Go
Speed
Reader, Go!
Growing
By: Courtney Dobbel
Rationale: To read fluently, a student
must read
quickly, smoothly, and expressively. In addition, word
recognition must
be automatic. If word recognition is automatic, reading becomes
an
enjoyable activity for a student. For students to gain automatic
word
recognition, the reading and re-reading of connected, decodable text is
needed. The more a student comes in to contact with a specific
text, the
more fluent he or she becomes. In this lesson, students will
learn how to
read quickly, smoothly, and expressively in order to gain
fluency.
Students will gain fluency through repeated readings and one-minute
reads.
Materials: Multiple
copies of In the Big Top (Educational Insights) and of Charlie
by
Richard Vaughan (enough of each book for every two children) (both
books should
be marked with pencil after every ten words so that the children can
count the
words), stop watches (enough for every two children), charts with a
race car driving
up the race track towards the number of minutes the child or children
read the
story (some of the charts should go up to 75 and some up to 100, the
numbers
will be in the intervals of 5), tape (to hang up the race track),
Velcro
(attached to the race track charts at different intervals and to the
race
cars), personal grids for each student, and pencils.
Procedure:
1.) I
will introduce the lesson by briefly explaining the importance of
reading with
speed and fluency: Today I am going to read to you like a
beginner reader
and I want you to tell me what I’m doing wrong. I will read the first
few
sentences of In the Big Top modeling
a beginning reader. I will ask the
students why my reading sounded like it did. Then I will reread the
sentence
like a skillful reader using fluency and expression. I will then
ask the
students what I changed to make my reading better. Then I will tell
them that
to read like a skillful reader it is important to practice reading many
times.
Rereading is important in becoming fluent readers. Now we are going to
try
practicing reading more fluently with expression.
2.)
Pair the students off homogenously so that they can share a book and
race car
track.
3.)
I will show the students the racecar and racetrack recorder game but
not pass
them out yet. Today we are going to pretend we are race car
drivers and
we are going to race around the track. Each of you will be given a
car and
a track. Each partner will read while the other uses the stopwatch and
records
how much was read on the track chart. The partner who is the
driver first
will have the stopwatch and press start when the reading begins. (show
the
students the stopwatch and press "start" on it for them to see).
When the stopwatch beeps the minute is up and the driver will then
count the
number of words read. Each book has been marked after ten words,
so the
driver will count the marks by ten, each mark will be ten words. Then
after the
last mark count the words until stopped as one word. After the
driver
counts the words he/she will fill in the first blank of the reader’s
chart with
number read, (hold up a personal chart for the students to see and
point to the
box they should write the number in). Next you will place the car on
the track
at the number of words read. The marks on the race track are counted
out by
five. For example, if the reader reads 67 words, the driver will put
the car
between the 65 mark and the 70 mark, (show students on a
racetrack). This
is a lot to remember so I will show you first. (Choose a
volunteer and
show the students how the 1-minute read works with In the Big Top
making
sure to fill in the personal chart and putting the racecar on the
track) Does
everyone understand? I will be walking around if anyone needs help,
just raise
your hand and I will help you. Everyone needs to read the book
four times
and the partner will mark on the chart how far was read! Everyone will
be a
reader and a recorder.
4.)
Pass out appropriate books to each pair along with two personal reading
charts
and a racetrack chart with a racecar that is appropriate to the pair's
reading
level.
5.)
The students will read their book four times while their partner graphs
their
progress on the racetrack chart. I will walk around and help
students who
are having trouble and encourage students as they chart their progress.
6.)
Once everyone has finished reading four times I will ask the students
to be
sure their names, the date, and the title of the book they read are on
their
personal charts and then ask them to turn them in to me.
Assessment:
I will
evaluate each child's reading speed from the beginning
of the fluency lesson to the end, to see speed improvement.
References:
In
the Big Top.
Phonics Readers Short Vowels.
Educational Insights.
www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/discov/adamsgf.html
(Whitney Adams-Speed Reader).
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