"Hopping Into Fluent
Growing
"Hopping Into
Fluent
Rationale:
Fluency is the ability to read a text
accurately and
quickly. When fluent readers read silently, they recognize words
automatically.
They group words quickly to help them gain meaning from what they read.
Fluent
readers read aloud effortlessly and with expression. Their reading
sounds
natural, as if they are speaking. Readers who have not yet developed
fluency
read slowly, word by word. Their oral reading is choppy and plodding.
Fluency is important because it provides a
bridge
between word recognition and comprehension. Because fluent readers do
not have
to concentrate on decoding the words, they can focus their attention on
what
the text means. They can make connections among the ideas in the text
and
between the text and their background knowledge. In other words, fluent
readers
recognize words and comprehend at the same time. Less fluent readers,
however,
must focus their attention on figuring out the words, leaving them
little
attention for understanding the text. Students will gain fluency
through
repeated readings, timed readings, and one-minute reads. It has
been
proven that the more students read the more their reading skills will
improve.
Materials:
One sentence strip with the
sentence "The little green frog
hopped off the lily pad to try to catch a fly" for every group
Stopwatch for every group
One copy of Days
with Frog and Toad for
every group,
Poster with lily pads on it,
placed so that the lily pads get closer to the top of the poster where
there is
a fly; The lily pads have numbers on them that represent the number of
words
read; cut out frog for each student
One copy of The Missing
Snake, decodable reader
Procedure:
1.Explain to students what
being a fluent reader means. "It is very important that we all become
fluent
readers. To be a fluent reader, you must read with speed and ease. Being a fluent reader helps us to understand
what we are reading because we do not have to stop and think about
"sounding
out" each word, instead we can focus on understanding what the story is
about. When we are fluent readers our reading sounds much nicer
and
smoother. It also allows us to enjoy what we are reading!"
2.Demonstrate a fluent
reader
and a non-fluent
reader. "Listen to me as I read a page from the book The Missing Snake. This is
how a fluent reader would read this
sentence, Mmmmy nnaaaammme iiiissss
JJJaaannne. I ccaan tttaaake the
cccaaassse. . (Read one sentence from the book) (The
first
time read the sentence very slowly, without expression, and
choppy.)
Now I am going to read the same page from The Missing Snake again..
(Read the sentence slowly and without expression).
How do you feel about how I read that
sentence? Does it make you want to
listen to me read the whole story? This time I am going to read
like a
fluent reader. (This time read the text faster, with ease, and
expression.) That it what a fluent reader sounds like. They
read
the text quickly, smoothly, and with expression. Our goal is for
everyone
to be a fluent reader."
3.Explain to students that
they
are going to be doing repeated readings. "To help make
you a more fluent reader, we are going to
practice by doing repeated readings. I am going to assign you with a
partner and
then you and your partner will take turns reading. I am going to give
each pair of you a sentence on a piece
of paper. I want each of you to read the sentence aloud to your
partner. Don't worry if you are not reading like you think a
fluent reader
should read the first time, by doing repeated readings and hearing your
partner
read you will get better each time. . By the end, you will be
reading
more fluently because you are familiar with the words and you will not
be
concentrating on decoding each word." Pass out to each group a
sentence strip with the sentence "The little greem frog hopped off the
lily pad to try to catch a fly". Pairs will be given a few
minutes
to take turns reading the sentences.
When the teacher sees that each pair has had adequate practice
then move
to the next part of the lesson, connecting the practice to text.
4.Explain to the students that
they are going to be doing one minute reads. "Now we are going to practice
reading in order to become more fluent in another way, a one minute
read.
Each pair will be reading the book Days with Frog and Toad.
Frog and
Toad are very good friends and they like to do fun things together.
Sometimes
Frog and Toad get into some mischief while they are having fun. I want
you to read the book to find out what kind
of
mischief and fun things Frog and Toad do
together. I am going to give you a copy of the book, a
stopwatch
and a sheet to record how many words that your partner reads.
While one
person is reading their partner will be timing them. The reader
should
read as many words as they can. The reader will read for
one minute
four times. After each one minute, the timer will write down the
number
of words the reader reads. After the first person reads four
times then
switch and let your partner do the same thing. When we are finished I
will give
each of you a frog and you will put your highest number of words on it
an put
it on the lily pad that is closest to the number of words you read. Your goal is to get as close to the fly as you
can by the end of your four readings. I will be walking around
the
room. If you need help, just raise your hand
Assessment: As the
pairs of students
are doing their one minute reads the teacher will circulate among the
pairs and
assess their progress. Students should demonstrate increasing fluency
as they
do more repeated readings. After the
students have finished the activities the teacher will continue to do
two one
minute reads with each student individually to assess all aspects of
fluency.
Sources:
Adams,
Jennifer. Off to the Races!
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/innov/adamsgf.html
Clabby,
Caitlin. Ready! Set!Go! http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/persp/clabbygf.html
Lobel,
Arnold. Days with Frog and Toad. Harper Collins
Children's
Books, 1984.
Phonics
Readers-Long Vowels: The Missing Snake Scott
Foresman, 2008