Rationale:

Students who can read fluently can read effortlessly and automatically. Fluency is essential for comprehending and it allows students to reflect on what they are reading. In order for this to happen, students must read, re-read, decode and crosscheck at a quick speed. This lesson is designed to help students improve their fluency skills through crosschecking and repeated timed reading.

 

Materials:

-Timer/stopwatch for each pair

-pencils for each pair

-Class set of The Day the Crayons Quit

-Sample sentences on white board (for teacher to model)

-Peer Fluency Sheet (one for each student)

 

Procedures:

1. Say: “Today we are going to learn how to become fluent readers! This is important because as readers we want to be able to read effortlessly and quickly. That way, we can focus on what we are reading instead of putting all of our thought into analyzing each word. That way reading can be more fun!”

2. Say: “Now let’s read the sentence on the white board.” Have “the day the crayons quit” written on the board. Say: “I will read it first aloud. Listen to how it comes out of my mouth and tell me if you think I am reading fluently. Tttthhheee dddaaayyyy ttthhee cccrraayyoonnssss qqquuiiittt” Let the students answer. Say: “Correct! I did not read that fluently.” When we read a sentence the way I just did, it is easy to get confused and not understand what we are reading. When this happens, we have to crosscheck what we read to figure out what the sentence actually says. By crosschecking, we can learn and improve so that we can become fluent readers. Let me read the sentence again, and you tell me if this sounds more fluent: The day the crayons quit. What do yall think? Yes! That sounds like a fluent reader. Isn’t it easier to understand what we are reading when it is read fluently. Now, let’s work on improving our reading skills by reading and re-reading.

3. Say: “We are going to practice our fluency by reading and re-reading one of my favorite books, The Day the Crayons Quit. Duncan went to grab his crayons so he could color, but he opened his crayons only to find letters from each of them. Oh no! What could the letters say? Let’s read to find out. Now, everyone read the book to yourselves then we will partner up and read to out loud to our partners.

4. Say: “Now that you are with your partner, I am going to pass out some stopwatches. I want each of you to read the book aloud to your partner. You are going to read the book 3 times. I want one of the partners to time the other partner for one minute while they are reading. Stop the timer at one minute, then count how many words your partner read during that time. You are going to do this each time your partner reads, so three times in all you are going to record how many words your partner read in 1 minute. After one partner has finished reading three times, switch roles with your partner and do the same thing.”

5. While the students are assessing each other, I will monitor the classroom to ensure each student is correctly timing and counting each other’s scores correctly. If children are struggling while reading fluently, I will encourage them to crosscheck so they can continue to improve their fluent reading.

 

Assessment:

 I will use this chart to keep up with each students’ improvement throughout their process of reading. This way, I will have the times documented and I will be able to assess their improvement from the chart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Resources:  

Abagail Rickerson, Something Smells like Fluency! https://acr0040.wixsite.com/abbyrickerson/growing-independence-and-literacy

 

McKee Cronier, Huh, What’s Fluency?!? https://hmc0021.wixsite.com/lessondeisgn2017/growing-fluency-design

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Contact me: Mzj0027@auburn.edu