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Structured Literacy
Structured Literacy
Fluency
Fluency
The ability to read at an appropriate pace with accuracy and proper expression
*note: accuracy should be the #1 focus for fluency, followed by rate and expression. If a student's biggest struggle with oral reading is decoding (accuracy), target your instruction on phonics/decoding and reinforce fluency by having students practice reading words following learned patterns in isolation and in context (phrases, sentences, a paragraph). If a student's biggest struggle with oral reading is rate and/or expression, target these two in your fluency instruction.
Aim for at least 95% accuracy for oral reading - this is needed for comprehension
If a student is accurate, but struggles with rate and/or expression...
For goal setting and progress monitoring, utilize the Dibels 8th Edition Benchmark Goals chart & focus on:
-Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) - Words Correct
-Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) - Accuracy
You may try any of the below interventions in order to target rate and/or expression. Note that these interventions are best utilized AFTER student(s) has had the opportunity to read the text one time, independently. You can choose your intervention below and target specific areas of the text the student had difficulty with in their first read. Remember, we are aiming for at least 95% accuracy for oral reading.
Repeated Reading
Scroll down to subheading, "Improving struggling readers' fluency: Suggestions for intervention" within the article (click below) for explicit directions on the Read Naturally Approach.
Click here for the Read Naturally passages that correlate with this intervention.
Echo Reading
Set a timer for one minute and have student(s) independently read given passage aloud. As they read, mark errors. Once done, count the total number of words read and then subtract the total number of words read incorrectly. This gives you your Words Per Minute (WPM) calculation. To obtain their accuracy score, divide the WPM score by the total number of words read (for example, 43/45 = 95%). If students' accuracy score was 95% or higher but they read with poor rate and/or expression, you can utilize the echo reading intervention. You may focus your echo reading on sentences or phrases within the passage the student made errors in on their first read. After echo reading with student(s), set a one-minute timer and have student read the same passage again. Once again, calculate WPM and accuracy.
Choral Reading
Follow the same beginning procedures for the students' first read, as noted above under "Echo Reading". If students' accuracy score was 95% or higher but they read with poor rate and/or expression, you may implement the choral reading intervention. After choral reading with student(s), set a one-minute timer and have student read the same passage again. Once again, calculate WPM and accuracy.
"Scooping" Phrases
Follow the same beginning procedures for the students' first read, as noted above under "Echo Reading". If students' accuracy score was 95% or higher but they read with poor rate and/or expression, you can implement the "scooping" phrases intervention. After targeted teacher/student practice "scooping" phrases, set a one-minute timer and have student read the same passage again. Once again, calculate WPM and accuracy.
If a student struggles with accuracy, rate, and expression...
Target your instruction on phonics/decoding and reinforce fluency by having students practice reading words following learned patterns in isolation and in context (phrases, sentences, a paragraph).
Other helpful interventions
Previewing Text
"Preview" the text with your student. Ask them to pay special attention to titles, pictures, and words they may not know. When possible, have students code unknown words following patterns they have learned in order to read them. Particularly difficult words can be given to student, unless it follows a pattern student has learned and should be expected to know.
Error Word Phrase Drill
After student has read text at least one time independently, focus your intervention on the words/sentences in which your student had difficulty with.
References
References
Achieve the Core. The Power of Text Sets. https://achievethecore.org/content/upload/Text%20Set%20Guidance.pdf
Gibbons, E. (2016). 44 Decodable Stories. Emily Gibbons, 18, 20. Heggerty. Elkonin Boxes. Retrieved from https://heggerty.org/downloads/elkonin-box-download/
Institute of Education Sciences. Video 36: Choral Reading [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQFlnAukEFs
Institute of Education Sciences. Video 37: Echo Reading [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gRXca5G-Ow
Learning At The Primary Pond. 5 Tips for Teaching Letter Sounds to Kindergarten Students [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZOga43qK9E
Learning At The Primary Pond. 5 Secrets for Teaching Beginning Readers to Blend Sounds [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCxzvprqDY
Lee, K., (2020). MSLE Training Teacher Resources. Kara Lee, 9-14.
Lee, K., (2023). Phonological Processing: Phonemes, Syllables, & Stress. Kara Lee, 1-18.
MsDWLearns. 2020, July 6. Fundations Drill Sounds Warm Up (Letter-Keyword-Sound Cards) [Video]. SchoolTube. https://www.schooltube.com/media/Fundations+Drill+Sounds+Warm+Up+%28Letter-Keyword-Sound+Cards%29/0_fla5ojm1/171825242
National Center on Improving Literacy. Big 5 in Under 5: Phonemic Awareness [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLsCodzmJ6U
PRIDE Reading Program. DIY Tactile Letter Cards [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O34LJNCzO7I
Reading Rockets. Comprehension. https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading-basics/comprehension
Reading A-Z. Comprehension Skill Packs - Short Passages to Model and Practice Comprehension Skills. https://www.readinga-z.com/comprehension/comprehension-skill-packs/
Reading Rockets. "Elkonin Boxes". Reading Rockets, https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/elkonin_boxes
Reading Rockets. Learning ‘b’ and ‘d’ and Reading Short Vowel Words with Aiko, Second Grader [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apQ2-dwu4AE
Reading Rockets. Semantic Gradients [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTaYuYw8GNc&t=168s
Rowland, J., (2022). Building strong alphabet skills. Jennifer Rowland, 1-3.
The Dyslexia Classroom. 2022, April 29. How Does Scooping Phrases Help Fluency [Video]. https://www.thedyslexiaclassroom.com/blog/how-does-scooping-phrases-help-fluency
The Dyslexia Classroom. 2022, March 11. Understanding Reversals in Literacy Instruction [Video]. https://www.thedyslexiaclassroom.com/blog/is-there-a-link-between-reversals-and-dyslexia
University of Florida Learning Institute. https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/ Accessed 27 June 2023.
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