Fun With Fluency!
Growing Independence and Fluency
Rationale: Reading fluency is being able to read with automatic word
recognition. When readers become
fluent their ability to read text quick, smooth, and with expression will
increase. The strongest research
evidence supports the method of repeated reading to gain fluency.
The goal of this lesson is to improve student’s fluency through repeated
readings and timed reading.
Materials: Student copies of The
Car Trip by Matt Sims; Stopwatch or timer for teacher and each student;
Fluency Checklist for each student (see bottom); Reading Record time sheet for
each student (see bottom); Cover-up Critter for each student (popsicle stick
with eyes); Sentence strip that reads: I really like being with my parents.;
Pencils for each student
Procedure:
1. The teacher should introduce the lesson by saying “We are going to be
learning how to become better fluent readers today.
Teachers should explain to the students what fluent reading means by
saying “Fluent reading is when students can read with expression to make the
story more interesting. Fluent
readers have the ability to read smooth and quick!”
2. I will put the sentence strip on the board that reads: Liz really likes being
with her parents. I will read the
sentence in fluency “L-l-l-i-i-i-z-z-z r-e-a-a-a-l-l-l-y l-i-i-k-e-s b-e-e-i-n-g
w-w-i-t-h h-h-e-e-r p-a-r-e-e-n-t-t-s. Now, I will read the sentence smoothly
and with expression. Ask the class,
“Can you tell a difference between the first time I read and the second time I
read?” (I will wait for student’s response.)
“Which time was harder for you to understand? Yes!! When I read the first
time you could barely understand the sentence I was forming.
You could not understand because I was not reading with fluency.
Today we are really going to focus on reading smoothly, with expression,
and faster so that others can understand what we are reading.
3. “When you are reading and you come across a word that you do not know, you
can use your cover-up critter to figure out the word.
I will show you an example.”
I will write the first word, strain, on the board.
“First, I am going to find a vowel and cover-up all the other letters.
The vowel is A, and I know
that long a makes the /A/ sound.
Then I will uncover all the letters before the vowel, which in this case
is s-t-r.
I will pronounce that /s/t/r/A/.
Then I will uncover the rest of the word and sound it out,
/n/.
If the cover-up critter does not work, you may try asking your partner
for help.”
4. I will engage the students in a book talk about the story
The Car Trip.
Book talk: “A boy by the name of Roy and his dad go on a trip.
Roy and his dad start from New York and are going to head west.
On the third day of the trip, Roy and his dad get a flat tire while
driving. We need to read to see
what happens to Roy and his dad on their trip!!!!!
5. The teacher should now tell the students about their re-reading activity.
Make sure to explain to the students that because of repeated readings,
reading gets easier and the words start to jump off of the page at you. Also
explain that a repeated reading makes the story easier to understand.
6. The teacher should now pair up students and assign them different spots in
the room. Make sure that each pair
of students receives a fluency literacy rubric, a timer, a copy of
Dem Bones, and a reading time sheet.
7. The teacher needs to take time to explain that one student will be the reader
and the other student will be the recorder.
“Once you have finished reading, you will switch jobs and listen to your
partner read. The first person to
read will open the book and wait for your partner to tell you to start.
The person that is the recorder will start the timer and let it run until
the partner has finished the entire book.
Be sure to stop the timer when your partner is finished.
I want you to record that time on your Timer Record Sheet.
Then, you will go through the fluency checklist.
After finishing the checklist and the Record Sheet, you will then switch
jobs with your partner. The person
that was recording will now be the reader.”
8. I am going to ask for a volunteer to come in front of the class, and we will
model the steps quickly.
9. The teacher should float around the room to make sure that students are
writing on their Time Record Sheet and Fluency Checklist.
10. The students will assess each other by looking over the Fluency Checklist
and the Time Record Sheet. The
teacher should use the formula: words x 60/seconds.
The teacher should receive this information from the Time Record Sheet
that is completed by each student’s partner.
The teacher will also have each student write a small paragraph summary
of the text after they are done working with his or her partner.
This writing activity will help the teacher to understand which students
need more help with fluency, as well as, the students that comprehend the text.
Time Record Sheet:
Name: _______________________________
Date: ________________________________
1st Time: ____________________
2nd Time: ____________________
3rd Time: ____________________
Fluency Literacy Rubric:
Name: ____________________________
Evaluator: _________________________
Date: ____________________________
I noticed that my partner…. Check the space
_____ Remembered more words
_____Read Faster
_____ Read Smoother
_____ Read with expression
Assessments:
1) Time Record Sheet
2) Fluency Checklist
3) Small Paragraph Summary
Resources:
Magen Campbell “Fluent Readers are Fabulous”
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/awakenings/campbellgf.html
The Care Trip.
Matt Sims. High Noon Books 2001