FANTASTIC FLUENCY
Growing Independence and Fluency
Chelsea Hall
Rationale: Fluency is reading with automatic word recognition. When readers are fluent they are able to comprehend faster since they don’t have to decode each individual word when reading an unfamiliar text. This lesson is designed to help students become fluent readers through repeated readings of a text and timed readings
Materials:
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Cover-up critters (one for each students)
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Poster with the sentence, “Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”
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Stopwatches
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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by: Judith Viorst
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Peer Fluency Sheets for teacher
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Peer Fluency Sheets for students
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Reading rate chart
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Dry-erase board and marker
Procedures:
1. Today we are going to learn how to improve our fluency when reading. Can anyone tell me what fluency might mean? Fluency is when you read words quickly and automatically with expression. When we read with fluency, we comprehend more of the story and the story becomes more exciting as well. With a partner, we are going to read the same book three times. While your partner is reading, you will time them. Each time, you can get better by setting a goal for yourself that was higher than the last.
2. We have cover-up critters to help is decode, or read, an unfamiliar word. For example, let’s look at the word bunch. (Write the word bunch on the board). I am going to use my cover-up to decode this word. I will cover up all the letters except for b. /b/…/b/…/b/. Then I will uncover u. /u/…/b/u/…/b/u/. Next I uncover the letter n. /n/…/b/u/n/…/b/u/n. Finally I will uncover the ch and blend all the phonemes together. /b/u/n/ch/…/b/u/n/ch… bunch. This word is bunch.
3. Now let’s look at the sentence I have on the poster. I need everyone to listen carefully and tell me if they think I am reading the sentence like a fluent reader. Al-ex-an-der and the ter-ri-ble, hor-ri-ble, no g-oo-d, ve-ry bad d-ay. No, that wasn’t fluent. I bet if I read it a second time, it will be easier. Let’s try it. Alex-ander and the ter-rible, hor-rible, no good, very bad day. That was better, but it still took too long and I didn’t read with any expression. Let me read it again (with expression this time). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. The third time was much better. I read with fluency and expression. Now I would like for you to turn to a partner and read the sentence I have on the board. Alexander and the wonderful, spectacular day. Read this aloud to your partner until you are able to read it fluently.
4. I want you to read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day silently at your desk. In this book Alexander wakes up one morning and his day goes completely wrong. He has the worst day ever. Alexander learns a valuable lesson through his terrible day. Let’s read and find out what it is. Silently is without whispering or moving your lips. I want you to read it silently in your head.
5. After the students read silently I will then put them in partner groups. Say: “You and your partner will now get a stopwatch and a copy of the text , by Judith Viorst, a reading rate chart, and a fluency checklist. You and your partner are going to read, three times each to build on your fluency. You will take turns being the reader and one will be the timer. The timer will time your partner reading the book and will record their time on the reading rate chart. When you’re the one timing your partner, be sure that you hit start as soon as your partner starts to read and hit stop as soon as they are done reading. Record all three of the times on your chart. After your partner has read the book once, make sure you fill out the fluency checklist along with the reading rate chart. This will help your partner and see if you’re improving. If you give them a higher score than what they deserve because you want to be is nice, is not going to help them. In fact it will hurt them. So please help them by giving them the real scores and give helpful feedback.” Before the students start reading I will model how to fill in the chart and use a stopwatch. I will then observe the students reading the book. I will walk around the room and ask any questions the students may have and make sure that they are writing the correct time.
6. After the students are done reading, I will collect the data and analyze how the students did. Each student will then read to me and I will mark miscues. After the student finishes reading I will ask comprehension questions.
The following fluency checklist filled out for each reading partner will also be used as an assessment:
· Title of Book:
· Student’s Name:
· Partner's Name:
· After 2nd reading:
· After 3rd reading:
· Remembered more words:
· Read faster:
· Read smoother:
· Read with expressions:
Comprehension Assessment Questions:
· What did Alexander find in his lunch box?
· Where does Alexander say he is moving?
· In the end what did Alexander learn?
· What did Alexander have to eat for dinner?
SOURCES:
Wilcox, Emily: Fishing for Fluency
Moore, Katy: Fluency is Fantastic
Viorst, J., & Cruz, R. (1972). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. New York: Atheneum.
