Growing in Fluency Design

“Web” bing for Fluency

Amelia Welch

Rationale: Fluent reading is crucial in comprehending any reading. Fluency is reading with automatic word recognition. The result of reading with fluency is speed and expression, which will make reading more fun for the reader because him or her will be reading more confidently! Fluency improves reading comprehension by freeing up mental resources for thinking about the message of the text. For a child to become fluent in reading, they must practice expression, pace, and comprehension. The goal of a fluent reader is to become a faster and smoother reader and with decoding, crosschecking, mental marking, and rereading, a reader can get closer to attaining this goal! In this lesson the students will cross check and reread the exciting book Charlotte’s Web with peers and as well the teacher to get to that fluency goal.

Materials

Charlotte’s Web
Stopwatch/ phone with timer
Pencil
Cover-up Critter
Fluency checklist copies to pass out to students
Chart to record words per minute
Whiteboard
Dry erase markers

Procedures

Lesson begins with explanation of fluency to students. Say: Good Morning friends! Today we are going to be diving in the web of fluency. You guys might think to yourself, what does it mean to be a fluent reader? Well, it is a secret! However, because you guys and gals are my friends, I am going to tell you the secret! Lean in close and promise me you will not tell anyone I told you the secret! A fluent reader is someone who can read a passage or story and also be understanding with emotion what it is saying while reading at the same time! Fluent readers are also really good at reading all the way without stopping! Now, here is the thing… I believe all of you can be fluent readers. So, let’s dive into this web of fluency reading and become fluent readers!
Say: Alright, you guys remember our cover-up critters we used earlier in the year? Well, remember those are to help us read a word we cannot figure out. It helps us break down and go through each letter to find the sounds of each letter and form the word! Let’s try a word! (writes “web” on board) Everyone stand up and help me use the cover-up critter to say this word. Here let’s do it, I am going to cover up all the letters except the first one which is the /w/. /w/… /w/… /w/. Next, I will uncover the e. /e/… /e/ …/e/ so we have /w/… /e/. Then, we will uncover the last letter b. /b/ /b/ /b/, let’s put it all together, /w/… /e/… /b/... /web/. So, the word is “web.” Wow! You guys crushed that!
Say: Alright friends! I cannot believe you guys got that cover up critter thing down! I want you guys and gals to help me figure out if this sounds like a fluent reader or not a fluent reader. I am going to read the first sentence in the book Charlotte’s Web. “ Some people say a barn is empty without a pig in it.” I would read it very slowly at first and show how a non- fluent would read and then read it faster to show a fluent reader. Then would ask of anyone heard a difference in the way I read the sentence from the first time compared to the second time. Say: Did you guys see how the more fluent reading sentence was quick and smooth? That is a fluent reader and you all are going to be able to read that fast, while understanding what is happening at the same time!
Say: Now here is your time to shine my friends! You all are amazing me by every second! I am going to pass out Charlotte’s Web to all of you and I want you to read it at your seat and I want you to practice reading like a fluent reader. This is about a pig, a girl, and a spider but the spider begins to write messages in its web to the pig… what will the messages say? I want you, my friends, to read and find out! I want you to read in your head which means silently at your seat!
After the students finish the book reading silently, I will pair them with a partner to read to each other. Say: Alrighty friends! You guys and gals are reading so great today. Now, everyone look at your partner in say “Here we go!” Okay, you and your partner will now get a stopwatch and a copy of Charlotte’s Web, a reading rate chart, and a fluency checklist. You and your partner are each going to read three times. You will each take turns being the reader and being the timer. The timer will time the reading and record the times on their reading chart and the reader will focus on their reading. When you’re the one timing your partner, be sure that you hit start as soon as your partner starts to read and hit stop as soon as they are done. Record all three of the times on your chart. After your partner has finished reading, you should fill out the fluency reading checklist and the reading rate chart. Filling out these charts will help your partner calculate if their fluency is improving or not. Before the students start reading, I will model how to fill in the chart and use a stopwatch or timer on a phone to show how. I will then observe the students reading the books and will walk around the room as they read. I will answer any questions the students may have and make sure that they are filling in the correct time.

Checklist:

Did he/she remember more words?

Read faster?

Read smoother?
Did he/she read with emotion?

Does the student have an overall understanding of what it means to be fluent and why it is important?

Fluency checklist will be filled out for each reading partner:

Title of Book: Charlotte’ Web

Student’s Name:

Partner's Name:

Make a check if the following is true after the 2nd and 3rd Readings:

· Remembered more words:

· Read faster:

· Read smoother:

· Read with expressions:

Reading Tracker:

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

Correct Words Per Minute:

After the students are done filling out the chart and reading, I will collect the date myself to assess. I will have each student read to m individually. I will mark miscues and needed improvements and ask 3 comprehension questions.

Comprehension Questions:

What did Fern name her pig?
Describe in what ways Fern took care of her newborn pig in this story.
When Wilbur escaped the farm, who helped him?

References:

White, E. B. Charlotte’s Web. Harper & Brothers, 1952. Print.

Tindall Morring: A Growing Independence and Fluency Lesson https://ktm0014.wixsite.com/mysite/growing-independence-and-fluency