Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Fluency Activity for Your Literacy Centers


Freebie Fridays
 

Hi, Everyone!
The increased emphasis on fluency instruction is making such a difference for our young readers, both in the way their text reading sounds and their level of comprehension. Can you remember how   a poor little struggler would be stumbling along and couldn't possibly remember the beginning of a sentence by the time he got to the end of it? Who knew that focused instruction and practice with phrasing, expression, and intonation could make such a difference ?!?

I can remember as a Reading Recovery teacher when I would prompt a child to "Read it faster", but honestly was thinking that the child was probably reading as quickly as he could. But it turns out that the specific prompting, practice, and expectation really do work! As in lots of other areas, we just can't assume that our struggling learners will "get it" unless we intervene with very specific and explicit  instruction!

Here's a bit of what the Panel had to say about fluency:

"Fluent readers are able to read orally with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Fluency is one of several critical factors necessary for reading comprehension. Despite its importance as a component of skilled reading, fluency is often neglected in the classroom. This is unfortunate. If text is read in a laborious and inefficient manner, it will be difficult for the child to remember what has been read and to relate the ideas expressed in the text to his or her background knowledge. Recent research on the efficacy of certain approaches to teaching fluency has led to increased recognition of its importance in the classroom and to changes in instructional practices."

 Most of your work with fluency will probably be during reading conferences, but here's a way to add fluency practice, specifically fluent phrasing, to your literacy centers.

Your students can use this set of cards independently or with a partner. You might even want to use a stopwatch or the second hand on your classroom clock (aha! some sneaky practice with time!:) for your students to play beat the clock with the phrase cards.

Click on the picture to download your copy at my Teachers Notebook shop.


 
Happy Teaching!




 


10 comments:

  1. I'm always looking for helpful ways to increase fluency! Thanks for sharing. :)

    Lisa
    Learning Is Something to Treasure

    ReplyDelete
  2. The moment I saw the words "Reading Recovery" I knew I needed to follow you. I'm Reading Recovery trained. I teach first grade, but that training sure made me a better teacher all around. I'm sure you can agree.
    ❀ Tammy
    Forever in First

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tammy, I have nothing but praise for Reading Recovery - it is totally a life saver for so many children! Sure, it doesn't "save" everybody, but no program or method does, and RR's track record puts most other interventions to shame.
    As far as the influence on the teacher, I totally agree with you! I taught it for 5 years, and it changed me forever as a teacher. RR teaches you to fine tune instruction, and to be more cognizant of the little steps or confusions along the way that can stall a struggling learners progress, whether in literacy or any other academic area.
    Boy, that was an earful - sorry! :)
    Thanks for following, Tammy!

    Linda

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  4. Thanks for following, Amanda! I'll be sure to stop by your blog.

    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  5. Linda, I totally agree with you about Reading Recovery and what you wrote about fluency. When I taught kindergarten, I really stressed the importance of the children knowing what they read and being able to talk like someone they would watch or listen to on TV or radio. By the end of kindergarten, I had 1/3 of my class reading between DRA levels 8 and 22. My children were so good at reading with expression and feeling that when the 4th grade came in to watch our reading show at the end of the year, they were astounded.

    Thank you for your thoughtful comment on my blog. It's so nice to receive those comments - they really make my day! I would love to take you up on your offer to feature me on your blog. Just let me know if you want me to answer any questions, or if you need any pictures.

    Sharon Dudley, NBCT
    http://teachingwithsight.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Replies
    1. You're welcome, Sarah! Thanks for leaving your comment!
      Linda

      Delete
  7. Thanks for the great freebie! Found you through Maniac Monday :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks, Breanne - I appreciate your comment!
    Linda

    ReplyDelete

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