Activities to increase Speed and Accuracy.
Timed Repeated Reading
Repeated reading is one of the most powerful tools for developing fluency. Just as athletes and musicians must practice to develop mastery, so must readers practice to become fluent. Timed repeated readings can increase students' reading speed which can improve comprehension.
Timed repeated readings should be done using books or passages the student has read before and are at his or her independent reading level. Most timed repeated reading sessions include 3-4 re-readings of the same text.
To conduct a timed repeated reading, have the student read a passage 3-4 times, recording the students time with each reading. As the student re-reads the passage, he or she should increase speed and become more fluent. Have the student record his or her time on a repeated reading chart to show how speed improved with each reading.
Repeated reading is one of the most powerful tools for developing fluency. Just as athletes and musicians must practice to develop mastery, so must readers practice to become fluent. Timed repeated readings can increase students' reading speed which can improve comprehension.
Timed repeated readings should be done using books or passages the student has read before and are at his or her independent reading level. Most timed repeated reading sessions include 3-4 re-readings of the same text.
To conduct a timed repeated reading, have the student read a passage 3-4 times, recording the students time with each reading. As the student re-reads the passage, he or she should increase speed and become more fluent. Have the student record his or her time on a repeated reading chart to show how speed improved with each reading.
Timed Repeated Reading Chart | |
File Size: | 46 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Sight Word Fluency
Improving sight word fluency also improves reading speed. Using flash cards or PowerPoint presentations, have students practice reading sight words. Students should be able to recongnize these words automatically without sounding them out. Various sight word lists exist and are appropriate for students. Below are several lists.
Click here for Dolch sight word lists.
Improving sight word fluency also improves reading speed. Using flash cards or PowerPoint presentations, have students practice reading sight words. Students should be able to recongnize these words automatically without sounding them out. Various sight word lists exist and are appropriate for students. Below are several lists.
Click here for Dolch sight word lists.
Fry's 600 Word List | |
File Size: | 112 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Function Words | |
File Size: | 37 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Echo Reading
In echo reading, the teacher reads a selection of the text aloud while the students read silently in their own texts. Students then "echo" the passage back. Sections of text need to be long enough that students are required to rely on reading their texts and prohibited from just repeating what the teacher said. This strategy is particularly useful with a difficult text.
Partner or Paired Reading
Paired reading is a research-based fluency strategy used with readers who lack fluency. In this strategy, students read aloud to each other. When using partners, more fluent readers can be paired with less fluent readers, or children who read at the same level can be paired to reread a story they have already read. Paired reading can be used with any book, taking turns reading by
sentence, paragraph, page or chapter.
Choral Reading
Choral reading involves simultaneous reading of a passage. 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.
Choral reading activities with a wide variety of texts.
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.
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.
In echo reading, the teacher reads a selection of the text aloud while the students read silently in their own texts. Students then "echo" the passage back. Sections of text need to be long enough that students are required to rely on reading their texts and prohibited from just repeating what the teacher said. This strategy is particularly useful with a difficult text.
Partner or Paired Reading
Paired reading is a research-based fluency strategy used with readers who lack fluency. In this strategy, students read aloud to each other. When using partners, more fluent readers can be paired with less fluent readers, or children who read at the same level can be paired to reread a story they have already read. Paired reading can be used with any book, taking turns reading by
sentence, paragraph, page or chapter.
Choral Reading
Choral reading involves simultaneous reading of a passage. 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.
Choral reading activities with a wide variety of texts.
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.
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.
Activities to increase Prosody.
Reader's Theater
Reader's Theater involves students reading parts in scripts. In using this strategy, students do not need to memorize their parts. Rather, through practicing reading their parts in preparation for a performance, students improve fluency through re-reading. Students also improve prosody by personifying their character in voice and expression. Reader's Theater scripts should be practiced multiple times and end in performance for an audience.
Reader's Theater can also be used to learn information in other content areas. Scripts are available to help teach math, science, and history concepts.
Scripts should be chosen at students' independent or instructional level. Scripts with a lot of dialogue work best. Below are links to websites with multiple reader's theater scripts:
Timeless Teacher Stuff: Scroll down the page to find a list of reader's theater scripts.
Reading A-Z has leveled reader's theater scripts.
Reader's Theater Scripts
Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays
The Reading Lady Reader's Theater Scripts
Expressive Reading
Reader's Theater involves students reading parts in scripts. In using this strategy, students do not need to memorize their parts. Rather, through practicing reading their parts in preparation for a performance, students improve fluency through re-reading. Students also improve prosody by personifying their character in voice and expression. Reader's Theater scripts should be practiced multiple times and end in performance for an audience.
Reader's Theater can also be used to learn information in other content areas. Scripts are available to help teach math, science, and history concepts.
Scripts should be chosen at students' independent or instructional level. Scripts with a lot of dialogue work best. Below are links to websites with multiple reader's theater scripts:
Timeless Teacher Stuff: Scroll down the page to find a list of reader's theater scripts.
Reading A-Z has leveled reader's theater scripts.
Reader's Theater Scripts
Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays
The Reading Lady Reader's Theater Scripts
Expressive Reading
Expressive Reading Exercises | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Rasinski Phrases First 100 Words | |
File Size: | 93 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Rasinski Phrases Second 100 Words | |
File Size: | 108 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Rasinski Phrases Third 100 Words | |
File Size: | 270 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Chunking
Chunking is a method of fluency instruction that encourages students to move beyond word-by-word reading. Chunking entails reading phrases, clauses, and sentences by dividing text into chunks. It can help students improve both their prosody and their comprehension.
With this approach, you should begin by modeling the chunking of a portion of familiar text. The text may be written on the blackboard, on sentence strips, or on individual sheets of paper that are copied for each student. Using a think-aloud strategy, you should model dividing the text into three- to four-word chunks or phrases, placing slash marks where the reader should pause. Then show the students how to "read" (or pause at) the slash marks. Students can then practice reading the same selection of text in chunks.
Once students are successful reading text that has been chunked for them, they can practice identifying chunks themselves in another text. The students can place an overhead transparency over a text they are reading and use an overhead pen to mark slashes, or they can use a highlighter or marker to make slashes on a paper copy of text.
With this approach, you should begin by modeling the chunking of a portion of familiar text. The text may be written on the blackboard, on sentence strips, or on individual sheets of paper that are copied for each student. Using a think-aloud strategy, you should model dividing the text into three- to four-word chunks or phrases, placing slash marks where the reader should pause. Then show the students how to "read" (or pause at) the slash marks. Students can then practice reading the same selection of text in chunks.
Once students are successful reading text that has been chunked for them, they can practice identifying chunks themselves in another text. The students can place an overhead transparency over a text they are reading and use an overhead pen to mark slashes, or they can use a highlighter or marker to make slashes on a paper copy of text.
Look for the Signals
"Look for the Signals," described by Opitz and Rasinski in Good-Bye Round Robin, is a procedure where you show students how punctuation and other typographical signals (punctuation marks, large or bold print, underlining, and italics) affect expression and meaning. In "Look for the Signals," you select a sentence from a book the students have read or will be reading. The sentence should include an example of the specific signal to which you want the students to attend. For example, if you want to demonstrate that commas indicate a need for pause, you might show how altering the placement of the comma in the following sentences completely changes the meaning of the text:
Erik, my teacher is fabulous.
Erik, my teacher, is fabulous.
A chart for emphasizing punctuation.
Erik, my teacher is fabulous.
Erik, my teacher, is fabulous.
A chart for emphasizing punctuation.