Moving Into Fluency 

Growing Independence and Fluency

By: Alexandria Miller

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Rationale:

A reader is fluent when most or all words are in the reader’s sight vocabulary allowing for automatic word recognition. Automatic word recognition allows readers to read quickly and smoothly, to read with expression when reading aloud, and to read twice as quickly when reading silently. It also allows the reader’s mind to focus on the message of the text increasing comprehension. In order to build fluency, this lesson will focus on the evidence-based method of repeated reading. It will use the fluency formula: students will read a connected text at their instructional level using the strategies of decoding, cross checking, and mental marking. They will then reread the text until it can be read fluently.  

 

Materials:

1. Cover up critter for each student

2. Class set of Amelia Bedelia On the Move

3. Fluency graph and pictures (if you could make it personalized for each student for added motivation)

4. Whiteboard/ poster with the sentence on it

5. Stopwatch/timer

6. Calculator

7. Pencil and paper

 

Procedures:

1. Teacher: “Hello class! Who can tell me what it takes to read a sentence?” [Allow students to answer] “Do you need to recognize the letters?” [Yes] “Do you need to know what the letters sound like?” [Yes] What about putting sounds together to sound out a word?” [Yes] “You need all of these things to understand the foundation of reading. Today, we are going to learn how to become smooth, but fast readers! In order to do this, you will read a story and then reread it to get it down pat! Each opportunity you get to read the story, the better you will be able to read the words and the better you will be able to understand the story. Once you are able to read the story correctly and in good time and understand the story, you will be a fluent reader! When you hear someone read a story, do they read it in the same volume or do they change up their voice?” [Allow students to answer] “That’s right! The reader changes her voice to make you want to listen and make the story exciting! Once you become a fluent reader, you can be a great storyteller too and read books to your siblings!”

 

1. Teacher: “The first time I read a sentence, I always have to focus on the words so that I can read them accurately. If I am not sure about a word, I can use the spelling to get me close to what the word is and then finish the sentence to see if I can figure out the exact word by crosschecking. If I still cannot figure out the word, I can use my cover up critter to break the word down. Let me show you how I would handle a word I did not know. If I write the sentence, ‘I have stripes on my shirt.” [Read all words correctly except stripes]. “There are ssssttttrrrriiiippppsss, hmm, I don’t know that word, let me finish the sentence, on my shirt. There are strips on my shirt. That does not sound right, let me try again by breaking up the word. Remember, when you have i_e, the ‘e’ signals the I to say its name. /s/ /t/ /r/ /I/ /p/ /s/. Oh, that makes sense, I have stripes on my shirt!”

 

1. Teacher: “Today we will be reading an Amelia Bedelia book called On the Move.  Once I read the book and decode all the words I do not know, I can reread the story and be able to read it much faster, and then I can read it again with more emotion. Practice makes perfect!” [Put sentence on the board: “Let’s look for a colonial house.”] “Let me try to read this sentence from the story you all will read later.” [Read the sentence slowly and broken up] “Let’s l-oo-k for a co-l-on-i-a-l house.” [Read again by using a cover up critter to decode the unknown words] “Let’s look for a col-on-ial house. I bet this time I can read it faster! Let’s look for a colonial house. Maybe this time I can read it faster and with more excitement. Let’s look for a colonial house! With more practice the sentence became easier, I could read it faster, and I could add more excitement. I bet you all can do the same thing! Now, it is your turn.”

 

1. Teacher: “Amelia Bedelia On the Move is about a young girl whose family is looking at moving. The family goes to look at different houses in neighborhoods and different style houses. Does the family ever find their dream house? Or do they quit and go to get lunch? Read the story to find out what Amelia Bedelia’s family does in On the Move.

 

1. Teacher: [Break the students up into pairs for repeated reading] “Now, I want you to get into your pairs with the book we are reading today. Everyone should read the book silently, and then when the pair is done, I want you to discuss what happens in the book. When you are both done, I would like for you to go back to your seat and read the story again on your own.

 

1. Teacher: “When you hear your name called, I would like for you to bring the book to my desk and read to me.” [As the student reads, use a stopwatch to record how long it takes for the student to finish. Then use the formula: words x 60 divided by seconds it took to finish to get the reader’s words per minute. Use the fluency graph to mark where the student starts. Take miscue notes as the student reads, and when the student is finished go back to help the student reread the words. End by asking the student the questions from step 4. Send the student back to his/her desk to practice until it is his/her turn again. You will repeat this process until each student has reached his/her fluency goal.]

 

Example graph for repeated reading words per minute (Words x 60 / seconds = WPM) [Personalized for a student who loves to dance]

We want to get the dancer to the stage before her performance!

 

 

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

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References:

Parish, Herman. Amelia Bedelia On the Move. 2017. Print.

Murray, Bruce. Making Sight Words. Linus Publications, Inc., 2012. Print.

Sistrunk, Lauren. Cheering for Fluency. https://sistrunklauren.wixsite.com/mysite/growing-fluency

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