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Rationale: Reading fluency is so important when reading so that we can read quickly, with expression, and helps us read silently and automatically. Fluency requires learning new words as sight words so we can recognize words quickly and automatically. The goal of this lesson is to help develop fluency in the reading of students by modeling what fluency looks like and how to become fluent through the practice of rereading.

 

Materials:

1. Whiteboard and markers for teacher

2. Coverup critter for each student

3. Class set of Little Chef by Elizabeth Weinberg

4. Stopwatch for each pair of students

5. peer checklist (2 per pair)

6. Find sample sentence from Little Chef “The secret ingredient is not in the recipe”

7. “Potato” displayed on board with picture of Little Chef with sweet potato

8. Fluency checklist and fluency recording sheet (2 per pair-one one sheet of paper)

9. List of comprehension questions

10. Pencils and paper

 

 

 

Procedure:

1. Say: “Today we are going to be working on improving our reading fluency. Reading fluency means being able to read smoothly and quickly in order to understand the story. When we become fluent readers, it makes it easier to read and enjoy our books! I’m going to show you strategies today to help you become a more fluent reader.”

2. Say (model): “Let’s look at the word I have on the board: potato. I’m going to use my coverup critter to figure out what this word is saying. (use coverup critter to cover the letters of the word and then slowly uncover each letter as you sound them out). ppp-ooo-ttt-aaa-ttt-ooo. /p/ /o/ /t/ /a/ /t/ /o/. Hmmm that doesn’t sound right, let me try to blend it together. Ppoottaattoo. Oh, that’s potato! In this word o and a say themselves and they’re long vowels. When we use our coverup critter it can help us figure out words we don’t know.”

3. “If our coverup critter doesn’t work we can use the skill of crosschecking. If we come across a word we don’t know and use our coverup critter and it still sounds wrong, we can finish the rest of the sentence to see if we can figure out the right word. Let me try this sentence from the story and you tell me if I sound like a fluent reader: ‘The secret ii-nn-gg-rr-ee-dd-ii-ee-nn-tt hmm, let me finish the sentence, is not in the recipe.’ Oh, ingredient because it goes in a recipe. When I read the rest of sentence, I could see in the context that the word was ingredient. Did I sound fluent (give time to let students answer)? Right, I did not sound fluent! (Ask for volunteer to read this sentence aloud) Great job! You read that fluently because it was automatic and effortless. Notice how they noticed the word I had trouble on and mentally marked it so that they could flawlessly read the sentence!”

4. “Now we are going to read “Little Chef” by Elizabeth Weinberg This story is about a little girl who has been cooking since the day she was born. Today she is cooking a special meal for her grandma and got all her ingredients together, until she went to make her recipe and the secret ingredient wasn’t listed! How can she make her recipe perfect now!? Let’s read to find out. You’re going to read this book to yourself silently first and when you come across a tough word use your coverup critter.” (Pass out the class copies of the book to the class and allow them time to read it).

5. Once everyone is done reading the story say, “Now we are going to get into pairs and read the story aloud to our partner.”

6. Next, pass out recording sheets and stopwatches. Say, “One of you will start by reading the story aloud, while the other one will be timing your partner with your stopwatch while they read the story. The first recorder will fill out the sheet I just gave you. Repeat this 3 times until the sheet is filled then switch who reads and records and do the same thing. Keep in mind if you hear the reader remembering more words, if they’re reading faster, if they’re reading smoother, and if they’re reading with more expression. Make sure to mark the answers to these questions on your sheet! (Allow time for students to read books 3 times through).

7. Once each student reads the book 3 times, call students up one at a time to desk to test them. Have them show you their fluency checklist/recording sheet and give the book to you. Ask them to read the book aloud and time them as well as record how many words they read and figure out their words per minute.

8. Once all the students have read the book aloud, individually, to you, have them answer the 4 comprehension questions by themselves and quietly in order to assess them.

 

 

 

 

Fluency Recording Sheet:

Title of Book: _________________________________

Student’s Name: ______________________________

Reader’s Name: _______________________________

Words in Book: __________

1. ______ words per ______ seconds

2. ______ words per ______ seconds

3. ______ words per ______ seconds

 

 

Fluency Checklist:

-Make a check mark in the spot if one of these things happened.

After 2nd Reading        After 3rd Reading

_________                  _________                  Remembered more words

_________                  _________                  Read faster

_________                  _________                  Read smoother

_________                  _________                  Read with expression

 

(Words x 60/seconds)=WPM

 

 

0- - - 10- - - 20 - - - 30 - - - 40 - - - 50 - - - 60 - - - 70 - - - 80 - - - 90 - - - 100

 

Correct Words Per Minute

 

Assessment:

• Collect Partner Fluency Recording Sheet and Checklist

• Calculate WPM of each student using formula of (words x 60)/seconds from desk assessment

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why does Lizzie have to wake up early today?

2. What does Lizzie do when the secret ingredient is not in the recipe?

3. Who said the food was perfect?

4. Why did Lizzie not tell her grandma the secret ingredient?

 

 

 

Resources:

Cate Behl, “The Couch Potato’s Leap to Fluency”. https://ceb0131.wixsite.com/my-site/growing-independence-and-fluency

 

Murray, Bruce. Reading Genie. http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/

 

Shelby Ptak, “Junie B Jones is a Fluency Animal”. https://shelbyyyptak2000.wixsite.com/my-site/growing-independence-and-fluency

 

Stein, Matt  & Weinberg, Elizabeth. Little Chef. 2018, Feiwel & Friends.

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Awakenings- https://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/awakenings/

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