Let's Learn to Read
Successfully With Fluency!
Developing Reading Fluency
Developing Reading Fluency
Design: Let's
Learn to Read Successfully With Fluency!
Rationale: In this
lesson, the learning goal is for the struggling reader is to broaden
his/her sight vocabulary while developing reading fluency. Oftentimes,
beginning readers become frustrated because they are trying so hard to
decode unfamiliar words that they fail to comprehend and/or enjoy the
text. However, as they gain more sight words and begin to decode
unfamiliar words with fluency, they begin to enjoy the process of
reading. The rationale and main goal of this lesson is for the reader
to accomplish the fluency goal and read competently at an appropriate
speed. The fluency goal, as mentioned on the Reading Genie website, is
defined as "Read and Reread Decodable
Words in Connected Texts. As the instructor, I want the
student to have appropriate practice with repeated reading; therefore,
he/she is not consistently guessing from contextual clues.
Materials: Motivating graph/chart
that will be used to visually mark progress, copies of the following
two excerpts that will be used for repeated reading: The
Little Blue Engine from Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk
Ends and the decodable text book titled Race for Cake by
Geri Murray, a handheld timer for the one-minute readings, the
checklist that I will complete while the learner reads aloud
Procedures
Int1. Introduce the lesson
by telling the student that we are going to be working on reading
fluency. I will then explain what reading fluency is, and how we will
be working on it. For example: "If I were to read something with
fluency, I would decode words very quickly. I would not pause for a
long time trying to figure out unfamiliar words. The words coming out
of my mouth would flow smoothly. It also helps me when I read with
fluency, because I actually understand what I am reading and the story
makes sense to me!"
<!2.
Next, explain how fluency
is beneficial to readers of all ages. "I have had a lot of practice
with reading, and I can now read almost everything fluently. This makes
reading an enjoyable, fun activity for me. I want you to have the same
joy and excitement that one feels when they read successfully! It is
really fun, and today's activities will help you work towards becoming
a fluent reader."
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3.Introduce the motivating
chart that will be constructed according to the child's interests. This
chart will serve as a visual marker of the learner's progress. "Here is
a chart that is going to be your reward system. I will move the chart
as you improve throughout today's lesson! This will be a great way for
you to see how much you are learning and moving in the right direction!"
<!4."We are going to be doing
repeated readings today. This will help you to work on the amount of
time it takes to successfully complete a reading. I don't want you to
feel rushed or pressured while the timer is going, it is just going to
help me keep track of your progress! I have two different pieces of
literature that you are going to read for me today. You will read each
of them two times. The reward chart will be for you to see your
progress after repeating the reading, and I have made a checklist that
I will use to help me mark how you are improving! Here is the checklist
that I will be looking at while you read. (Go over each item on the
list) These are the things that you should be working on today!"
<!5.
Next, the instructor will
introduce the Shel Silverstein poem. The teacher will model how to read
it according to the checklist, so that the expectations will be clear.
Then, the instructor will begin the activity… "First, I would like for
you to read The Little Blue Engine. This poem is by one of my
very favorite poets! I want you to read it once, the very best that you
can. Don't worry if you see a word that you don't know right away. Do
the best you can!" The instructor will time the first reading, and mark
the words that the student reads incorrectly on his/her copy of the
poem. The teacher will also check the checklist that has been created
for this activity. After the reading is completed, the teacher will
note the amount of time on the timer, and move the rewards chart. The
rewards chart will be set up with the total number of words in the poem
at the top, and decreasing towards the bottom. The teacher will tell
the student how many words they read correctly out of the total number
of words in the poem, and have the student move his/her reward chart.
The above process will be repeated for the second reading of the poem.
Ideally, the student will move the reward chart up, and see how reading
things more than once is beneficial. It is an instant gratification to
see one's progress.
<!6.For more practice, the
teacher will introduce Race for Cake, which is a decodable book
written on an appropriate level for a beginning reader who is working
on fluency. It is a well designed book that will be effective in this
lesson. The instructor will give a brief book talk that will peak the
reader's interest in this story.
For example, "This book is
about two young boys. One day, they went swimming in the lake and one
started to smell a yummy cake baking! The boys hopped out of the lake
and began to race towards the wonderful smell. I wonder if they will
make it in time? Will anybody get hurt along the way? You will have to
read Race for Cake to find out!"
Th7. The same processes
will occur for Race for Cake as the previous poem. This second
repeated reading should serve as reinforcement for the child that
he/she is improving and becoming a more fluent reader. It is wonderful
for children to immediately see their progress, especially when it
comes to reading!
THE
LITTLE BLUE ENGINE
The
little blue engine looked up at the hill.
His
light was weak, his whistle was shrill.
He
was tired and small, and the hill was tall.
And
his face blushed read as he softly said,
"I
think I can, I think I can, I think I can."
So
he started up with a chug and a strain,
And
he puffed and pulled with might and main.
And
slowly he climbed, a foot at a time,
And
his engine coughed as he whispered soft,
"I
think I can, I think I can, I think I can."
With
a squeak and a creak and a toot and a sigh,
With
an extra hope and an extra try,
He
would not stop-now he neared the top-
And
strong and proud he cried out loud,
"I
think I can, I think I can, I think I can!"
He
was almost there, when-CRASH! SMASH! BASH!
He
slid down and mashed into engine hash
On
the rocks below…which goes to show
If
the track is tough and the hill is rough,
THINKING
you can just ain't enough!
FIRST
READING
SECOND READING
REMEMBERED MORE WORDS
_______
_______
IMPROVED SPEED
_______
_______
FLOWED AND READ SMOOTHLY ________
_______
READ WITH EXPRESSION
________
_______
RESOURCES:
Shel
Silverstein's poetry book, Where the Sidewalk Ends
"Developing
Reading Fluency" on the Reading Genie website
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/fluency.html
Geri
Murray's decodable book, Race for Cake (also found on the
Reading Genie site)
http://www.auburn.edu/~murrag1/bookindex.html