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Image by Robert Anasch

Fluency is Fun!

Lesson design project for the reading stage of growing independence and fluency (GF): ideas for teaching students to read with automatic word recognition, which allows faster, smoother, more expressive, and silent reading, and which encourages voluntary, avid reading.

Growing Independence and Fluency

Rationale: A student must be able to read fluently in order to become a skilled reader. Becoming a fluent reader is not an easy task but is a huge accomplishment. Once a student is a fluent reader, they can focus on reading comprehension and enjoy reading. Fluency also indicates that nearly all of the read words are in the reader’s sight vocabulary. As a fluent reader, students can read more quickly, with expression, and with ease. When students become fluent readers, books become much more interesting, and they can read a wide variety of texts. In this lesson, students will learn strategies and skills through modeling and practice to help them become fluent readers.


Materials:

  • Jerry’s Important Things  by Ann Hellie

  • Stopwatch for each student pair

  • Fluency graph paper

  • Partner reading progress checklist

  • Comprehension worksheet

  • Pencils

  • Whiteboard

  • Dry-erase marker


Procedures:

  1. Say: Today we will work on reading with fluency! Fluency means to read words quickly, automatically, and with expression. When we are fluent readers, we read at a quicker pace and understand what we’ve read. To become more fluent, we can read the same thing over and over to become familiar with the words. Today, we are going to flip into fluency by practicing with repeated readings.

  2.  Say: When you are working to become a fluent reader, you might come across a word that you don’t know. The first thing you can try is decoding with a coverup critter. Let me model how to decode an unfamiliar word: clock. {Cover up and say each phoneme individually with a coverup critter} Let’s start with o=/o/, I know c=/c/ and l=/l/ making the first half of the word /clo/. I know ck together make /ck/. Let's say it aloud together. Great! /c//l//o//ck/. Sometimes, decoding does not always work, so we have to remember to finish reading the sentence to see if it can help us understand the unfamiliar word. This is a strategy called crosschecking. {Write sentence on board: I like syrup on my waffles}. Let's read it together, “I like sssyyyrrr-u-p? on my waffles”. You can read the rest of the sentence to figure out that the unfamiliar word is syrup! After crosschecking, you will want to make a mental mark of the word in your head. Always remember to go back and reread the sentence from the beginning. Now that you know this unfamiliar word, your rereading of the sentence should become more fluent and smooth!

  3. Say: We now know what to do when there is a word that we do not know which will help us become fluent readers. Now, I am going to model how to read fluently. {Put sentence on board: “She’ll bake a cake for her mother”.} Slowly read: She’ll ask you for some /m//o//t//h//e//r/? Is that word mot-h/e/r? That does not sound right...mo-th/e/r? Oh! Its mother! Now listen as I reread: She’ll bake a cake for her mother. That sounded better. {Now read quicker and with expression} Listen again: She’ll bake a cake for her mother. Did you hear how I read more quickly and with more expression? I sounded like an expert reader that time. We decoded the word, crosschecked, and then reread the sentence to make sense of the word. Remember, when we read the same thing over and over, the words start to store into our sight vocabulary and we start to automatically recognize them. This is how we become fluent readers! You will get better each time.

  4. Say: We are going to use the book Jerry’s Important Things to practice improving our fluency.” Remind students to cross check if they do not automatically recognize a word during their reading.  "Do not forget that cross checking is a tool that fluent readers use to make sense of the sentences that they read and to read more successfully.  If you do not automatically recognize a word cover-up part of the word to make it easier to sound out.  Once you have determined the pronunciation of the word, go back and reread the sentence to see if the word makes sense in the sentence.  If the word does not make sense in the sentence, you can change your guess to a word that fits the sentence.  If you and your partner cannot figure out how to pronounce a word correctly, come ask me and I will help you figure it out."  

    1. Provide a booktalk for Jerry's Important Things. Say: Jerry has a box with something very important in it! Jerry is on his way to his grandmother's house to show her his box. On his way, he shows some of his friends, but loses his box! Will Jerry be able to find his box and show his grandmother? You'll have to read to find out!

  5. Say: Everyone pair up with a partner and prepare to take turns reading. {Pass out books, reading progress charts, cover up critters, stopwatches, and fluency graphs} You will each read the story three times alternating turns. When you read, your partner will time you and record your time. Your partner will also record how smooth and expressive you are reading by filling out the reading progress checklist. In between turns, you should give your partner friendly tips on how to improve. If you get stuck on a word, try using the coverup critter to decode the word. If you still do not know the word, crosscheck by finishing the sentence. Each time you read, you will become more fluent! When you are both finished reading three times each, go back to your desk and individually complete the questions on the comprehension sheet.

  6. (Collect partner reading checklists and calculate the progress of each student) Say: I will call you up individually to discuss your progress from the fluency graph after reading Jerry’s Important Things and you will read a few passages to me. (Use formula “words X 60 / seconds” and the checklist to determine each students placement on the graph). After everyone is finished, we will go over the comprehension questions as a class.


  1. Partner Reading Progress Checklist:

Book Title: _____________      Total # of words in book: ___

Readers Name: _________             Recorders Name: _____________

1st Read Time # of words: ___             1st Read Time Seconds: ___

2nd Read Time # of words: ___          2nd Read Time Seconds: ___

3rd Read Time # of words: ___           3rd Read Time Seconds: ___



Which Turn Did My Partner:

Read Fastest: _____

Read Smoothly: _____

Read With Expression: _____



Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Jerry carry around all day?

2. Who did Jerry want to show the important box to?

3. What was in the box?



References:

Growing Independence & Fluency: Intro
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