Diving Into Fluency!
Rationale: This lesson is designed to help students develop fluency in longer, more developed texts. Fluent readers will be able to read and cognize words quickly, effortlessly, and accurately. Fluency is important to comprehension during reading to make it more enjoyable. We want readers to be able to read and reread decodable words in text, helping improve both fluency and speed. Throughout this lesson, students will practice their reading fluency with their repeated reading of Junie B. Jones Boss of Lunch. Students will use the strategy of cross checking after readings to gain fluency and independence in reading.
Materials:
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Pencils
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Stopwatch/timer
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Class set of Junie B. Jones Boss of Lunch
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Sample sentences and instructions on a white board
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Teacher Rubric
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Peer Fluency Sheet (one for each student with comprehension questions)
Procedures:
1. Begin the lesson by saying, “Good morning class, today we will be working on becoming fluent readers! We know that our goal is to become fluent readers, but what does that really mean? What do you think of when I say ‘fluent reader’?” [Wait for responses] “Fluent readers are able to learn quickly, smoothly, and with expression because they can recognize words automatically! This also helps us understand what we are reading, because we don’t have to stop and inspect each word, and it makes reading more enjoyable!”
2. Say: “Now, let's look at a sentence that is written on the board: Jan had bad ham for a snack. Okay class, be ready with your listening ears. I want you to tell me if I sound like a fluent reader with I read the sentence out loud. ‘J-j-j, /a/-/a/-/a/, n-n-n, Jan, h-h-h, /A/-/A/-/A/, d-d-d, had, b-b-b, /a/-/a/-/a/, d-d-d, bad, h-h-h, /a/-/a/-/a/, m-m-m, ham, f-f-f, /o/-/o/-/o/, r-r-r, for a s-s-s, n-n-n, /a/-/a/-/a/, ck-ck-ck, snack’. Jan hade bad ham for a snack? Lets try that again. Jan had bad ham for a snack. Did you notice when I read the sentence, how I sounded it out? Hade didn’t make sense, so I went back and reread to figure out what the word should be. This strategy is called cross checking, and it is very important to use when learning to become fluent readers. Now, hold your hand up if you think I read that sentence like a fluent reader. [Wait for response] Correct, I did not read like a fluent reader because I had to decode each word of the sentence. A fluent reader would read that sentence: ‘Jan had bad ham for a snack,’ that time I read the sentence effortlessly and made it easier to understand! Now, turn to a partner and practice reading the second sentence on the board: Sam found a blue ball in the street. Read it aloud to one another until you read it fluently.
3. Give each student a copy of the book. “Okay class, now we are going to practice being fluent readers by reading the book Junie B. Jones Boss of Lunch. ‘Something very wonderful is happening to Junie B. Jones; she's getting to be a professional lunch lady! And that means hanging out with Mrs. Gutzman in the cafeteria. And standing behind the counter. And even wearing a real actual hair net! Who knows? Pretty soon she could be the boss of the whole entire lunch operation!’”.
4. Students should read the first three pages silently to themselves. After, they should alternate reading a chapter aloud to their partner. Explain to the students that while they are reading: do not correct your partner.
5. Pass out recording sheets and timers to each set of partners. Say: “Now, we are going to play a fluency game! Have your listening ears on to hear how to play. The first reader is going to start the game off, and the second reader will be in control of the timer. The second reader will time the first reader while they read the first two pages. Then, the second reader will record the time on the sheet that I have given each group. After recording the information, the second reader will read the next two pages, and the first reader will record. Do this three times in a row on the same pages. As you listen to your partner read the pages out loud, I want you to be listening for how their reading changes every time. Do they remember the words they had a hard time with the first time reading? Do they read more excitedly? Make sure to mark the changes on your paper. Time to begin!”
6. After the student groups have each read their passage three times, have them return to their seats. One by one, call each to your desk to answer four comprehension questions. Then, have each of the students read a paragraph from one of their pages. Ask them to bring their record/answer sheets so you can staple them to the back of the assessment sheet. You will instruct them to read the paragraph aloud and record how many words they read per minute.
Assessment:
Use the following rubric to grade their assignments:
Readers Name: ___________ Improved Fluency: ____ / 2
Listeners Name: ___________ Improved Accuracy: ____ /2
Answers Accurate/Appropriate: ____ / 2
Completed Partner Progress Form: ____ / 1
Responded to Comprehension Questions: ____ / 4
Total: ____ / 11
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References:
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Additional Reference: Lessons Index
http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/vistas/
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Park, Barbara. Junie B. Jones Boss of Lunch.
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/junie-b--first-grader-boss-of-lunch-by-barbara-park/
Smith, Sara. Riding into Fluency.
https://scs0057.wixsite.com/ssmith/copy-of-el-design
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