Sailing to Smooth and Speedy
Growing
Rationale:
In order for a child to read
fluently, he/she should be able to read faster and smoother than when
they first started reading.
Materials:
-dry erase marker
-large piece of paper
for each student with a waterway/river drawn on it
-small cutout of a
sailboat
-one stopwatch for
every two children
-Alexander and the
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
-different books of
different reading levels
Procedure:
1. Introduce the
lesson to students by saying how important it is for readers to read
both quickly and smoothly. Say: Not only does it sound better when we
read this way, but it also helps us to make more sense of what we are
reading. This means that the stories are more interesting and fun
to read. Let me show you.
2. Say: I am going to read a sentence one time through just like a beginning reader would and then I am going to read it again like a really good reader would read it. Write the sentence on the board - She just bit an apple, then noticed that there was half a worm inside! Read the sentence slowly to the students. Say: Listen closely to the difference: S-h-e-j-j-j-u-s-t-b-i-t-a-n-a-a-a-p-p-l-e-t-h-e-n-n-o-t-i-c-e-d-t-h-a-t-t-h-e-r-e-w-a-s-h-a-l-f-a-w-o-r-m-i-n-s-i-d-e. Sound the words out slowly, stuttering a bit. Say: That did not sound quite right, did it? Now let me read it again. Notice my speed this time. Read the sentence a second time more smoothly. She just bit an apple, then noticed that there was half a worm inside! That sounds much better, doesnt it? What are some things that I did differently the second time compared to the first time? Right, I let the words flow out of my mouth more clearly!
3. Write another sentence on the
board. (The school bell rang and we all packed our bags to go
home.) Divide students into pairs and have them practice reading
the sentence to one another until they can read it smoothly. I
want you all to read the sentence through for the first time out loud
to each other. Listen to the way that it sounds the first time
you read it. Then I want you to read the sentence silently to yourself
at least five times through. Reading the sentence over and over will
help you with your speed. Then, I want you to read the sentence
again out loud to your partner. Notice how different it sounds
this time. What makes it sound better? Did it sound better when
you read it fast or slow? Awesome job everyone! Explain to students,
The reason we practice our reading is to become good at it!
4. Read Alexander and the Terrible,
Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst to the students.
Say: This is the story of Alexander. Poor Alexander is having a
horrible day. First he goes to sleep with gum in his mouth and
wakes up with it in his hair. As Alexanders day progresses, he gets
smushed in the middle seat of the car, gets a lunch sack with no
dessert, discovers a cavity at the dentist, sees kissing on TV, and is
forced to sleep in railroad-train pajamas. Lets read to find out if
Alexanders day gets any better! Model timed reading.
5. Now it is your turn to try reading your own book! I am going to give each group a book to read. While one of you reads the book the other one is going to be the timer. You will be timed for one minute. Read as many words as you can. If you come to a word that you dont know, use the cover up method to try to figure it out. If you still cant figure it out, look at the rest of the sentence. If that doesnt work, ask your partner for help. I will also be walking around to help you. We are going to do this several times so that you can become a faster and faster reader! Lets get started!
6. Say: Now, after one minute is up you will count how many words you read and place your sailboat on that number on the waterway. Then you will switch and your partner will do the same thing. Before you start all over, make a star with your pencil on your waterway on the first number of words that you read so that we can see how much faster you are getting. I bet after a couple of times reading the book, your sailboat will get farther and farther along the waterway. Lets see. One, two, three, read!
7. I will assess the students by looking at
their progress charts. They will mark on the waterway where they
began and where they ended and turn it in for me to evaluate.
References:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/openings/stewartgf.html