Growing Independence and Fluency

JUMP INTO READING!

Rational:

To be a skilled reader requires reading fluency. This is the ability to read the sight words quickly and with expression without decoding. The purpose of this lesson is to practice fast reading and teach students how to successfully read passages at a faster rate with understanding. Students gain fluency by reading and re-reading text through partner or individual readings.

Materials:

Stopwatch (1 for each student)

The Red Gem Mine by Matt Sims (book for each student)

Reading Evaluation form (1 for each student)

Word Count sheet (1 for each student)

Index cards (1 for each pair of students)

Pencils

White board and markers (for teacher)

Word Count Sheet:

Name: __________ Date: ___________

The first time I read ___________ words.

The second time I read__________ words.

The third time I read__________ words.

Reading Evaluation Form:

Procedure:

1) ''It’s time to become speedy readers! BUT... while we are trying to read fast, we also must read the words correctly. Once we read words faster and more automatic we will be able to understand the story easier. So today we are going to do repeated readings and try to get faster each time we read the text.''

2) ''First, let’s review. What do we do when we don’t know a word?'' (Write the word crash on the board) ''Let’s say I didn’t know this word. I would use my finger to cover up the other letters. I would say /a/, like a baby crying, /a/. I would then uncover the first letter and say /c/. Then I would uncover the second letter and put it with the first letter /c//r/. Then add the ending /sh/ like quiet shhhh. Blend it all together /c//r//a//sh/. That word is crash.''

3) (Write the following sentence on the board) The Red Gem Mine. ''I'm going to read this sentence that is written on the board and I want you to pay attention to how I read it.'' (Read the sentence very slowly and without fluency). ''The Redddddd Geeemmmm Minnneeeeee... Did you notice how I read it slow and it was hard to understand what the sentence was about? Now I'm going to try reading it again like a fluent reader.'' (Read the sentence with fluency.) ''The Red Gem Mine.'' That was it a lot easier to understand the sentence! I got better because I learned the words as sight words. That's why we should practice rereading sentences so that we can make it sound better every time we read it. See if you can be a next level reader by adding expression to your readings!''

4) ''Now I'm going to give each of you a copy of the book: The Red Gem Mine. In this story a man paid a lot for this mine to find pretty red gems, but he could not find any after searching for such a long time. But something happens to the man. Let’s read and find out what happens to the man in this story!

5) I will assign partners and give each group a stopwatch, notecard, and give each child a Word Count Sheet and an Evaluation Form. Have each student read the first 8 pages once to themselves. Once they have read it through once, explain to the students how to use these sheets and what they are looking for. Assign one student to be the reader and one to be the recorder. Provide a model about how to use the timer. The reader will read the first 8 pages and the recorder will keep track of how many times and how long it takes the reader to read the 8 pages. The recorder tells the reader when to begin and when to end. Each time the recorder will record how many words were read and the time. Once the reader has had three read alouds, the recorder will fill out the partner check sheet. Then students will switch roles.

Assessment:

Call each student up individually to the work table and have them read for one last time to evaluate. Then have the students answer a few reading comprehension questions. Take up the Word Count and Evaluation forms to assess how each student improved and how they worked with one another.

Comprehension Questions

What happened to the man?
What did they finally find?
Who came by to talk to the two men?
How did they find the gems?

References:

Adopted from Simantel, Sophie. A Beginning Reading Design, Leaping into Reading!

Book: Sims, Matt. The Red Gem Mine.

Flying to Fluency by. Amber Wright http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/voyages/wrightgf.html

Cultivations Link:

http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/cultivations.html

Haley's Lesson Designs