Rationale: In order to comprehend reading, you have to be a fluent reader. It is crucial students learn to read fluently because fluent reading is the ability to automatically recognize sight words and to read quickly with understanding and expression.  Students must practice expression, pace, and comprehension if they want to read effortlessly and automatically. Effortless word recognition allows students to reflect on what they are reading. Through reading, decoding, crosschecking, mental marking, and rereading, students will be able to confidently improve their reading rate and grow into fluent readers. Students will gain fluency and independence in reading by crosschecking after reading decodable texts and repeat readings.

 

Materials:

1. Timer for each pair

2. Sample sentences on white board for teacher to model

3. Peer fluency sheet (one for each student)

4. Reading rate forms for teacher

5. Teacher Fluency Checklist (one for each student) with attached comprehension questions

6. Pencils

7. Set of Dancing Dinos Go to School by Sally Lucas and Margeaux Lucas

 

Procedures:

1. Say: “We are going to achieve one of our goals in becoming a fluent reader in class today. Does anyone know what a fluent reader is? (Calls on student to answer.) A fluent reader is someone who is able to read very quickly and smoothly because they are able to recognize words. If we can recognize the word, then we can better understand what we are reading because we instantly know each word’s meaning. It makes reading so much more fun and exciting!”

2. Say: “Now let’s look at a sentence written on the board: James had a rough day at school. Let’s all putting our listening ears on. I want you to tell me if I could like a fluent reader when I read this sentence aloud to you. J-a-m-m-eee-sss had a rrr-/u/-/u/-/u/-gg (rough) dd-ay at ssssk-ool, oh school. James had a rug day, it must be rough. James had a rough day at school. Did you notice how I got stuck on a word when I read the sentence? To figure out what that word was, I reread the sentence from the beginning to figure out which word made the most sense. This strategy of rereading is called crosschecking, and it is super important to use when we are learning to become fluent readers!

3. Say: “Now we are going to read a book called Set of Dancing Dinos. First, I want you to read the book silently to yourselves. The Dinos start off dancing on the pages of the book. The book is in the school library and somehow the dinos dance off the pages of the book and sneak off somewhere. Where do you think they will sneak off to? Do you think they are going to cause a distraction in the library? How many are there?” Pass out the book to each child.

4. Students will read the whole book silently to themselves. Then they will read the book to their partner without helping them or getting frustrated.

5. After the students read to themselves, I will partner them up to read together. Say: “You and your partner will now get a stop watch and a copy of the Dino book, a reading rate chart, and a fluency checklist. You and your partner are going to read (3 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 then record their time on the reading rate chart. When you are the one timing your partner, be sure that you hit start as soon as they start reading and hit stop right when they are done. As you listen to your partner read aloud, I want you to listen for how their reading changes each time. Do they remember more words, do they read with more expression, meaning more facial movement and change in their voice? I want you to mark the changes that you notice on your paper.”

6. When they are finished with their partner work, have one student at a time come to your desk to reread the first two passages to you. They will bring their record sheet, so you can attach it to the back of their assessment sheet. As they read, you will time them on the paragraph read aloud and use the formula given to record how many words per minute they read.

 

Reading Comprehension Worksheet:

1. What did the dinos do in the library?

2. Where did the dinos sneak off to?

3. Who noticed the dinos when they snuck off?

 

Fluency Checklist:

Title of Book: _______________

Name: _____________________

Partner’s Name: ______________

 

After 2nd reading                     After 3rd reading

_____________                      _____________          Remembered more words

_____________                      _____________          Read faster

_____________                      _____________          Read smoother

_____________                      _____________          Read with expression

 

(Words x 60) / seconds = WPM

 

0 - - -  10 - - -  20 - - - 30 - - - 40 - - - 50 - - - 60 - - - 70 - - - 80 - - - 90 - - - 100

Correct Words Per Minute

 

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References:

Lucas, Margeaux and Sally. Dancing Dinos Go To School. Random House Children’s Books, 2006.

 

DeAngelo Johnson, Dancing for Fluency

https://dtj0015.wixsite.com/mysite/growing-independent-fluency

 

Grace Loggins, Swimming for Fluency

https://sgloggins17.wixsite.com/mysite-1/growing-independence-fluency

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Contact me: Jackie Zencuch

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