*Presented by* Jilene Coleman Kelly Cottingham Kimberly Anne Elshazly Susan Gilchrist June Gual

1. Fluency *Presented by* Jilene Coleman Kelly Cottingham Kimberly Anne Elshazly Susan Gilchrist June Gual Darice LeAnne Shelton Rachael West

2. National Reading Panel (NRP) Report Samuels defines fluency as “the ability to read a text orally with speed, accuracy, expression, and comprehension” (2002). NRP: • Identified fluency as one of the six dimensions of reading • Described as the “most neglected” reading skill • Found a close relationship between fluency and comprehension

3. Strategies for developing Sight words in isolation

4. Teaching Sight Words • Associate Words and Meaning • Practice Them Often • Record Student Progress • Sight Word Focus • Word Cards • Word Collection File • Word Sorting • Word Games • Word Walls

5. Strategies for Developing Fluency

6. Read with pattern books (repeated refrains) Examples of Pattern Books • Hutchins, Pat. Good Night Owl • Carle, Eric. The Grouchy Lady Bug • Westcott, N.B. I Know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly • Zolotow, Charlotte. But Not Billy • Martin Jr., Bill. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? • Lobel, Arnold. The Rose in my Garden • Lionni, Leo. A Color of His Own • Kent, Jack. The Fat Cat • Keats, E.J. Over in the Meadow • Allen, Pamela. Bertie and the Bear • Most, B. If the Dinosaurs Came Back

7. Assisted reading versions • Assisted reading is a strategy in which the student and a fluent reader read the material together. • Simultaneous assisted reading—the teacher reads along with the students. • Echo reading—the teacher models oral reading and has students imitate. • Choral reading—A group of students practice orally reading a selection. • Partner reading—Students read in pairs, alternating the text. • Simultaneous listening reading—Students listen to tape recordings of the material while following along with the book. • Neurological Impress Method—The student and teacher read together orally. The teacher reads loudly at first, then softens as the student gains confidence

8. Guided Repeated Reading and Language Experience Activities Guided Repeated Reading: The National Reading Panel found that guided repeated oral reading has a consistent and positive impact on fluency, word recognition, and comprehension. Guided is the key! LEA Steps: • Brainstorm ideas for a story: Shared experiences make good topics—field trips, science experiments, stories read aloud, etc. • Take dictation from students • Read each word as you write it • Reread each sentence, pointing to each word as you say it: Have students reread each sentence with you. • Reread the entire story with students • Follow up with language activities: Such as drawing pictures to go with the story, writing captions to go with the story written.

9. Readers Workshop: Structure of Reader’s Workshop • Mini-lesson (5-10 minutes) • Independent reading (20-25 minutes) • Sharing (10-15 minutes)

10. Readers Theatre • An excellent way to bring repeated reading into the classroom in a fun and engaging way. • Increases fluency • Fluency has a profound effect on comprehension. • Gives a purpose for rereading • Very motivational • Increases students’ self-confidence

11. Example of Readers Theatre“Clever Lucy”

12. Disabilities and Reading

13. Strategies used in a visually-impaired classroom • Guided reading • Repeated reading • Tactual hints • Bookmarks cannot be used because the Braille takes up too much room. The strategy is taught and memorized or a strategy chart is made Visually impaired students learn to read just like peers but they might read slower

14. Assessing fluency

15. Listening to students read. • Does the student read in a choppy manner? • Does the student read in a monotone voice? • Does the student read too fast?

16. Example of Choppy reading

17. Example of monotone reading

18. Example of reading too fast

19. Example of fluent reading

20. Determine the rate at which a student reads. • Time a student reading an instructional level passage. After the student finishes, multiply the number of words read by 60 and divide by the number of seconds the student took to read. This will give the number of words per minute (WPM) the student is reading. • Remember that different materials will be read at different rates.

21. Give a timed word list assessment test. • This test is used to determine automaticity of sight word recognition. • Usually used in combination with an informal reading inventory. • Informal Reading Inventory • Miscue Analysis • Running Records

22. Related Websites • (Developing Reading Fluency) http://www.auburn.edu/~murraba/fluency.html (Reading Fluency Norms) • www.balancedreading.com/fluency.html

23. References Hitchcock, C.H., Prater, M.A., & Dowrick, P.W. (2004). Reading comprehension and fluency: Examining the effects of tutoring and video self-modeling on first-grade students with reading difficulties. Learning Disability Quarterly, 27, 89-103. Taylor, B., Pearson, D., Peterson, D., & Rodriquez, M. (2003). Reading growth in high poverty classrooms: The influence of teacher practices that encourage cognitive engagement in literacy learning. The Elementary School Journal, 104 (1). Worthy, J., & Broaddus, K. (2001/2002). Fluency beyond the primary grades: From group performance to silent, independent reading. The Reading Teacher, 55 (4). Worthy, J., & Prater, K. (2002). I thought about it all night: Readers theater for reading fluency and motivation. The Reading Teacher, 56 (3), 294-297. Stahl, S., & Kuhn, M. (2002). Making it sound like language: Developing fluency. The Reading Teacher, 55 (6), 582-586. Martinez, M., Roser, N., & Strecker, S. (1999). “I never thought I could be a star”: A Readers Theatre ticket to fluency. The Reading Teacher, 52 (4), 326-334. National Reading Panel (2000). Report of the national reading panel: Teaching children to read. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of ChildHealth and Human Development