Reading Fluency

Chapter 5

Reading Stages

Stage 1: Pre-emergent Reading

Beginning to interact during reading experiences

Anticipate repetition, rhyme, familiar book language

Background knowledge, illustrations, and text to make predictions

Traits

Repetition of stories being read

Begins to try to retell stories

Joins in during oral reading

Is aware that the text carries the meaning but might not have a true understanding of the message

Begins to mimic reading-like-behaviors

Begins to make text to self connections

Recognizes their name or first letter in print

The Pre-emergent Teacher’s facilitating role:

Share literature in the form of Lap Books, Big Books, Class Books to model reading behaviorsShared writing experiencesDemonstrations of how letters and words function together in printRepetition, rhyme, and rhythm are important for children to hear through stories, charts

Books such as pattern books and picture books should be available for children to re-read and interact with during free time

“Think Along” also known as “Think Aloud” needs to be discussed and modeled while reading to children

Stage 2: Emergent Reading

The development and demonstration of reading-like behaviors begin to emerge

Stories are retold or summarized using illustrations

Environmental print is noticed and beginning to be read

This reader is beginning to understand letter/sound relationships (phonics)

TraitsRecognizes their name as well as environmental printRealizes the words and pictures tell a storyRecognizes some known words in printBeginning to develop an understanding of concepts about print

Beginning to use some book language/talking like a book

One-to-one correspondence beginning to be established on books with limited text

Exhibit a curiosity about reading and how it works

Can locate their own name

The Emergent Teacher’s facilitating role:

Shared reading is important where the teacher models one-to-one matching and thinks out loud about the story while emphasizing the print carries the message

Child needs to be exposed to stories that have a predictable text with supporting illustrations

Discussion beyond the literal level should occur before, during and after readingEncourage exploration of letter-sound relationships in contextModel reading strategies: re-reading, how to make predictions, decoding wordsChildren should be given opportunities to read, use environmental print, retell and hear favorite stories over and over again

Stage 3 Early Reading

Transition occurs from reading like behaviors to word-by-word reading

No longer relies on memorization

One-to-one correspondence has been established

Able to read new text

Beginning to focus on exactly what is written on the page

At the end of the this stage the child is able to check to make sure what is read “looks right” and “makes sense”

Variety of reading strategies are used: rereading, searching through the whole word, decoding the beginning sound of a word, using what they know about words to figure out unknown words

TraitsWhat is said matches what is written but is still tracking words

Relies heavily on meaning, pictures, and initial letters of words

Knowledge base of high frequency words

Reads out-loud, usually slow but self-corrects errors

Fluency and expression beginning to be used

Strategies used when reading unfamiliar text

Can write many high-frequency words and read some phrases fluently

Early Reading Teacher’s facilitating role:

Books needed with longer sentences and text less dependent on illustrations or story patternsOpportunities to respond to reading: journal, pictures, discussionEncourage rereading of familiar booksClass books used as reading material and read to them dailyDevelop word walls (high-frequency words, problem words, subject words

Read around the room as a class and during free time

Model strategies

Provide books to take home each night

Provide a good introduction to a new story which will support comprehension

Picture walk: discuss what might happen

Children can locate difficult words/phrases while looking at the text

How to assess fluencySight word fluency

Put Thorndike-Lorge Magazine Count words from page 72 on index cards

Show student the cards and see how many they can read

By the end of Kindergarten they child should be able to accurately and quickly recognize all 25 words.

Oral reading fluency

Checking their reading rate or speed

How many words correct per minute

Wcpm

Page 73 has the 107 Most Frequently Used Words in Written Language

DIBELS

Effective Fluency InstructionIn groups of 4 discuss the necessity of these 7 and be ready to share

Explicit Instruction

Modeling

Reading Practice

Access to appropriate challenging reading materials

Use of oral and silent reading

Monitoring and accountability

Wide and repeated reading

Now let’s try Implementing the Fluency Instructional Plan

In pairs, you will be given a type of fluency strategy to present a 5 minute presentation on next time to the class.

This may be a short Powerpoint or simply a few notes and examples of the topic.

The topics are:

• Introducing vocabulary• Word walls• Scooping• Guided oral reading• Choral reading• Echo reading• Paired reading• Neurological impress method-NIM• Wide oral reading• Scaffolded Silent Reading (ScSR)• Readers’ theater• Radio reading• Technology in reading