Dribbling into Fluency

​

​

 

Growing Fluency Lesson

 by: Kristen Watkins

​

Rationale:

In order for students to become fluent readers, they must read and re-read decodable books, practice decoding at a quick speed since they are no longer relying on decoding, but are now using sight words to read. The goal of this lesson is to improve the student’s fluency and independence through repeated and timed reading. In this lesson students will practice their fluency and gain experience with reading text silently as well as reading to a partner and the teacher. At the end of the lesson, the teacher will evaluate the progress of the student’s ability to fluently & independently read texts, using reading and assessment worksheets.

Materials:

• Stopwatch

• Basketball player that moves along the chart to show words per minute

• Paper to record student’s words per minute

• Fluency checklist

• Reading comprehension worksheets

• Dry erase markers/whiteboard

• Sample sentences

• Cover-up critters

• Class set of the book “The Deep Sea” by Matt Sims

Procedure:

1. Say: Today we are going to read to work on our fluency! This means that you are going to become professionals at reading words quickly and correctly. When we are fluent readers, we can better understand the text and it gives us a chance to read the story with expression and make it more interesting. We will practice this today by reading the same book more than once. The more we read the book, the more familiar we will become with the words. This is called repeated reading! If you are ready to give it a try say, “Let’s begin!”

2.     (Teacher will model how to crosscheck and decode by using a sentence written on the board.) Say: I want everyone to look at this sentence.” (sample sentence: Frogs jump quickly into ponds.) “Now let’s read it together. ‘Frogs juump from quickkkklyy into ponds….” See how when I get stuck on a word I go on to finish the rest of the sentence. If I still can’t figure out the word, then I can use my cover-up critter. First, I uncover the first letter of the word. I continue this with each letter in the word. I used crosschecking to reread the sentence to try to figure the word out. Now that I know the correct word, I can mentally mark the spelling to help me remember it in the future!

1. Say: Let’s see if we can tell the difference between a fluent reader and a non-fluent reader. I am going to read a sentence on the board: “Splashing in the pond is a lot of fun.” This is how I may read the sentence the first time I see it: “Sssplaashhhinng in the ponndd is a lot of fun.” When I read it slow and stretched out, it is hard to understand what I am saying. But if I read it again, I can try to read it faster and smoother: “S-p-l-a-s-h-i-n-g in the p-o-n-d is a lot of fun.” That was a little more fluent, but I think I can read it even better. (teacher reads it faster, smoother, and with more expression.) That time, the words flowed smoothly and it is easy to understand what I said. This is how a fluent reader should read the sentence. Now you try reading the sentence fluently. (Have students read the sentence aloud and practice adding expression.)

4.     Say: Practice makes perfect and all good readers got better with practice. When I first read the sentence, it was difficult because I had never read it before. The second time I read the sentence, it was easier because I knew the words. By the third time I read the sentence, I was able to say it smoothly and add expression! I became fluent in reading by rereading the sentence until I understood it. That is how you will become fluent readers!

1. Say: To practice reading fluently, we are going to read the book “The Deep Sea.” Has anyone ever read a book about the sea? *wait for student’s response* In this story Dave and Bill go out on the sea. They aren’t very prepared for what’s to come! They encounter many different creatures and come across a little dilemma. Let’s read the story to see if they can overcome their obstacles at sea!

6.     (Children will be given a copy of the book, their own cover-up critters, fluency chart and checklists, reading comprehension worksheets, and a stopwatch.)

Say: Now we are going to practice reading fluently by working with a partner. I want you to pair up with the person beside you. Each of you will take turns reading the story. Before we end you will each read it three times. Remember to crosscheck and use your cover-up critters to help you figure out the words if you get stuck. While you’re reading, your partner will time you using a stopwatch. You will record the time on the worksheet. Your partner will listen closely the second and third time to see if you are reading smoothly and with expression. Remember to be nice when discussing with your partner. After you finish reading and filling out the fluency chart, discuss the book with your partner. After you have finished, work independently at your desk to complete the reading comprehension worksheet and then turn it in to me.

(The fluency checklists and charts that I pass around to the students will have a spot for their name and for their partner to record their speed the first, second, and third time they read the story. It will also have a spot that say’s "My partner..." "remembered words, read faster, read smoother, and read with expression" and there will be a spot for them to fill this in the second and third time of reading the passage.)

Assessment:

Walk around the room to observe the student’s progress as they read. Have the students turn in their worksheets when they are finished. Then call each student individually to your desk to read the passage to you. Time the student while he or she reads. The goal is to get the student reading 85 words per minute. At the end of the lesson, review the answers to the reading comprehension worksheet.

Reading Comprehension Worksheet:

1. Why do Dave and Bill assume they will be safe on their boat in the beginning of the story?

2. What is the first creature the two boys come across in the sea?

3. When do they realize they need to abandon the boat?

4. What lesson did they learn from this?

Resources:

·       Murray, Bruce. The Reading Genie. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/

·       Book: Sims, Matt. “The Deep Sea.”

Meredith Worley, "Finish Line Race to Fluency." https://mdw0036.wixsite.com/mysite/growing-independence-fluency

Click here to return to the Applications page:

http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/applications/