Miss Davis's Reading Lessons
Rationale: A fluent reader is able to apply effortless word recognition to their readings. This ultimately affects the reader’s speed. Fluent reading is required in order for the reader to comprehend what they are reading. This allows the reader to think about what is happening in the story rather than decoding words. Instead of focusing on decoding word by word, students can instead reflect on what they are reading. Reading fluently enables students to focus on comprehension, remember what all they have read, and make connections between earlier readings and personal experiences. To become a successful reader, one must read fluently, accurately, with expression, and consistently. Fluent reading is essential for comprehension. It is characterized by effortless word recognition. The “Yummy in my Tummy with Fluency” lesson was designed to help readers become more fluent. Fluency can be improved through repeated readings. Repeated readings help students to gain automatic, effortless reading instead of slow decoding. This lesson will teach readers how to use strategies to help them build sight words through using cover-up critters, crosschecking for meaning, repeated readings of a text, and recording progress in paired partner reading to help stay motivated to reread.
Materials: Dry-erase board and marker, Poster with the sentence, “If you give a moose a muffin, he’ll want some jam to go with it”, Cover-up critters, Pencils, Stopwatch, “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” by Laura Numeroff, Reading rate chart, Fluency checklist, Paper, Clipboard
Procedures:
1. Explain the Lesson: Say: “Today we are going to improve our fluency when we read. Fluency is when you read words quickly and automatically with expression. When we are able to read smoothly and effortlessly, it's easy to understand the words and what's happening in a story. It allows the reading to become more exciting as well. With a partner, we are going to read the same book three times. While your partner is reading, you will time them. Each time, you can get better by setting a goal for yourself that was higher than the last.”
2. Model Fluent and Non-fluent Reading: I will show the students the poster with the sentence, “If you give a moose a muffin, he’ll want some jam to go with it”. I will use this sentence to model fluency.
Say: “I am going to read this short passage aloud two times. When I'm done, we'll discuss which time I sounded better.”
(1) If you gi-ve, giv-e, give a /m-oo-sE/ a muffin, he’ll want /so-me/ jam to go with it. Hmmm. He’ll want some jam with it? (Some makes more sense than /so-me/. I am having trouble with some of these new words so I have to finish the sentences to see if I can figure them out.) He’ll want some jam to go /wit-h/ oh, with it.
(2) Now, I'll read this passage again. “If you give a moose a muffin, he’ll want some jam to go with it”.
Put up one finger if you think I sounded better the first time. Put up two fingers if you think I sounded better the second time.
You're right; I definitely sounded better the second time. Why did the second time sound better to you? Exactly, I was faster, and didn't have to stop and figure out any of the words.
Now say: “Let’s read this sentence together slowly. I-f you g-i-v-e a m-m-o-o-s-e a m-m-u-ff-i-n, he’ll w-a-n-t s-o-m-e j-a-m to go w-i-th it. Was that sentence difficult? Yes? That is because there are some unfamiliar words in it. I bet if we read it a second time, it will be easier. Let’s try it. If you give a m-moo-s-e a m-m-u-ffin, he’ll want some j-a-m to go with it. I read it easier that time, but I still think it took a bit too long. I didn’t read it with any expression. Let me read again. *I will read the sentence with exaggerated expression. “If you give a moose a muffin, he’ll want some jam to go with it”!! The third time I read it was much better than the other two because I read it with fluency and expression!”
3. Review a Strategy
I will model how to use the cover-up critters when coming across an unfamiliar word.
“Cover-up critters are tools we use to help us decode, or read an unfamiliar word we don’t know yet. For example, let’s look at the word robin. *I write the word strict on the board. I am going to use my handy dandy cover-up critter to decode this word. *I will cover up all letters except for r. /R/…/r/…rrrr. *Then I uncover o. /o/…./Ro/…/ro/ *Next I uncover b.] /b/…/Rob/…/Rob/…rob. *Then I uncover c. /i/…/robi/… After that, I will uncover n. …/n/../robin/…Robin! This word is robin. We blended all of our correspondences together to find out that the word is strict.”
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. For example, when I thought the word might have been “so-me,” I realized that didn't really make sense once I finished the sentence. The word I was supposed to say was some- the e at the end made me think of the word me by itself. I quickly found out that did not make since once I read the entire sentence.
4. I will pair the children up with partners and give each partner pair a stopwatch and a copy of a page from the text “If You Give a Moose a Muffin, a reading rate chart, and a fluency checklist.
Say: “You and your partner are going to read the page I gave you from “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” three times each to build on your fluency. Each student will take turns being the reader and being the timer. The timer will time your partner reading the book and will record their time on the reading rate chart. When you’re the one timing your partner, be sure that you hit start as soon as your partner starts to read and hit stop as soon as they are done reading. Record all three of the times on your chart. After your partner has read the book once, be sure you fill out the fluency checklist right away so you do not forget the information along with the reading rate chart. This will allow your partner to see if he or she is improving. Help them by giving them the real scores and give helpful feedback. This will really help them realize what they need to work on and focus on the goal!”
5. Motivate the Reader Say: I will introduce the book and give a book talk.
“If You Give a Moose a Muffin is about a very hungry moose. Once the Moose comes to visit, you will have to give him a muffin so that he is not hungry anymore. When he gets the muffin, he begins to feel more at home and comfortable. Once he gets the muffin though, he’ll want more and more of other things. What do you think he will ask for next? I guess we’ll have to keep reading to find out! Let’s start reading! Don’t forget to time your partner and record the results!”
6. Partner Practice with Whole Book: I will then give the same partners two copies of the entire book “If You Give a Moose a Muffin”. The students will use their forms, checklists, and stopwatch to continue to write down their partner’s progress throughout the entire book. I will watch the students read the book. I will walk around the room and ask any questions the students may have and make sure that they are writing the correct time. Once the students are done reading the book, I will ask them questions about the book to see what they really enjoyed about it and how they comprehended it.
Assessment:
Reading Rate: 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 # of words in 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 number of errors? ______
Comprehension Questions:
1. What was the setting of the story?
2. What happens at the beginning of the story?
3. Why does the Moose want more and more stuff after getting the muffin?
4. How does the story end?
5. What would you have asked for after you got the first muffin?
References
Numeroff, Laura. “If You Give a Moose a Muffin”. HarperCollins Publishers
Emma Gilmore, Racing through Reading:
Katy Moore, Fluency is Fantastic!