Fluency

Our readings on fluency this week really helped me to understand how useless reading is without the ability to comprehend the words and phrases a reader is taking in. Without fluency  can we even call them readers, considering how essential comprehension is? Without fluency they are unable to read with accuracy, rate or speed, prosody, or comprehension. We as educators must integrate literature and activities that will foster fluency growth in our students. This can be done through reading books that are easier than their individual reading level in order to allow them to grow the comfortability and confidence in coding the words that they may then be able to practice and develop the skills that make up fluency. 

Below are some more activities to enhance fluency development that educators have posted online:

1.Fluency Quilt

These quilts are made with gallon size Ziploc bags and Color Duct tape.  I use the bags without any writing on it. When I teach reading to my First Graders, I want them to recognize the phonics skills and vocabulary in sentence form.  I found that teaching words by themselves can make it hard for some students to apply it to their reading. Instead of putting just spelling words or vocabulary words in my quilt, I use those words in sentences. 

This is a Tic –Tac- Toe game in my Word Work center.  The colored circles you can cut out using construction paper.  Since I have 4 students per center, it is designed for partner teams who can help each other and take turns.  I filled it with sentences using spelling words with short a, i, and o as well as the HFW/vocabulary words we have learned so far.

2. Broken Hearts

3. Fluency Activity Bag

Directions:   Click here (Adobe Acrobat (pdf) file, 199 KB) to download the fluency activities. Print them on cardstock.  Place them in a gift bag and let children select one.  Use that style for rereading big books, charts, poems, etc.   According to research, it is important to reread the same selection three or four times.  With these cards, it will be exciting to “change voices” and do repeated readings.

Hint!:

• Children could also use these when they do buddy reading.

• Place a mirror in your classroom library so children can look at themselves as they reread.  A phonics phone made out of PVC pipe or a tape recorder can also be used to improve fluency