A Fluency Lesson From Dinosaurs
Ashton Wells
Rationale:
In order for students to better comprehend text it is essential for them to be fluent readers. To gain effortless, automatic readings students must practice expression, pace, and comprehension through repeated readings. Students can better reflect and comprehend what they are reading about when they can automatically read words. Through reading, decoding, crosschecking, mental marking, and then rereading students will improve their reading rate and become fluent readers. Students will use the crosschecking and mental marking strategy with decodable texts and repeated readings to gain fluency and independence.
Materials:
Abagail Rickerson, Something Smells like Fluency!
https://acr0040.wixsite.com/abbyrickerson/growing-independence-and-literacy
Osborne, Mary P. Dinosaurs Before Dark.
http://magictreehouse.wikia.com/wiki/Dinosaurs_Before_Dark
Comprehension Questions:
http://www.risetoreading.com/2012/11/13/comprehension-questions-1-dinosaurs-before-dark/
Peer Fluency Check
Name of Reader: ____________________
Date: _________________
1st Time: ________
2nd Time: ________
3rd Time: ________
I noticed that my partner…
After which read? 2nd 3rd
Remembered more words
Read faster
Read smoother
Read with expression
Teacher Fluency Check
Name of Reader: _______________
Date: _________________
Time: ________
Words x 60/time in seconds: _______WPM
Comprehension:
1. Why did Jack get frustrated with Annie?
2. What did Annie find up in the tree when she ran into the woods?
3. What was in the treehouse?
4. Why was Jack excited about books being in the treehouse?
Answers:
1. He likes real stuff and she likes to pretend.
2. A treehouse with a rope and letter.
3. Books
4. He loves books.
References:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/cultivations.html
Reading Genie: http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/horizons.html
Ashton Wells
Rationale:
In order for students to better comprehend text it is essential for them to be fluent readers. To gain effortless, automatic readings students must practice expression, pace, and comprehension through repeated readings. Students can better reflect and comprehend what they are reading about when they can automatically read words. Through reading, decoding, crosschecking, mental marking, and then rereading students will improve their reading rate and become fluent readers. Students will use the crosschecking and mental marking strategy with decodable texts and repeated readings to gain fluency and independence.
Materials:
- Pencils
- Stopwatch for each group
- Class Set of Dinosaurs Before Dark
- Sample sentences to model and practice
- Peer Fluency Sheet (one for each student)
- Reading Rate forms for teacher
- Teacher Fluency Check (one for each student) with attached comprehension questions
- WPM graph cut out one for each student
- Introduce the lesson by saying, “Alright class, we will begin today by working on becoming great fluent readers! We all want to become fluent readers, but what does that mean and how will we do that? What do you guys think?” Wait for responses. “Well fluent readers are able to read smoothly with expression at a steady quick pace because they can recognize words automatically. Becoming a fluent reader will also help us understand what we are reading because we will not have to stop and break down each word. The story will be more fun and interesting for us!”
- Say: Ok now we will look at a sentence written on the board: “The black cat ran fast.” Now everyone listen closely to me read and tell me if you think I am a fluent reader when I read the sentence aloud. “ The, /b/-/l/-a/-/a/-/a/ black, /s/-/a/-/a/-/t/ sat ran, f-f-f- /A/- /a/-/s/ fast. The black sat ran fast? Hm, that doesn’t make sense. Oh, ‘c’ must make /c/ for cat. The black cat ran fast! Yes!” Did you notice how I read the sentence and got stuck on the word cat? To figure out what the word was I reread the sentence from the beginning and tried ‘sat’ and realized it did not make sense, right? So, I went back and reread to figure out which word should be there, ‘cat’. This is a strategy called crosschecking. It is very helpful and important to use when becoming a fluent reader. So, raise your hand if you think I read that sentence like a fluent reader would. You’re right, I did not! I had to go slow and decode words and figure out some hard ones. Now this is how a fluent reader would have read it: “The black cat ran fast” See how I read the sentence effortlessly and it was much easier to understand. Now your turn! Turn to a partner and practice reading the second sentence on the board: “Her cat likes to play, run, and sleep.” Read it aloud to one another until you think you sound like a fluent reader should sound.
- Say: “Now let’s think back to when I read the first sentence and I had trouble with the word ‘cat’. To figure out what that word was, I reread the sentence from the beginning and tried what I thought the word said, ‘sat’. That did not make sense, did it? So, then I went back to the text to reread and figure out what the word should say to make sense. This strategy is called crosschecking, and it is very important to use when we are learning to become fluent readers. I want to see and hear all of you using crosschecking when you come across a hard word as you read to your partner.
- Assign partners for each student and pass out books. Say: “Now we are going to practice being a fluent reader by reading a Magic Treehouse book. This is called Dinosaurs before Dark. Wouldn’t you be excited if you had a magic treehouse that could take you to a whole new world? What if one night right before dinner and bedtime that treehouse took you to the land of dinosaurs! Do you think you would be brave and strong or terrified!? Let’s read and find out what these characters do when they are faced with the dinosaurs!” Students should read the first three pages silently to themselves and then take turns reading a chapter aloud to their partner. “While your partner is reading their chapter is important to not stop them or help them during their turn.
- Pass out recording sheets, progress wpm graph, and stopwatches to each pair. Say: “Now we are going to play the fluency game with our partners. Reader 1 is going to start off by reading the first chapter and reader 2 will be in control of the stopwatch. Reader 2 will time Reader 1 as he reads the first two pages and then record his time on the sheet I have given you.” Explain how they must count WPM with the formula given total wordsx60/seconds read and have them record it by keeping progress on the WPM graph. “As you listen to your partner read aloud make sure to listen for how their reading is changing. Re they becoming more fluent, are the reading faster and smoother, or are they reading with expression? Mark these changes on your recording sheets.”
- After each pair has read through the pages three times call back one student at a time for assessment. Have them read a paragraph aloud to you from the first two pages. Ask them to bring their record sheet and WPM graph so you can attach it to the back of their assessment sheet. You will time them on the paragraph read aloud and use the WPM formula to record their final WPM number. Use a list of comprehension questions to assess how their fluency has improved their comprehension.
Abagail Rickerson, Something Smells like Fluency!
https://acr0040.wixsite.com/abbyrickerson/growing-independence-and-literacy
Osborne, Mary P. Dinosaurs Before Dark.
http://magictreehouse.wikia.com/wiki/Dinosaurs_Before_Dark
Comprehension Questions:
http://www.risetoreading.com/2012/11/13/comprehension-questions-1-dinosaurs-before-dark/
Peer Fluency Check
Name of Reader: ____________________
Date: _________________
1st Time: ________
2nd Time: ________
3rd Time: ________
I noticed that my partner…
After which read? 2nd 3rd
Remembered more words
Read faster
Read smoother
Read with expression
Teacher Fluency Check
Name of Reader: _______________
Date: _________________
Time: ________
Words x 60/time in seconds: _______WPM
Comprehension:
1. Why did Jack get frustrated with Annie?
2. What did Annie find up in the tree when she ran into the woods?
3. What was in the treehouse?
4. Why was Jack excited about books being in the treehouse?
Answers:
1. He likes real stuff and she likes to pretend.
2. A treehouse with a rope and letter.
3. Books
4. He loves books.
References:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/cultivations.html
Reading Genie: http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/horizons.html