Rationale: To become good
readers students must learn to read fluently. This
lesson will provide students with
techniques for becoming more fluent readers as well as provide them
with repeated
reading practice and partner feedback to help them increase their
fluency
level.
Materials:
Chart
paper
Marker
Sheet
with three bee hives for each student
Bumblebee
cutout for each student
Partner
assessment sheet for each student: Did my partner read faster the third
time? Did
my partner read with expression? How many words did my partner read the
second
time? How many words did my partner read the third time?
Copy
of Fuzz and the Buzz for each group by Sheila Cushman and
published by
Educational Insights in 1990
Pencil
for each student
Teacher
assessment page: Fluency ratings: read smoothly, quickly,
stopped rarely, or less smooth, less quick, or stopped frequently and
miscue
notes. Comprehension questions: What
kind of animal was Fuzz? How does Fuzz get away from the bugs?
Procedures:
1. Tell
the students what it means to be a
fluent reader and why it is important. "A
fluent reader is someone who can read a story and recognize most of the
words
as they read. As you become a more
fluent reader you are able to remember parts of the story more easily
and you
are able to read the story more quickly."
2.
Model fluent reading. On chart
paper write the sentence "The
cat took a nap." Begin by reading
the sentence as a non-fluent reader. "TTThhheee
cccaaattt tttoookkk a nnnaaappp." "Because
I had not seen some of the words before I had to decode them as I read. Now that I have read the words and figured
out the ones I did not know I am going to reread the sentence." Now reread the sentence smoothly as a fluent
reader "The cat took a nap." "Because
I had seen the words before and I had decoded them I was able to read
the words
in the sentence with less difficulty.
The more we read and reread the more familiar we become with
words and
the easier it is for us to read the words we have seen before, we also
become
more skillful at figuring out new words."
3.
"Remember to cover up parts of the word
and make the sounds of each letter if you are unsure of a word. Also, if it doesn't seem to fit in the
sentence look at the word again and see if you need to use a different
word
that does fit in the sentence. If you
and your partner cannot figure out the word raise your hand and ask for
help."
4.
Divide the students into groups of two and
give each student a paper with pictures of three beehives and a cutout
of a
bumblebee. Give each group a copy of Fuzz
and the Buzz. This will be used to
chart their progress. Also, give each
child a partner evaluation sheet with the questions: Did my partner
read faster
the third time? Did my partner read with expression? How many words did
my
partner read the second time? How many words did my partner read the
third
time?
5.
Give Fuzz and the Buzz book
talk. One day Fuzz goes for a
walk. Along the way he finds some nuts
and tugs on them. The nuts fall and hit
Fuzz on the head and he is mad! Then
bugs start to buzz around Fuzz and chase him.
Let's read the story to see how Fuzz escapes the bugs.
Have
the student first read Fuzz and the Buzz silently to themselves
to
become familiar with the book. Then
have them read two more times to their partner who will evaluate them
based on
the questions given to them. Each time
the student reads he/she will move the bumblebee to a new hive. Once the third hive is reached it is the
next partner's turn to read.
6.
Walk around the room to help and listen as
the read to their partner.
Assessment: To assess I
will review the student's progress chart that they
filled out with their partner. I will
then have the students reread Fuzz and the Buzz to me. I will note their fluency by making notes about
whether they read smoothly, quickly, stopped rarely, or less smooth,
less
quick, or stopped frequently. I
will also ask the children questions to test their comprehension of the
story. Questions: What kind of animal
was Fuzz? How does Fuzz get away from the bugs?
Resources:
Cushman,
S (1990). Fuzz and the Buzz. Carson, CA:
Educational
Insights.
Ashley
Keel- Read, Read, Red Dog!
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/catalysts/keelgf.html