students the following sentence by reading like
a non-fluent and fluent reader would read the sentences. I love
to watch the cars go around the track. They go very fast. Model
how the non-fluent reader reads: I l-o-ve t-o w-a-t-ch the c-a-rs g-o
a-rou-n-d the tr-a-ck. Th-ey g-o v-e-ry f-a-st. Now model
to the students how a fluent reader would read the sentences. I love to
watch the cars go around the track. They go very fast. Ask
the students which sentence was choppy and which sentence was
smooth? Ask which was easier to understand and why? Reread
the sentence with expression and enthusiasm, and explain to the
children how reading with expression can make reading fun and easier to
understand.
3. Explain to the children that we will be reading the book
Authur’s Reading Race. Tell them we will be practicing how to
increase our reading speed. We will be increasing our reading
speed by reading the book several times. Give the children a book
talk on the book. In this book Authur learns how to read.
He enjoys reading so much that he reads all of the time. He reads
so much that he reads to his sister, in the car, to the dog, and when
he goes to bed. Authur wants to teach is sister D.W. how to read,
but she says that she already knows how to read. Authur does not
believe D.W. and so they set out to see if D.W. could really
read. Do you think that D.W. can or cannot read? You will
have to read and find out.
4. Tell the students that we are going to do a one-minute
read. Explain to the students how and what a one-minute read
is. Tell them that you will set the timer for one minute.
When the timer beeps they should write down the number of pages you
have read. The goal is to read smoothly and accurately. The
goal is not to make up words to get finished quickly. Model for
the students a one-minute read. Tell the students I will read as
many pages as I possibly can in one minute. I want each of you to
time me while I read. Remember to pay attention to the steps I
take as I do my one-minute read because each of you will be asked to do
the same steps. Read the book for one minute. I will now
record my results in my reading log. I will record how long I
read -one minute and how many pages I read -2 pages, and then I will
move my racecar on the part of the track marked two pages. If I
keep improving I will get my car to the finish line.
5. Give each student a copy of the book Authur’s Reading Race and
their race track and car. Tell the students that you want them to
do a one-minute read like you modeled before. Remind the students
to cross-check when a word does not make sense or they do not
know. Set the timer. Announce Ready Let’s Read! When
the buzzer goes off stop the students. Remind them to record the
time and pages read in their reading logs. Also remind them to
move their racecar on their track.
6. Divide the students into pairs. Have the students do
one-minute reads. Have one student read while the other operates
the stopwatch. Tell the students we will do the same one-minute
reads in your groups. Tell them we will do this five times.
Remind them to record in their reading logs and also to move their cars
on their racetrack. Remind the students to read with accuracy and
also with expression. The teacher should walk around the room
observing the students and taking notes on the student’s progress.
7. For assessment I will take up the reading logs and the
racetracks. I will review each students work. I will pay
close attention to see how much each student has increased in fluency
throughout the lesson. I will also look to see if any
students need individual help. I will also take my notes from
group observations during my assessment.
References:
Eldredge, J. Loyd. Teaching Decoding in
Holistic Classrooms. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc.,
1995 pp. 122-145.
