Growing Independence and Fluency

Growing Independence and Fluency Design: As Fast as a Mouse Fluency!

Cassidy Pilcher

Rationale: To become fluent in reading, students should focus on reading accurately, automatically, and quicker. When students are more fluent in their reading, they are able to comprehend text much easier. Becoming more fluent in reading also makes students enjoy their readings more because they can do it effortlessly and understand the text. The more a student practices, the faster and more fluent they become at reading. It is important to increase reading rate as well as increasing their comprehension ability. This lesson will help students to gain reading fluency and independence through repeated reading and the reading of decodable text.

Materials: Dry-erase board, expo markers, poster with the sentence “If you give a mouse a cookie, they will want milk too.” Stopwatch, reading rate chart, partner reading feedback sheet for each student, partner reading progress checklist, clipboard, class set of the book “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.”

Procedures:

1. Explain the lesson: Say: “Today we are going to work on our reading fluency. Fluency is when you read words quickly and automatically while using expression. When we are able to read fluently, it is easy to understand the words in the text and comprehend what may be happening in a book. Also, when you are able to read more fluently, it makes reading time more fun and exciting! With a partner, we are going to read the same book three different times. While your partner is reading, you will time them on how long it takes them to read it. Each time I want you to set a goal for yourself that is quicker than the time before.

2. Model Fluent and Non-Fluent Reading: I will show the poster with the sentence, “If you give a mouse a cookie, they will want milk too.” This sentence will model fluent and non-fluent reading to the class. Say: “I am going to read this sentence two times out loud. When I am done, we will discuss which time I read fluently.” First reading: “If you gi-ve, giv-e, give a mouse a coo-kie, they will wa-nt mi-lk too.” Second reading: If you give a mouse a cookie, they will want milk too.” Now we are going to vote on which reading sounded more like a fluent reader. To vote for the first reader, raise one arm. To vote for the second reader, raise both arms up. You are all correct, the second time was more fluent than the first. Why did it sound better the second time I read the sentence? That is right, I did not have to stop at any of the words. I was faster and read with expression. Say: “Now let’s read the sentence together slowly. If you g-i-v-e a m-o-u-s-e a c-oo-k-ie, th-e-y w-i-ll w-ant m-i-l-k t-oo. Let’s see if it will get easier after we read it for a second time. If you give a m-o-u-s-e a c-oo-k-ie, they will want m-i-l-k too. I believe we read it easier that time, but I read it slowly and without any expression. Let me read it one more time. If you give a mouse a cookie, they will want milk too! The last time I read the sentence fluently and with expression.

3. Review a Strategy:

a. Using a Cover Up Critter: I will model how to use a cover up critter when finding an unfamiliar word. Say: “We can use cover-up critters to help us decode an unfamiliar word we haven’t learned yet. *I will write the word sticky on the board.* I am going to use my cover-up critter to help me decode this word. * I will cover up all letters but s. /s/…sss. *Then I will uncover t. /t/… /st/. *Next I will uncover the i. /i/… /sti/. *Next I will uncover ck. /k/… /stik/. Lastly I will uncover y. /y/…/stiky/… Sticky! This word is sticky. We used our cover-up critter to blend all of our correspondences together to find out the word.

b. Crosschecking: Say: “Another strategy that fluent readers can use is crosschecking. Did you notice how I thought about what a word should be when I finished the sentence? This is called crosschecking. You can use crosschecking when you come to a word you don't know- all you have to do is finish the sentence to see if you can figure out the pronunciation.

4. Partner Reading: I will pair the students into partners. I will give each pair a stopwatch, a copy of the story If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, two reading rate charts, fluency checklist, and a partner reading feedback sheet. Say: You and your partner are going or take turns reading the book I gave you three times each to build your fluency. Each time, one person will be the reader and the other will be the timer. You will record your partner’s time on the reading rate chart after each time. When you are the timer, be sure to start the timer as soon as your partner starts reading, and stop the timer as soon as your partner is done reading. After your partner has read once, fill out the fluency chart, and give them feedback using your partner reading feedback sheet. This will help them realize what they need to work on, and motivate them to work hard to meet their goal.”

5. Motivate the Reader: I will introduce the book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” by giving a book talk. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is about a little mouse who is given a cookie by a young boy. After he gets his cookie he will ask for many other things. What do you think he will ask for? We will have to keep reading to find out!

6. Reader Response: Say: “Since we have read the book three times, I have a few questions for you to answer about the story. *Hand out worksheet with the following reading comprehension questions listed*

Reading Comprehension Questions:

- What did the mouse need for his cookie?

- What did he look for in the mirror?

- What did he use the scissors for?

- When the mouse wanted to draw what did he ask for?

- Where did he want to hang the picture?

- How did the story end?

Assessment: I will assess the students by grading their comprehension questions, reviewing their reading rate, and partner feedback form.

Reading Rate Chart: WPM = words x 60/seconds

Words Per Minute 1 2 3 4

Less than 50

51-56

57-62

63-68

69-74

75-80

81+

Partner Reading Progress Checklist:

Title of Book: ___________________________________________

Total number of words in the book: __________________________

Reader: ________________________________________________

Checker: _______________________________________________

1: _____ words in ____ seconds

2: _____ words in ____ seconds

3: _____ words in ____ seconds

Which turn sounded the smoothest? _________________________

Which turn had the least amount of errors? ____________________

References:

Flying into Fluency, Sherell Brown

https://sites.google.com/view/readingwithmsbrown/growing-independence-fluency

Flying into Fluency, Kaylee Mayhew

https://sites.google.com/site/lessondesignsctrd/home/growing-fluency-design

Book: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff

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