“Fun and Fluent”
Growing Independence and Fluency
Rationale: For students to be fluent readers, they must read quickly,
automatically, and expressively. Not only should fluent 2nd
grade students be able to read with speed, ease, and expression, but they should
also be able to comprehend what they are reading. One way to increase
fluency is through repeated readings. Reading a passage of text several
times allows students to become more fluent by making all words of a text sight
words. In this lesson, students will gain fluency through repeated
readings of their parts of a reader’s theater.
Materials:
Copy of the reader’s theater for the children and teacher
Props for the reader’s theater
Copy of what you will read as the example of the fluent reader
Copy of assessment questions
Procedure:
1. Explain to students what being a fluent reader means. “It
is very important that we all become fluent readers. A fluent reader’s
reading sounds much nicer and smoother. It also allows us to enjoy what we
are reading!”
2. “Also when you are reading and you come to a word you do not know finish
reading the sentence and go back and see if the word makes sense in the
sentence. This is called cross checking. All good readers cross checks while
they read to help correct their reading to sound smoother.”
3. Demonstrate a fluent reader and a non-fluent reader. “To
review what it means to be a fluent reader and non-fluent reader I am going to
read a page from the book Jane and Babe. Bbbbbbaabe s-s-tays iiiin hi-i-s
caaaggge. (Read one sentence from the book) (The first time read the
sentence very slowly, without expression, and choppy.)
That is what a beginning reader sounds
like. They read very slow, choppy, and sound like robots. Now I am
going to read the same page from Jane and Babe. Babe stays in his
cage. 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, which is reading just like you are
talking.”
4. “As a group, we will coral read through the first six lines of the Reader’s
theater together four times. Coral Read with the class. “Notice how our accuracy
and smoothness improves each time.”
5. “To make you a more fluent reader,
we are going to do a readers theater. Everyone is going to have a part, but the
important thing is that you are going work on your part. You will work with a
partner on your parts and become very comfortable with your parts so when we do
our play it will sound great. We are going to be doing the play Where the
Wild Things Are. This play starts off with a boy named Max, who is not being
good for his mother. He gets in trouble and gets sent to his room without
dinner. While he is in his room a lot happens. We will have to read to find out
what happens to Max.
6. What to do with your partner
1st- read your part to yourself silently
2nd- read your part to your partner and then let them read theirs
3rd- read the parts back and forth like it would be done in the play.
7. After everyone has practiced their part come back together and put on the
reader’s theater. Maybe have a few props to make it more fun and interesting.
8. Assessment: Here I will check for comprehension, because comprehension of
what they read is an important part of fluency.
Questions
What did Max’s mother call him the night he wore his wolf suit?
What hung from his bedroom ceiling?
How did Max tame the wild things?
Why did Max give up on being king of where the wild things are?
How would you have felt to be Max?
Would you ever go back and visit the wild things? Why or Why not?
Reference:
The Reading Genie: Developing Reading Fluency
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/fluency.html
Sendak Maurice, Where the Wild Things are
http://web.archive.org/web/20060117005325/http://hometown.aol.com/rcswallow/WhereWildThings.html
Deason, Morgan Grace. Hopping Into Fluency
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/awakenings/deasonmggf.htm
Cushman, Sheila. Jane and Babe.
Educational Insights. 1990.