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Growing Independence and Fluency

Leslie Rosebrough

1. Rationale:  Research has shown that repeated reading is one great way to help children become more fluent readers.  In addition to repeated reading, becoming a fluent reader takes time and practice.  Reading fluently means being able to read smoothly and quickly with ease.  In this lesson, children will learn how to become fluent readers by rereading decodable words in decodable words in connected text.

2. Materials: 

1. Chalk and Chalk board

2. Paper

3. Fluency cards (one for each person)

4. Multiple copies of book The Flea’s Sneeze by Lynn Downey, Scholastic Inc: 2001.

      C.  Procedure:

a.       Introduce lesson to students.  "Today we are all going to work on becoming fluent readers.  Being a fluent reader means that you can read smoothly and quickly.  Becoming a fluent reader takes time and practice.  Today, we are going to spend some time reading the same book several times to help us become fluent readers."

2. "Fluent readers do not always know all the words but they read to the end of the sentence or use a silent cover-up method." (Be writing sentence on the board). "I am going to use this sentence to show you how to use the silent cover-up method.” Write sentence: My dad laughs so loud the house shakes. Read the sentence.  Point to the words and have the students read sentence slowly while I demonstrate the silent cover-up method. M—y dad llll-aaauuu-gghhss ssss-oooo lll-ooouuu-ddd the hhh-ouu-sss-eee sh-aaaa-kkeess. Now, have class read sentence fluently. "Who can tell me the difference in how we read that sentence?  Which sounds better?"

3. Divide children into pairs.  Teacher write sentence on the board: For lunch, I am eating a chicken sandwich with fries.  Have students copy sentence on their own paper.  Have them read sentence to one another using silent cover-ups.  Have children continue reading sentence till fluent.  Walk around to check children’s fluency.  After a couple of minutes, ask children, "Can you read the sentence better now after you practiced or the first time you read it?"

4. Pass out books The Flea’s Sneeze.  Have children pair up with a partner.  Explain fluency card (see below). Have them take turns reading a page to one another.  After read through once, have children switch- read the opposite page they did not read before (Give them 15 minutes to do this).  After children have read through book twice, in pairs have them assess one another by filling out a fluency card.  Collect fluency cards.  "Okay, now we are going to read the book all together as a class. We will go around the room and each read for one minute fluently.  I will tell you when to stop." (# words x 60/# sec = formula for 1 minute read)

4. Assessment: Observe children’s reading in pairs.  Go around the room and listen to each pair read.  Take note of fluency cards- look at children’s assessment of one another.  Do one minute reads- time and assess their oral reading of the book.

E.  References:

Downey, L. (2000). The Flea’s Sneeze. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2001.

www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/openings/stewartgf.html

Ready, Set, Read! By Christi Stewart

Fluency card:  Put a check in the box.

I noticed that my partner…..

After second              After third reading

                                                                        Remembered more words

                                                                        Read faster

                                                                        Read Smoother

                                                                        Read with expression

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