Getting Froggy with Fluency
RATIONALE: Fluent reading is essential for reading comprehension! Fluency in reading also allows and encourages the reader to read more interesting books. When a child is able to read fluently, this means they can read words automatically and accurately. However, for a child to become a fluent reader it is imperative that they practice their expression, pace, and comprehension. Reading, decoding, crosschecking, mental marking, and rereading, helps the child become a faster and smoother reader which all leads to the goal of becoming a fluent reader. In this lesson, students will practice crosschecking and rereading with their peers as well with the teacher to gain independence and fluency in reading.
Materials:
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Pencils
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Stopwatch/timer (one for each pair of students)
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Fluency Chart: records student’s words per minute (one for each child)
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Fluency Checklist
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Sample sentences for the class
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Dry Erase Markers
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Reading tracker
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Class set of The Hungry Toad by: Janelle Cherrington
Procedures:
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Say: Okay class, today we are going to learn how to improve fluency when reading. Who knows what fluent means? (wait a few seconds for students to respond) Right! When someone says they are fluent in something it means they do it effortlessly and with expression. After we become fluent readers, we are able to recognize words and comprehend more of the story, which makes the story more exciting.
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Say: Now we are going to practice our fluency by reading this sentence on the board. *The sentence reads: “Are you hungry?” Say: I am going to read the sentence out loud and I would like for you to tell me if I sound like a fluent reader. Are, you, hhh- uun-ggg- rrrrr- eeee, all, th-the, tttt- iiii- mmmm? Are you hungry all the tim? Wait, that doesn’t seem to make sense, does it? Are, you, hhh- uun-ggg- rrrrr- eeee, all, th-the, tttt- iiii- mmmm? It must be time. Are you hungry all the time? Did you notice that when I was stuck on a word that didn’t make sense, I reread the sentence from the beginning to figure out what the word is? When I reread the sentence, it made more sense that, ‘Are you hungry all the time?’ Not ‘Are you hungry all the tim?’. This strategy is called crosschecking and it will be very helpful as we continue to become fluent readers.
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Say: “Okay class, raise your hand if you thought I sounded like a fluent time the first time I read it? (wait a few seconds) Exactly right, I do not think I sounded like a fluent reader either! I was reading very slow and had trouble decoding some of the words. However, the second time I read it effortlessly!
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Say: Now that we know the difference between a non-fluent reader and a fluent reader, we are going to practice fluency ourselves. We are going to practice by reading The Hungry Toad by: Janelle Cherrington. This is a story about a toad whose name is Toad. Toad loves to eat. He eats all day, but he never gets full. Toad can make his throat very big, so he can fit anything in there. Let us read to see what all Toad eats and if ever gets full!
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Say: “Now we are going to pick a partner to begin working on your fluency skills. (give each student a peer fluency sheet and give each pair of students a stopwatch/timer) What you are going to do is decide which student is going to read first and who is going to keep track of time with the timer. The child reading will read the book 3 time and then you switch! The first time you read I would the student reading to read the whole story without being timed. The second and third time you read your partner should time you. I would like the student timing to write down how long it takes your partner to read the book and if they are reading with expression and fluency. The student who is timing should write down if they notice any changes in how their partner reads the second and third time through. After each of you has been the person reading and the person timing, you should talk about the changes you both saw in each other’s fluency and expression. I want both of you to be good listeners and great reading partners. Now let’s have some fun reading!”
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Say: “Remember, if you have any questions or need any help, don’t be afraid to ask. I want this to be fun, but it is also very important that you follow directions. I am going to repeat the instructions one more time: be encouraging to your partner, make sure you are keeping track of the time it takes your partner to read, and make notes of any changes your partner makes while they read. I will collect your sheets at the end. You may go ahead and begin working!”
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Teacher collects the peer fluency sheets after the repeated readings are completed and assess each student’s fluency by using the flowing formula: words x 60 / seconds
After using the formula to assess each students’ fluency, call each student up to your desk individually to read several pages. Then take note of words per minute (WPM) and how the students’ fluency has improved. While doing this, the rest of the class should be working on their writing assignment, answering reading comprehension and/or reading reflection questions:
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What all did Toad eat?
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What happened when Toad kept eating and eating?
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What did the doctor tell toad?
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Why do you think Toad could never get full?
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What would you do if you could expand your throat and eat whatever you wanted?
Fluency Chart & Checklist:
Reading Tracker:
0 - - - - 10 - - - - 20 - - - - 30 - - - - 40 - - - - 50 - - - - 60 - - - - 70 - - - - 80 - - - - 90 - - - - 100
Correct Words Per Minute
References:
Book: Cherrington, J. The Hungry Toad.
https://www.librarything.com/work/5563797
Bailey Black. Reading Genie Website. “If You Teach a Mouse to be a Fluent Reader”
https://beb0036.wixsite.com/mysite/growing-independence-and-fluency-de
Andrea Owens. Reading Genie Website. “Sailing into fluency with the Sailor Dog”
https://andreaowens.wixsite.com/readinglessons/growing-independence-fluency
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Email me questions at jls0114@auburn.edu
