Christi Stewart
Growing Independence and Fluency
Rationale:
Fluent reading is the final step to becoming a successful reader.
It takes much time and practice to become a fluent reader. Two characteristics
of a fluent reader are the ability to read smooth and fast. In this
lesson students will learn how to read smooth and fast by performing repeated
readings of the same text. It is important to have these characteristics
so that the context can be comprehended.
Materials:
marker or chalk board
Scieszka, Jon (1989). The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.
New York: Scholastic Inc., 1989.
copies of different plays for each group (it depends on how many students
you have).
Procedures:
1. Introduce the lesson to students by saying, FLUENT READING COMES
WITH PRACTICE. TWO CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD READER ARE BEING ABLE
TO READ SMOOTH AND FAST. TODAY WE ARE GOING TO READ THE SAME TEXT
SEVERAL TIMES SO THAT WE CAN LEARN HOW TO BE FLUENT READERS. Remind
them that fluent readers do not always know every word but they either
read to the end of the sentence or use a silent cover-up method.
2. Write the sentence on the board. (My Granny had a horrible
cold with a sneeze louder than a train.) Read the sentence slowly
to the students. MY GGRANNY HAD A HOORRIBLE COLD WITH A SSSNNEEZE
LOOUDER THAN A T-R-A-IN. Sound out some words slowly and model the
silent cover-up method on some words. Read the sentence a second
time more smoothly. Ask the students which one they liked better.
3. Write another sentence on the board. (I had a hamburger and
french fries for lunch today.) Divide students into pairs and have
them practice reading the sentence to one another until they can read it
smoothly. When they finish ask them did you read more smoothly the
first time you read the sentence or the last? (The answer should
be the last time.) Tell them THIS IS WHY WE HAVE TO PRACTICE OUR
READING TO BECOME GOOD AT IT.
4. Read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs to the class.
Give them copies and tell them FOLLOW ALONG SO THAT YOU CAN BECOME FAMILIAR
WITH ANY NEW WORDS YOU SEE.
5. Split the students into groups of four. Assign each person
a character from The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Wolf,
1st pig, 2nd pig, 3rd pig). Have them practice reading to one another
to become familiar with the text. After they have read it once tell
them NOW CHANGE CHARACTERS WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND TAKE ON ANOTHER ROLE.
They can do this until everyone has had the chance to be all the characters.
6. For more practice assign a different play to each group. You
may give each group a separate play or give them different scenes of the
same play. Tell them EACH GROUP IS GOING TO PERFORM THEIR PLAY IN
FRONT OF THE CLASS. SO YOU NEED TO PRACTICE IT SEVERAL TIMES SO THAT
YOU DO NOT MESS UP WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN. Give them a certain amount
of time to practice. It may be minutes or days, it depends on the
length of the play.
7. For assessment you can assign each student a book that might be
a little challenge for them at first but with practice they can read fluently.
Have them read the book to you once while you do a running record.
Then send them off to practice and later have them read to you again and
do another reading record. Compare the reading records to see if
the student has improved.
References:
Eldredge, J. Lloyd (1995). Teaching Decoding in Holistic Classrooms.
New Jersey: Merrill,
1995. pp.167
Scieszka, Jon (1989). The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.
New York: Scholastic Inc., 1989.
