GROWING INDEPENDENCE & FLUENCY

Rationale:

The goal of this lesson is to help students become fluent readers allowing for a greater focus on reading comprehension. Fluency is the ability to complete a task effortlessly and efficiently. Fluency in reading allows a student to read a text smoothly and can make reading more enjoyable because it brings the focus to the meaning of the text. In order to have fluency, students must first know how to decode. Through reading, decoding, crosschecking, mental marking, and rereading, students will strengthen their fluency and work to become fluent readers. 

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Materials:

• Whiteboard

• Dry erase markers

• Copy of assessment questions

• The Absent Author by Ron Roy

• Copy of chapter two and three (The Absent Author) for each student

• Stopwatch for every pair of students

• Fluency checklist for each student

• Pencils for each student

• Calculator for each student

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Procedures:

1. Begin the reading lesson by stating, “Our goal today is to become fluent readers. Does anyone know what it means to be a fluent reader?” [Allow time for students to respond] Then, give an overview of what fluent reading is after hearing and discussing the students’ thoughts. State, “A fluent reader is someone who can read effortlessly, efficiently, and automatically. This allows us to focus on the central message of the story and understand more about the characters and plot. Becoming a fluent reader can make reading exciting and interesting! Who’s ready to get started?”

2. Say, “Today we are going to read a book called The Absent Author. Before we start reading, I want use to take a closer look at what it means to be a fluent reader. I am going to read this sentence from our book two times [write the following sentence on the board “The kids clapped and cheered”]. [Slowly read the following sentence and follow along on the board: The kids clapped and cheered] “The kk-iii-dd-sss cc-lll-aaa-pp-ee-dd and chh-eeeee-rrr-ee-ddd”. "I read the sentence super slow which made it hard to understand the sentence". “Now I am going to read it one more time but this time I am going to read quicker and smoother” [Fluently read the same sentence and follow along on the board] “The kids clapped and cheered”. State, “This is how a fluent reader reads. Did you notice how it was easier to understand because I read clearer, smoother, and more fluent? By learning sight words, your reading will become more fluent and you will also improve your understanding of the book by focusing on the plot of the story”. “Let’s keep practicing becoming fluent readers!”

3. Say, “As readers, we may get stuck on harder words every now and then. One way to try and figure out those harder words is by reading the rest of the sentence. Sometimes the end of the sentence has hidden clues that can help us figure out what another word in the sentence is. For example, let’s look at our sentence again [point to sentence on the board used in previous exercise] read “The kids cc-lll… I can’t figure out this word. I am going to finish the sentence and see if I can figure it out… and cheered. Hmmm… what else do people do when they cheer? OH! They clapped… the word is clapped. The kids clapped and cheered. Do you see how reading the rest of the sentence can sometimes help us figure out a word we are unsure of? Keep this in mind as we go through the rest of today’s activities!”

4. Say, “Today we are going to start reading a chapter book called The Absent Author by Ron Roy. In this story, a boy named Dink and his two best friends, Josh and Ruth, go to a bookstore excited to meet the famous author Wallis Wallace. However, the author never shows up. The group of friends grow worried. As they gather evidence, they begin to believe Wallis has been kidnapped. Oh no! Will Dink, Josh, and Ruth be able to figure out what happened to Wallis and save him before it’s too late? We are going to have to keep reading to find out! Let’s start by reading chapter one” [precede by reading chapter one to the class].

5. Say, “Now, we are going to find a buddy and pair up! One partner needs to come up to the front and grab a few supplies. You will need two copies of chapter two, two fluency checklists, two calculators, a pencil, and a stopwatch [have everything orderly and laid out up front making it easier for student to remember what they need to grab]. The other partner needs to find a good spot for you to work. [Write directions on the board as students gather their supplies. Directions are as follows: 1-Write the number (# of total words in chapter 2) on your fluency checklist. 2-One partner will read chapter two while the other partner uses the stopwatch to time the reading and will mark a tally (draw example of a tally) for any mistakes made. 3-switch roles. 4-repeat two more times. 5-Put supplies back up but keep your individual fluency charts and calculators. 6-Make your way back to your seat and sit quietly waiting for the rest of the class to finish.] After all of the students have gathered their supplies, read the directions out loud. In addition to step 1 state, “This number is the total number of words in chapter two. It will be important later on in our lesson”. In addition to step 2 state, “If you are listening to your partner, then try not to help them with any words they are unsure of and make sure to listen very carefully so you can mark any mistakes they may make.” After reading the directions state, “Alright you all can go ahead and get started!”

6. Once all students have made their way back to their seat and everyone seems to be finished, say, “Now that we’ve read chapters one and two let’s do a little review so we can make sure we understand the story.” [Read assessment questions giving students time to answer and review correct answers].  Say, “Very good!” “Let’s take a look back at those fluency charts. We are going to do a little bit of math. For your first reading take the total number of words in chapter two [give exact #] and subtract the number of mistakes you made. The answer you get is your WPM (words per minute).” [Walk around and assist students if needed]. “Great work everyone!”

7. Say, “We have one more activity to do!” [Pass one piece of blank paper to each student] “I want each of you to write what you think has happened to Wallis the author and why. Be sure to include evidence from the book to back up your answer. Once you have finished you can come turn in your fluency chart and prediction to me at my desk. If you finish before everyone else, then grab chapter three of our story and see if you can uncover any more clues. Go ahead and get started. If you have any questions, then raise your hand and I will come help you.”

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Discussion/Assessment Questions:

1. Who are the three main characters so far? 

           Dink, Josh, and Ruth

   2.  Who is Dink excited to meet?

           Wallis Wallace – Dink’s favorite author

   3.  What does Dink think happened to Mr. Wallace?

           That he has been kidnapped.

   4.  Why?

           In Mr. Wallace’s letter to Dink he wrote, “Short of being kidnapped, nothing will stop me from coming”.

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Fluency Chart:

Name: ___________________________________

Partners Name: ___________________________

Title of Book: _____________________________

Total number of words: _____________________

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References:

Adapted from - Kendall McKone​

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Resources:

The Absent Author by Ron Roy

Roy, R., & Gurney, J. S. (2015). The Absent Author. New York: Random House

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