Growing Independence and Fluency

Finding Fluency with Junie B.

by: Mallory Haynes

Rationale: This lesson will help students obtain fluency as a reader. In order to read with fluency students need automatic word recognition to enable faster reading which allows students to better comprehend a story. We need readers to be able to read and reread decodable words in a connected text. With this lesson students will practice their fluency by reading a story silently along with reading to a partner. Students will read for fluency while the teacher graphs the progress and goes over unfamiliar words between timed readings. At the conclusion of this lesson the teacher will gain a better knowledge of the individual student’s ability to fluently read texts.

Materials:

Pencils
Cover-up critter
Stopwatch for each pair of students
The book Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy (a copy for each student)
Sentences on board for modeling and peer practice (1. "Mary sat in Bob’s seat, Bob became upset."; 2. "Sally ate a big apple, it was good!")
Peer fluency check list for each student
Teacher fluency check list
Fluency chart with Junie B. and her fish

Procedures:

Say: Today we are going to learn and practice reading fluently! Does anyone know why we want to become fluent readers? (wait for response) When we become fluent readers we are able to recognize words quickly in order to read quickly. Practicing fluency helps us read smoothly, automatically, and with expression in order to comprehend the whole story! Reading with fluency makes reading enjoyable. We will be practicing reading fluently by decoding, crosschecking, mental marking and then rereading the passage in order to regain the message of the story.
Say: Let’s direct our attention to the board where I have the sentence: Mary sat in Bob’s seat, Bob became upset. I will read this sentence aloud and you guys tell me if I sound like a fluent reader, automatically recognizing the words and reading quickly. Mmmaaarrryyy ssaaattt in Booobbb’ss set, I mean seeeet, Bob becaaammee uuupppssiiitt, I mean upseeet. That was hard to understand and comprehend let me go back and reread to get the message. Read again with more fluency. Mary sat in Bob’s seat, Bob became upset. See how that time I was able to read with fluency and not have to use my decoding strategy. I was able to know the message and learn the words after decoding to then go back and read with expression and no interruption. Now I want you to read the second sentence on the board to your neighbor (Sally ate a big apple, it was good!) practice your fluency by reading the sentence first and then rereading to gain the message and add expression when needed.
Say: Great job class! I heard some fluent readers and great expression! Remember when we come to a word we do not know we need to decode and then finish the sentence by using crosschecking to understand the meaning. We also need to mentally mark how the different correspondences sound when put together. After decoding we always go back to reread the sentence. We will now read a book to our neighbor. Everyone get out their cover up critter to help us decode if we need to. The book we will be reading today is Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy. Junie B. is very excited because her school is having pet day! She is looking forward to bringing her dog and showing him off when oh no! Dogs are not allowed. She has no other pet to bring she thinks about bringing a raccoon, a worm, even a dead fish! Let’s read to find out what Junie B. decides to bring to her class!
Say: Everyone get with your neighbor and grab a book we will begin reading the first 3 pages silently to yourself mentally marking difficult correspondences to ensure our fluency gets better.

Remember to use your decoding ability and crosscheck to grow your fluency making mental marks of the new correspondences. (Pass out timer and recording sheets for each student while they read silently).

After all students read silently and pages are passed out say: Now we are going to play reading for fluency game! Reader one will go first and reader two will control the timer and have the check list. Reader two will time reader one while he/she reads the first two pages. After reader one is finished reader two will stop the timer and write down the time on the check list I have passed out. Everyone see where the 1st time goes? (wait for response) That is right in the space beside “1st time”. After this is done reader two will give reader one the timer and begin reading the next two pages. While reader two is reading what will reader one be doing? Using the timer he/she will start the timer and after reader two reads his/her two pages reader one will stop the timer and record the time shown. Reader one will then read his/her pages again to reader two recording the time. We will do this a total of three times like the check sheet shows. As your partner reads, you need to listen closely to how he/she reads each time. Do they remember more words, read faster, read smoother, read with expression? Listen so you can write on the check list how your partner improves his/her fluency. Everyone ready? Remember to use helpful words and encouraging comments with your partner! Okay Begin!
After each student has read with his/her partner 3 times the teacher will come around and take up the check lists. Instruct the students to write a short paragraph detailing what happened in the story when reading to his/her partner. While students are doing this the teacher will have each individual student come up to his/her desk and look over the check list. The student will read a passage from the story while the teacher times them. The teacher will then calculate how many words per minute the student read by using the formula: Words X 60/ seconds read. Show the student his/her improvement from the peer readings to now by using the chart with Junie B. and the fish moving in increments of 5 all the way to 85 (being the goal). Ask a few questions to assess the student’s comprehension of the passage.

Assessment:

Peer Fluency Check

Name of Reader: ____________________

Date: _________________

1st Time: ________

2nd Time: ________

3rd Time: ________

I noticed that my partner…

After which read? 2nd 3rd

Remembered more words

Read faster

Read smoother

Read with expression

Teacher Fluency Check

Name of Reader: _______________

Date: _________________

Time: ________

Words x 60/time in seconds: _______WPM

Comprehension:

1. What was this paragraph about?

2. What characters are being discussed?

3. Is there a problem happening in the story?

References:

Mary Margaret Beck. Fishy Fluency with Junie B. http://marymargaretbeck1.wixsite.com/missbecksclass

Bruce Murray. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/fluency.html

Click here to return to Index