Zooming
Toward Fluency!
Growing
Rationale: Students
need to know how reading fluently will help them understand a text
better. Fluent readers are able to read
words
automatically, allowing them to focus on the meaning of the words. More practice with reading will help them
become more comfortable and familiar with words, leading them to be
fluent
readers. By using one minute reads, students will develop an
understanding of
fluency and how to become better readers.
Materials:
-One Minute Read Chart (for
each pair)
Name: ________Date:
____
1st
minute: ______
2nd
minute: ______
3rd
minute: ______
-Partner check- sheet:
Name:
_____ Partner: ____ Date: ____
I noticed that my
partner... (check the circle)
After 2nd
after 3rd
(
)
(
)
Remembered more words
(
)
(
)
Read faster
(
)
(
)
Read smoother
(
)
(
)
Read with expression
-Book: Red
Gets Fed for each pair of students
-Stopwatch for each group
-Car Charts (zooming toward
finish
line=all words correct) for each student
Procedures:
1. "Today we are going to work
on
becoming fluent readers. This means that we will try to improve how
fast and
smoothly we read. By reading a lot, even
books that we have already read, we can improve our fluency. When we become fluent we will also be able to
recognize more words automatically, without having to sound them out."
2. "Now I am going to show you
how to
tell if someone is reading fluently or not.
In this first sentence I am NOT going to read fluently. 'Ttt-eee-ddd
ggg-ooo-tt a hhh-aaa-tttt' (sounding out each letter). Because I
had to
sound out each letter, I could not read fast or smoothly.
Now I will show you how a fluent reader
should sound. 'Ted got a hat.' I was
able to recognize each word and the sentence flowed together. I was also able to understand the sentence
and add expression."
3. "Sometimes there may still
be
words that we do not know, and need to sound out. When this happens it
is good
to use a cover up so that you can look at only part of a word. After you think you have figured out the
word, you should crosscheck by rereading the whole sentence to see if
that word
makes sense or not." Model how to use a cover up and crosscheck if I do
not know the word hill in the sentence 'The cat ran up the hill.'
4. "Now we are going to work in
groups to check each others fluency. Each pair will take turns timing
each
other (one minute) reading the book Red
Gets Fed three times. The reader
will try to read fast and smoothly. The person timing will mark where
their
partner stopped each time and then count the number of words that they
read. On your car charts you will drive
your car to the number of words that you read correctly. Our goal is to
reach
the finish line by reading all of the words in one minute." Before they
are allowed to begin, I will show them how to work the stopwatches and
how to
count the words they have read by modeling.
5. "After each student in the
pair
has read, partners will fill out the partner check-sheet, which tells
if their
partner improved with each reading."
6. Assessment: To assess the
students, I will review
their car charts and partner check-sheets in order to see improvements. I will then have each student read the book
for me as I take notes on miscues and fluency. When the student has
finished
reading I will ask questions to check for comprehension.
- Why does Red keep waking
everyone up?
- Does Red end up happy?
- How does Red get happy?
References:
-Buzz, Buzz, Buzz by Katie
Lincoln
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/invent/lincolngf.html
- Crabs Can't Nap but You Can
Read! By
Alicia Ellis
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/sightings/ellisgf.html