From Our Strategy Library

Reading Fluency: http://www.readingrockets.org/atoz/fluency/

From our strategy library

·  Choral Reading

·  Reader's Theater

·  Shared Reading

·  Tape Assisted Reading

·  Timed Repeated Readings

Classroom Strategies

Choral Reading

Choral reading is reading aloud in unison with a whole class or group of students. Choral reading helps build students' fluency, self-confidence, and motivation. Because students are reading aloud together, students who may ordinarily feel self-conscious or nervous about reading aloud have built-in support.

Why use choral reading?

·  It can provide less skilled readers the opportunity to practice and receive support before being required to read on their own.

·  It provides a model for fluent reading as students listen.

·  It helps improve the ability to read sight words.

When to use: / During reading
How to use: / Individually With small groups / Whole class setting

How to use choral reading

1.  Choose a book or passage that works well for reading aloud as a group:

o  patterned or predictable (for beginning readers)

o  not too long; and

o  is at the independent reading level of most students

2.  Provide each student a copy of the text so they may follow along. (Note: You may wish to use an overhead projector or place students at a computer monitor with the text on the screen)

3.  Read the passage or story aloud and model fluent reading for the students.

4.  Ask the students to use a marker or finger to follow along with the text as they read.

5.  Reread the passage and have all students in the group read the story or passage aloud in unison.

Classroom Strategies

Reader's Theater

Reader's Theater is a strategy for developing reading fluency. It involves children in oral reading through reading parts in scripts. In using this strategy, students do not need to memorize their part; they need only to reread it several times, thus developing their fluency skills. The best Reader's Theater scripts include lots of dialogue.

Why use Reader's Theater?

·  It promotes fluency.

·  It helps readers learn to read aloud with expression.

·  It helps build reading confidence.

When to use: During reading
How to use: With small groups

How to use Reader's Theater

1.  Choose a story that can be divided into parts (such as characters)
Note: Click here for tips on choosing appropriate scripts

2.  Assign reading parts to each child.

3.  Ask students to read their scripts orally for practice.

4.  Have students read assigned parts to the audience.

Classroom Strategies

Shared Reading

Why use Shared Reading?

·  It provides struggling readers with necessary support.

·  Shared reading of predictable text can build sight word knowledge and reading fluency

·  Allows students to enjoy materials that they may not be able to read on their own.

·  Ensures that all students feel successful by providing support to the entire group.

When to use: Before reading During reading After reading
How to use: Individually With small groups Whole class setting / t

How to use shared reading

1.  Introduce the story by discussing the title, cover, and author/illustrator. Ask the students to make predictions regarding what they think the story might be about.

2.  Read the story aloud to the students using appropriate inflection and tone. Pause and ask the students to make predictions. Ask brief questions to determine students' comprehension level.

3.  Conclude the reading by reserving time for reactions and comments. Ask questions about the story and relate the story to the students' similar experiences. Ask the children to retell the story in their own words.

4.  Re-read the story and/or allow time for independent reading.

5.  Conduct follow-up activities such as making crafts related to the story.

Classroom Strategies

Tape Assisted Reading

Tape assisted reading is an individual or group reading activity where students read along in their books as they hear a fluent reader read the book on an audiotape. As confidence and reading skills develop, students read the same passage or text without the assistance of the tape.

Why use taped assisted reading?

·  It helps to build fluency skills including proper phrasing and expression.

·  It helps students improve sight word recognition.

·  It helps build comprehension.

·  It allows students to hear the tone and pace of a skillful reader.

·  It's a flexible strategy that can be used across content areas.

When to use: / During reading
How to use: / Individually With small groups

How to use tape assisted reading

1.  Choose a reading passage and audio recording of the reading that is slightly above students' independent reading levels.

2.  Ask students to listen to the tape or (downloaded audio) while following along on the paper copy of the passage.

3.  Have students read out loud along out loud with the audio recording.

4.  Ask students to read the passage without the audio.

5.  Have students read and re-read along with the audio until they feel comfortable reading the text unassisted.

Notes

Observe students as they are listening and reading to ensure that they're able to follow along accurately. If limited tape recorders are available, rotate students through using a timer or as one of your stations during center time.

Classroom Strategies

Timed Repeated Readings

Timed repeated readings are an instructional practice for monitoring students' fluency development. Repeated readings, under timed conditions, of familiar instructional level text can increase students' reading speed which can improve comprehension.

Why use timed repeated readings?

·  It improves reading rate, one aspect of fluency.

·  It improves reading accuracy, a second aspect of fluency, and leads to improved comprehension.

When to use: / During reading
How to use: / Individually

Timed repeated readings should be done using books or passages the student has read before that are at an independent reading level (i.e. books the student can read with 95% accuracy or above). Most timed repeated reading sessions should include 3-4 re-readings of the same text.

How to use timed repeated readings

You will need:

·  Two copies of the assessment passage — one for the student and one for the teacher

·  Stopwatch or clock

·  Pencil

Carefully select passage to be used, and determine the type of assessment information you want to gather:

One minute reading. The student reads for 1 minute. The teacher or partner counts the number of words read correctly in one minute (WCPM). This score is as valid as calculating perfect correct or accuracy on longer readings. Provide some practice time with non-assessment reading material before beginning the 1 minute timed reading.

Timed repeated readings. The student reads the same passage for 1 minute multiple times (3-5). The teacher or partner counts how words the student read in 1 minute. The number of words read results can be graphed using a bar graph.

Words correct per minute (WCPM). Choose a passage. Time the student when s/he reads the passage.

Example

A student read a story with 148 words in 2 minutes, 55 seconds. She made 8 errors. To determine WCPM:

1.  Count the total number of words.
Example: 148

2.  Count the number of mistakes.
Example: 18

3.  Take the number of words minus the number of mistakes = number of words read correctly.
Example: 148-18 = 130

4.  Calculate percent accuracy: number of words read correctly divided by total number of words.
Example: 130/148 = 87%

5.  Convert the time it took to read the passage to seconds.
Example: 2 minutes, 55 seconds = 175 seconds

6.  Convert the number of seconds to a decimal by dividing the number of seconds by 60. This is the total reading time.
Example: 175 / 60 = 2.91

7.  Divide the number of words read correctly by the total reading time in decimal form.
Example: 130 / 2.91 = 45 WCPM

Use these fluency norms from Hasbrouck and Tindal (8K PDF)* to determine the child's approximate percentile for oral reading fluency.

Differentiated instruction

For second language learners, students of varying reading skill, students with learning disabilities, and younger learners

·  Encourage students to become familiar with the strategy before introducing a stop watch.

·  Begin with materials that are familiar to the student.

·  Accommodate students who have speech impediments. Have them talk to you or read an extremely easy passage. Record their fastest rate of speech. Do not expect them to be able to read faster than this rate.

·  Use repeated reading as practice for the timed repeated reading. Have students read passages aloud several times while receiving feedback and guidance from an adult.

·  Have the adult or a more proficient student read the passage. Then have the student read the passage.

·  Teach students to be proud of their own progress and not compare it to others. Keep scores private.

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