Fluency with Finger Food!
Rationale: Fluency is something that is very important in be
coming an expert reader. Being able to recognize the words automatically and accurately is something that is necessary in developing reading skills. Comprehension automatically rises when students can read fluently and this also gives them a self esteem boost because who likes to do things that are very difficult for them as opposed to things that are very easy and enjoyable? Students will learn how to decode words more quickly, use crosschecking, and rereading to grow in their fluency. This will make reading a more enjoyable and encouraging activity.
Materials:
Dry Erase Board
Two Example Sentences
1. Running is very fun.
2. I like to eat strawberries and watermelons.
Cover-up Critters (one for each student)
Printed out copies of Dragons Love Tacos for each pair of students
Comprehension Sheets with the questions at the bottom typed out
Sheet with time slots for partners to record one another’s time
Procedures:
1. Say: “Today we are going to work on reading fluency! When we are fluent readers we read more quickly, understand the words we are reading, and enjoy all the parts of the book. Today we are going to use something called repeated reading where we will reread the same book a few times to help us understand it better and read it more quickly each time. At the end of the lesson you will all feel very sure of yourselves and can read it to any of your friends!
2. Next model crosschecking and decoding by reading a sample sentence off of the dry erase board. Say “Will everyone look at this sentence and read it together?” “Llliiiissstteeenniiinngg iiisss vveeryyy funnn”. “If I get stuck on a word I will use my coverup critter and reveal the first two letters and see that it is /l/i/ and then continue with /t/e/n/i/ng/ to try to decode the word. I can use cross checking to continue reading the sentence and use the context to make the right adjustments and figure out what the word means. It looks like list-ening but it is really listening, you can't hear the t. Let's all say it together [say it as a group]. It is important to remember that I can reread the whole sentence afterwards to understand what the word means and try to remember it for next time! The more we reread the word the more fluently we will know it."
3. Say “Now as a group we are going to try to see how a fluent reader reads and how a reader who is not a fluent reader reads. Let’s look at this sentence which says, ‘I like to eat strawberries and watermelons.’ The first time I see it I would probably read it more like this, ‘I llliiikkee tttooo eeaatt sttraaawbbbeerriiesss anddd wwattteermeelloonss’ but it is kind of hard to know what the words are when it is so stretched out like that so I will try to connect them more quickly to understand I l-i-k-e t-o e-a-t s-t-r-a-w-b-e-r-r-i-e-s a-n-d w-a-t-e-r-m-e-l-o-n-s. That was a little better but now I am going to read it more fluently and see if we can understand it better [read with emotion and fluency]. I like to eat strawberries and watermelons! Couldn’t you understand what I was saying and feeling when I read it? That is what fluency is and helps with! Now you try reading the sentence so that I can hear your feelings too.”
4. Say: “It can be hard to read a sentence you have never seen before. It was not easy for me to see and decode the sentences the first time I read them but they get easier the more you read them and practice decoding! To practice our fluency today we are going to read Dragons Love Tacos. This is a story all about dragons. Who likes dragons? Okay, who likes tacos? Have you guys ever heard of a dragon who eats tacos? Well, This story is super cool because it has a dragon who LOVES tacos! Let's see why he loves them so much!
5. We are going to get into groups of two and read Dragons Love Tacos together more than once. The more times you read it the more fluent you will get and you will begin to read it more quickly too. Whoever is not reading will get a stopwatch and gets to time their partner each time they read the book. I will give you a sheet of paper to write down how long each turn takes them. When it is time to switch the partner who just read will time and the partner who just timed will read the story multiple times.”
6. Assess the children as they are reading together and timing one another. Walk around the room and observe. Once they are done say: “I am handing out a comprehension worksheet with some questions on it to see if you understood the story. Once you are done with your partner fill out the sheet and turn it in at my desk. We will go over the answers as a group after everyone is done.” [Hand out sheets]. Once everyone is done go over the answers for the comprehension sheet and say “Fluency can be pretty hard sometimes and I am so proud of all of you today and how well you did!”
Assessment:
Walk around the room and watch all of the students as they read
Each student should turn their sheet in when they are done
Review the sheet and each student’s understanding individually as they finish
Go over the answers to the reading comprehension worksheet with everyone at the very end
Correct Words Per Minute:
See how many children finished with a certain amount of words per minute.
Consider this an assessment in where each child is at with their reading and fluency.
Comprehension Worksheet:
1. Why don't dragons like spicy salsa?
2. What kinds of toppings do dragons eat?
3. How do the dragons entertain themselves at parties?
4. Can the dragons eat not spicy salsa?
5. Why do the dragons need to rebuild the boys house?
References:
Cover-Up Critters.
Davies, Benji, and Adam Rubin. The Dragons Love Tacos. Caminho, 2018.
Newton, Savannah. “Fluency with Friends”
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