Riding the Train of Smooth
Reading
Growing Independence
and Fluency
Rationale:
It is
important for readers to learn to read automatically. This lesson will
help readers to become more fluent with their reading by teaching how
to read a text faster and smoother. As a result of fluency being honed,
and increased, students are able to begin reading silently and twice as
fast. In this lesson, we will work on gaining fluency through repeated
reading, timed reading, and one-minute reads. All of these activities
provide practice to help increase fluency.
Materials:
Sentence strip with
"The train trip was fun."
Class set of
The Train Trip by Geri Murray
Stopwatch
Class set of Speedy
Reading Sheets
Laminated copy of
train with numbers and Velcro at each number for each pair of students
Laminated train with
Velcro on the back, one for each student
Procedures:
1.
First, explain what fluency is and what we are going to do
today. Say:
Today we are going to discuss something call fluency. Can anyone tell
me what being a fluent reader means? Awesome! It means reading easily
with expression and with good speed! To become a fluent reader, though,
you have to practice.
Say:
Let's look at the
difference between a fluent reader and a non-fluent reader. I am going
to read this sentence on the board, first with fluency.
Say: Th-e t-r-ai-n t-r-i-p
w-a-s f-u-n. How did that sound? Was that hard to understand? That's
because I did not read it fast and smooth. Let me try that again. This
time I will read it with fluency! The train trip was fun. Was that
better? Reading is easier to understand when it is fast and smooth. Now
you see how important being a fluent reader is! Reading fluently can be
hard but that is why we have to practice. Whenever you get to a word
you do not know, you can cross check to figure out the tricky word. Use
your cover up critter to figure out those tough words. Ok, let's try
this again but this time I want the whole class to say it with me.
First, we are going to read like a non-fluent reader and then as a
fluent reader. Th-e t-r-ai-n t-r-i-p w-a-s f-u-n. Was that easy to say?
No? Why not? Ok, now let's read it like a fluent reader. The train trip
was fun. Was that better? Why? Awesome! Y'all are doing great!
2.
Pass out class set of The Train Trip by Geri Murray. Say: Now it's your turn. Book talk: Nate
is coming on the train to play with Tim. But he has a surprise for
Tim's sister, Jan. TO find out what it is read to the end of the book.
Say:
When you get your
book read it yourself a couple of times because in a few minutes we are
going to pair up with a friend and time your reading.
Students will read to themselves.
3.
After a few minutes, tell the students to find a partner. I
will explain to them that one of them will be the "reader" and the
other will be the "recorder." Once the first one has read, they will
switch jobs. I will explain that I am going to be the timer and will
stop the reader when time is up. When time has run out, the reader will
put their finger on the last word they read. The recorder will count
how many words the reader read and write it on the "Speedy Reading
Sheet." The recorder will also move the train up the tracks as the
number the reader reads in one minute increases. Then they will switch
roles.
4.
Allow students to repeat this three times to get an average
of the results.
5.
Once the class has finished the one-minute reads, I will
read The Train Trip by Geri Murray to the students so they will know
how it ends and what fluent reading of a book sounds like. We will
discuss it and then talk about how listening to it read fluently makes
it more enjoyable to listen to and easier to understand.
Assessment:
I will
average the students' one-minute reads.
References:
Gluckman, Amanda.
Where the Wild Things Are--Reading Fluently!
http://www.auburn.edu/academi/education/reading_genie/projects/gluckmangf.html
Murray, Geri.
The Train Trip.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/bookindex.html
Schupp, Elise.
Worming Our Way Through Speedy Reading.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/solutions/schuppgf.html