Flying into Fluency
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Rationale: This lesson will help students practice reading and rereading texts for them to become more fluent readers. It will also go over tasks, so that children learn to enjoy reading. Fluency allows readers to focus on comprehending texts and can be recognized as faster, smoother, and more expressive reading with automatic word recognition. A fluent reader reads a quick pace, automatically, and with expression. This lesson will help students read fluently through silent reading and then rereading the text a long with a partner. Improvements will be measured by the formula: words read x 60/seconds and then tracked a long with a fun fluency chart.
Materials:
-
The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies
-
Stopwatch/timer each group of paired readers
-
Partner Progress sheet and Story Response
-
Copy of book on smart board to model fluent reading
-
Copies of The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies - one for each student to read and another set for each student so the teacher can write and record in it.
-
Fluency checklist to pass out to each student
-
Cover-up critter
-
Reading fluency chart for each student and stickers to mark with
Procedures:
-
Explain the lesson concept to the students. Say: “Today we are going to work on our fluency while reading. Fluency is the ability to read words quickly and automatically with expressions. This means we will be working on reading faster, smoother, and with expression. We will be re-reading the same book, so that we come familiar with it.”
-
Model: “I’m going to read part of a book for you a few different ways and I want you to tell me which reading sounds the best.” (Reading passage once slow and choppy, making sure to include mistakes). “T-a-d- ‘s mom s-e-nt him to W-a-g-o-n Hill. The-r-e, oh! There. There was a well. Tad had to c-r-a-nk, crank a b-u-ck-e-t, b-uck-et, bucket up from the well.” (Read passage again with no errors, but with zero expression). “Tad’s mom sent him to Wagon Hill. There was a well. Tad had to crank a bucket up from the well.” (Read one last time adding smoothness and expression). “Tad’s mom sent him to Wagon Hill! There was a well!! Tad had to crank a bucket up from the well!!” Take a class poll by asking for a show of hands. “Who thought the first reading sounded the best?” (Allow the ones who thought so to raise hand). “What about the second time I read it?” (Allow the ones who thought so to raise hand). “Who thought the third reading was the best?” (Allow the ones who thought so to raise hand). Say: “Right! The third sounded the best because it was smoother, faster, and even included expression. When I read fluently, it was a lot easier to understand what I was reading that way.”
-
Explain: “During the first reading, if I came to a word I didn’t know, I did my best to decode the word and then finished the sentence. After finishing the sentence, I used context clues to help me figure out the word that was difficult to me. This self-help strategy is what we call crosschecking. To crosscheck, it is important that I also go back and look at the word I had trouble with so I can remember any silent letter or pronunciations that are hard to me. That way, I’ll know how to read the word next time I see it! Eventually, this word will become a sight word, that means when I see it, I’ll be able to read it! The more sight words we have stored in our brains, the faster we can read and become fluent readers.”
-
Explain: “Now, we are going to read and then I am going to have you all practice reading fluently! Today we are going to be reading the book, The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies. (Give book talk) Brother and Sister Bear want everything in sight, and they throw fits when they don't get what they want. So, Mama and Papa deal with this by teaching the cubs about the family budget and the importance of appreciating all that they have already. Let’s find all about the lesson Mama and Papa Bear teach the cubs!”
-
Say: (each student will get a copy of The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmie) Say: “Each of you got a copy of The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmie, so I want you to silently read the first story called The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmie. If you finish before we gather back together as a class, you can reread the story to build fluency.”
-
Say: “We will be working in groups for this next part, so you will turn to your right and the person sitting next to you is going to be your partner. Each partner will practice reading the story 3 times, while the other person times them. You will use the peer checklist that I have given you to check how your partner is doing. So, partner one is going to time and complete the checklist first, while partner two reads the passage. After partner two reads the passage, you will switch jobs and partner one will read the passage. Make sure that even when you are not reading aloud you are following along in the passage!” **if students need to see a model, demonstrate with a student.
-
Assessment: Teacher will walk around the room to check on students as they work in pairs together. Once each student has completed reading three times students will return with their partner reading progress checklist. To assess the students, I will call students to my desk one by one to individually read a passage of text to me that they have already been reading with their partner. I will record how long it takes the students to read the 121-word passage provided below. I will record the student's words per minute on a chart (Words x 60 / seconds). When the student receives his or her words per minute, they will then move their marker along their chart according to the students’ WPM and personal set goals. I will review each student's responses to the reading response questions and the Partner Reading Progress Check Sheet to assess each student using a rubric.
Partner Progress Sheet and Story Response:
Reader Name:
Checkers Name:
Words x 60/seconds
Reading #1
WPM:
Miscues:
Did the student read with more expression? Yes or No
Did the student read smoother? Yes or No
Did the student read faster? Yes or No
Reading #2
WPM:
Miscues:
Did the student read with more expression? Yes or No
Did the student read smoother? Yes or No
Did the student read faster? Yes or No
Reading #3
WPM:
Miscues:
Did the student read with more expression? Yes or No
Did the student read smoother? Yes or No
Did the student read faster? Yes or No
Comprehension Questions:
1. What were Brother and Sister bear doing that made Mama and Papa bear so upset?
2. What did Mama and Papa bear do to teach Brother and Sister bear to be happy with what they have?
3. What do you think will happen next time the Berenstain Bear family goes to the store?
References:
Up, Up, and Away with Fluency by: Caroline Colley https://mcc0052.wixsite.com/mysite/growing-independence-and-fluency
Flying into Fluency by: Savannah Adcock https://savannahadcock.wixsite.com/wildaboutreading/growing-fluency
Developing Reading Fluency by: Bruce Murray http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/
Berenstain, Stan and Jan. Random House Publisher. Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies. 1988.
