GROWING FLUENCY

Rationale:  In order for students to understand and master fluent reading, they must practice expression, pace, and comprehension. Fluency is an important step in a reader's transition from decoding to gaining automatic word recognition. Repeated reading is an efficient way for students to move from slow/frustrating decoding, into faster and effective reading. Students will use the strategy of crosschecking after reading a decodable text and repeated reading to gain fluency and independence.

Materials: Pencils, Paper, Class set of There’s No Place like Space book, Sample sentences on white board for teacher to model, Comprehension questions, Fluency checklists, Reading Rate forms for teacher, Progress tracker for teacher, Stopwatch

Procedures:

1.Say: In order to be the very best readers we can be, we must be able to read fluently. Reading fluently means reading easily and smoothly, without having to sound out each and every part of one single word. A fluent reader is able to enjoy a book much more because we don’t have to focus on how to read and sound out words!

2. Say: Now let's look at a sentence written on the board: Jay sat sadly on a rock.  Everyone turn your ears on to listen as I read this sentence aloud. Let me know if it sounds like I am reading fluently or not. J-j-j, /a/-/a/-/a/, y-y-y, jay, sat s-s-s-a-a-d-d-l-y-, s-ad-ly, oh sadly. Jay sat sadly on a  r-/O/-k-e, Jay sat sadly on a roke. Oh, that doesn't make sense. It must be rock. Jay sat sadly on a rock. Did you notice that when I read the sentence I got stuck on words. To figure out what the word was, I reread the sentence from the beginning and tried to make sense of the word rock. First it didn’t make sense so when I read the rest of the sentence I realized that it was not roke, it was rock. This strategy is called crosschecking, and it is super important to use when we are learning to become fluent readers!

3. Say: Now, as I was reading that sentence, did I read like a fluent reader? No, I didn't because I had to decode the words in the sentence. Here's how to read that sentence fluently: Jay sat sadly on a rock. See how I did not have to sound out any of the words this time? I spoke smoothly without interruption. It was easier to understand. Now turn to a partner and practice reading the second sentence on the board. Jake plays in the grass. Read it aloud to your partner repeatedly until you can read it fluently.

4. Say: Now we are going to practice fluent reading by reading There’s No Place like Space. The Cat and the Hat wants YOU to join him on his journey to space. What will the weather be like? What will we find there? Let's read to find out. I want everyone to read this book silently.

5. Pair students up to practice fluency. Explain that while they are working together they can’t help each other and must try on their own. Give each group four check sheets and There’s No Place Like Space. Each partner will read the book three times. After the second and third reading, the other partner will mark off the reader's progress on the check sheet. After that, they will trade roles and repeat the process. Between readings I will help with words that were misread and ask questions. 

 

References:

https://sites.google.com/site/misswoods14/flying-fluently-into-space: Growing Independence and Fluency 

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Reading Rate_________

 

 

 

 

 

Less than 50    51-56    57-62    63-68    69-74    75-80    81+                               

Wpm              1     2    3

 Reading Progress (For Teacher records)

Reader's Name: _________________

Total words in 4 pages______

 1st Reading    Tally Marks:

#  ____total words- ____ tally marks= ____ words

#  _____ words in ____seconds.

 2nd Reading       Tally Marks:

#  ____total words- ____ tally marks= ____ words

#  _____ words in  ____seconds

3rd Reading      Tally Marks:

#  ____total words- ____ tally marks= ____ words

# _____ words in  ____seconds

Which reading turn had the fewest tally marks (errors)? ________

Which reading turn was read the fastest? _______

 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the weather like on Venus?

2. When does Earth stop turning?

3. Where will you visit if you travel to space with the Cat in the Hat?

Assessment Rubric

 Student Name:

Date:

Evidence shown for reading three times  ___/3

Responded to comprehension questions  ___/3

Improved fluency  ___/1

Improved accuracy  ___/1

Completed Partner Progress form  ___/2

Total  ___/10