Run Fast, Read Fast!
Growing Independence and
Fluency
Holland
Stevens
Rationale:
Comprehension is an important part of learning to read.
Beginning readers can
spend so much of their effort trying to decode the words, that they do
not
spend much time comprehending what they read. These readers need
to learn
fluency, which is the ability to recognize words accurately and
automatically.
Fluent readers use less of their time decoding, leaving more time to
comprehension. This lesson will help students become more fluent
through
repeated readings of text. Students will be working with partners
to help
them learn different decoding strategies from their peers and to get
more time
to read.
In order to become
faster readers who read
with more expression, one must develop fluency in their reading. Fluent
reading
is the ability to recognize words automatically, and being able to read
them
easily. Fluent reading is important in developing silent reading skills
as well
as a child's overall reading success. The design of this particular
lesson is to
offer repetitive readings of texts for students so that they become
more fluent
readers, and to help students understand how significant fluent reading
is.
Materials:
-Speed Reading Record for each student
-Partner check sheet for each student
-Stop Watches - one for each pair of students
-Pencils for students
-Text
-Whiteboard
-Marker
-Speed Reading Record:
Name:_________________________
Date:___________
Time:
- After 1st read
_______
- After 2nd
read _______
- After 3rd
read
_______
-Partner Check Sheet for students to assess
their partner's
fluency:
When I listened to
my partner read:
After
1.
Remembered more
words _______
_______
2. Read
faster
_______ _______
3. Read
smoother
_______ _______
4. Read
with
expression _______
_______
Procedures:
1. Class, it is important that we learn to read with speed so that we can read things quickly and easily. Reading a story over and over again will help us all to become more fluent readers. I will then ask what they think fluency means, and we will discuss its definition and its importance as a class. Today we are going to read a story several times so that each of us will become more fluent readers. I think every one should set a goal to read faster each time we read a book.
2.
I will remind the students about the
using
their cover-ups so that the students can use this strategy while
reading. Remember whenever you come across difficult words while
reading, you
can use
your cover-up to help you figure out what the word is. I
will
write the word bridge on the board, and model how to use the
cover-up by
decoding this word just to give them an example. As you come
across a
difficult word, use your cover-up to help you sound the word out. I
will cover up all the letters except the and pronounce the sound
of the
short i=/i/. Then I am going to uncover the letters one at a time
leading
up to the vowel, b=/b/, r=/r/, and dge =/j/. Notice that these three
sounds
together make the /j/ sound. Then I will start at the beginning and
tell
them, b-b-r-r=/br/ now add the /i/ sound, b-r-i-i, now put the /j/
sound on
the end. B-r-i-d-g-e! good!
3.
Next I am going to model fluent
reading. I am going to write the following sentence on the board:
I like
to lick my yummy ice-cream cone. Listen closely as I read this
sentence to
you. At first I am going to read it slowly without fluency.
I ... like
... to ... lick ... my ...yummy ice ...cream ... cone. I
like ... to lick... my yummy ice ... cream
cone. I like to lick... my...yummy ice-cream cone. In order to get
better
at
reading this sentence, I'll need to read it again and again. Doing this
repetitively will help me read quicker so that I can read with more
expression.
Now I will show you how to read it faster with fluency: I like to
lick my
yummy ice-cream cone. Does this sound better to you when I talk
quicker
and is it easier to understand? It is much easier for everyone to
listen when
something is read fluently and quickly. It is boring if a teacher
stands up and
reads slow and messes up her words. That is why we need to practice
reading
fluently and quickly. When we read to each other, we want it to be easy
to
listen to so that we can focus on the meaning of the words.
4. Now
I will pass out the book Kite Day at Pine Lake to each student.
Has
anyone ever flown a kite before? Yes, me too! This book is a
story
about a bunch of children that love to fly kites. They have kites of
all
shapes, sizes, and colors. Bob is upset because he does not have a
kite. I
wonder what will happen. Do you think the kids will make Bob a kite?
What do
you think will happen? Let's read and find out! Students will
read the
book on
their own. Afterwards, we will discuss the story as a class and ask
questions
to see their comprehension and understanding of the text. They will
each have a
chance to read it by themselves before
reading it
aloud with a partner for timed readings.
5. Next, I am going to split the students up into groups of 2. I will explain to the students about the Speed Reading Record Sheet and Fluency Literacy Rubric. When you break into pairs, one of you will be the reader and the other will be the recorder. The reader will read the book for one minute three different times. The recorder will start and stop the stop watch and will announce when it is the time to begin and end after the end of one minute. The recorder will also write down the number of words read in one minute on the record sheet. After the reader has read three times, you will swap it up and do the same thing again.
6. When
students have finished recording the one minute read alouds, I will
have them
fill out a Fluency Literacy Sheet about their partner. They will check
the
boxes on how the student performed on the 2nd and 3rd
times reading the book for one minute.
Assessment:
The students will each bring me their
Speed Reading Record
and their Partner Checklist. Each student will do one minute reads
individually for me so that I can check for fluency and accuracy.
I will
also evaluate the reading record and partner checklist they turned
in.
References:
Cushman, Sheila and Rona Kornblum. Kite Day
at
Eldredge, J. Lloyd. (1995) Teaching
Decodable in Holistic Classrooms.
Murray, Bruce. Developing
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/fluency.html