Fantastic and Fluent
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 to gain fluency. The goal of this lesson is to improve student's
fluency through repeated readings and timed readings, also to teach them
different strategies to help them to become fluent readers.
Materials:
Teacher
·
Timer
·
Expo marker
·
White Board
·
Large cover-up critter
·
Pen
·
A Day at the Lake book
Student: (per student)
·
Pencil
·
Check Sheet for partner
reading
·
Cover-up Critter
·
Copy of A Day at the Lake
·
Timer
·
Reading Record Time Sheet
·
Fluency Graph (these should
have been made prior to the lesson so each student can have on to graph their
progress)
Procedures:
1. The
teacher should introduce the lesson by saying “We are going to be learning how
to become more fluent readers today”.
Teachers should explain to student what fluent reading means by saying
“Fluent reading is when students can read without pausing for with expression to
make the story more interesting. “Fluent reading is the ability to read smoothly
and quickly and they understand what they are reading!”
2. Write
a sentence on the whiteboard, “Lots of kids were at the lake.” Read the sentence
fluently. Now read it without fluency, drag it out. Then read smoothly with
expression. Ask the class which
sounded the best to them. More than likely they will all choose the third option
which is read with complete fluency, expression and read smoothly. You will want
to tell them that that is what fluent reading sounds like.
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” Show the students an example, write the
word band on the board. “ I am going to pretend that I do not know this word.
The first thing I am going to do is find the vowel and cover up all the other
letters. The vowel is a, I know that short a makes the /a/ sound. Then I will
uncover the letter before the vowel, which in this case is b and I will
pronounce that /b/a/ then I will uncover the rest of the word and sound it out.
/n/d/. If the cover up critter does not work you may try asking your reading
partner for help.
4.
Engage Students in a book talk about the story
A Day at the Lake. “This book is
about three best friends, Pat, Jim and Jean, who packed their lunches and went
to the lake for the day. They set their lunch sacks under the oak tree and went
swimming. When it was time to eat their sacks were gone! Who took them? Will
they catch the thief and get their lunch back all in one piece? We will have to
read the story to find out.”
5. The
teacher should now pass out a copy of the book to each student. say: “ I am
going to read the first two chapters to you and I want you to pay attention to
how fluently I read the story.”
6. The
teacher should now tell the student about their re-reading activity. The teacher
should explain to students that “because of repeated readings reading gets
easier and the words start jumping out at you, it is easier for you to
understand the story, and when you read focus on the words of the story because
you are reading with a lot of expression.”
7. 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 copy
of A Day at the Lake, a timer and a reading time sheet.
8. The
teacher should explain the jobs of the partners. The teacher needs to take time
to explain that one student will be the reader and the other student will be the
recorder then you switch jobs. Call up a volunteer to model these jobs quickly.
Also write important points on the board such as; only stop the timer after your
partner has read the whole book, fill out the fluency checklist and record time
each time after your partner reads, and switch jobs. Students will do this three
times. For the early finishers they can do it a fourth time if they would like
to and try to get a better time.
9. The
teacher should be walking throughout the room monitoring students to make sure
they are filling out their required sheets and performing their jobs properly.
10. The
student will assess each student by looking over both the fluency checklist and
time sheet. The teacher should use the formula: Words X 60 divided by amount of
time-spent reading to determine fluency. The teacher will get this information
from the time record sheet complete 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 their partner. This will allow the teacher to understand
if the student is reading fluently as well as comprehending the text.
References:
A Day at the Lake,
Matt Sims, High Noon
Books
Hausfeld, Alle Let's Go Fly a
Kite for Fluency
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/doorways/hausfeldagf.htm
Ana Eagerton, Cloudy With a
Chance of Fluency!
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/awakenings/eagertongf.htm
Catherine Bonner, Ready, Set,
Read!
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/awakenings/BonnerCGF.htm
Reading Record Time Sheet
Name:______________________
Date:_______________________
1st
Time:______________________
2nd
Time:_____________________
3rd
Time:______________________
Check Sheet for Partner
Reading