FLUENCYFLUENCYIn The Middle YearsIn The Middle Years

Rebecca Derenge

Title I Reading Coordinator

The Fluent ReaderThe Fluent Reader Oral Reading Strategies for Oral Reading Strategies for Building Word Recognition, Building Word Recognition,

Fluency, and ComprehensionFluency, and Comprehensionbyby

Timothy V. RasinskiTimothy V. Rasinski

Fluency DefinedFluency Defined

• Oral reading fluency . . . . . . . . . .

is the ability to read with accuracy, expression, comprehension and at an appropriate rate.

Why is Fluency Important?Why is Fluency Important?• Students who are fluent readers are better able

to devote their attention to comprehending the text.

• Students who lack fluency have difficulty in reading. To help those struggling readers, attention in the instructional program should be devoted to fluency.

(NRP, 2002; Shanahan 2000; Heilman, Blair, and Rupley 2002)

Silent Reading vs. Oral ReadingSilent Reading vs. Oral Reading

The key is to know when to use oral reading to its full potential.

Oral Reading in the Oral Reading in the Twenty-First CenturyTwenty-First Century

• Listen to an adult read

• Oral reading can build confidence

• Oral reading creates community

• Connects spoken and written language

• Strengthens decoding skills

• Oral reading fosters fluency

The Benefits of the Read AloudThe Benefits of the Read Aloud

• Improves comprehension and vocabulary

• Increases fluency

• Builds motivation

Responding After Read AloudResponding After Read Aloud• Oral response

• Discussion - Think, Pair, Share,

• Visual response

• Creating/drawing pictures - Sketch

• Written response

•Writing to a prompt – Open-ended writing – Journal writing – Poetry writing

• Physical response

• Pantomime – Dance and movement

5 Ways to Build Reading Fluency5 Ways to Build Reading Fluency

• Model good oral reading

• Provide oral support for readers

1. Choral reading

2. Paired reading

3. Using recorded materials

• Offer plenty of practice opportunities

• Encourage fluency through phrasing

• Sustained silent reading

Fluency: Four ComponentsFluency: Four Components• SPEED (Faster is not always better.)

• ACCURACY

• APPROPRIATE EXPRESSION

• COMPREHENSION“CASE” for fluency by Jerry Johns

Round Robin ReadingRound Robin Reading

• It focuses on oral reading performance, rather than understanding

• It rarely engages students• It has little connection to reading in real life• It reduces the time that could be better spent

on quality instructional practices• It teaches students very little• It is embarrassing to poorer readers

How is Rate of Reading How is Rate of Reading Determined?Determined?

1. Count or estimate the words in the selection.

2. Multiply by 60. (WPM)

3. This numeral becomes the dividend.

4. Time the student’s reading in seconds.

5. This numeral becomes the divisor.

6. Do the division. The quotient is the words per minute (WPM).

What Oral Reading Rates are What Oral Reading Rates are Appropriate for Middle Years?Appropriate for Middle Years?

• There is no consensus in literature on the appropriate reading rates. Also, classrooms and schools differ in many variables that impact so-called average oral reading rates.

• Norms for grades 3-5 are based on over 3,500 students reading passages developed for general outcome measurement. (Howe and Smith, 2001)

• You may use the norms presented to help track and monitor student progress when compared to established standards.

““read, read, read”read, read, read”• Educators took a rather

simplistic approach to developing fluency.

• If students read more, they would achieve fluency.

Anticipation GuideAnticipation GuideRead the statements below and write the numbers down of those in which

you agree.

1. Fluency in reading is most relevant at the beginning stages of reading.

2. Fluency is independent of comprehension.

3. It is appropriate to consider fluency in silent reading.

4. Fluency strategies are primarily for students experiencing difficulty in reading.

5. Students should adjust reading rate according to their purposes for reading.

6. Round robin reading is an effective fluency activity.

Reading FlowReading Flow

Words Sense…leads to…

Vocabulary…leads to…

Fluency…leads to…

Comprehension…leads to

Writing….

Fluency provides a bridge between

word recognition

and comprehension.

• Fluency serves as a bridge…because fluent readers are able to identify words accurately and automatically, they can focus most of their attention on comprehension.

• They can make connections among the ideas in the text and between the text and their background knowledge. In other words, fluent readers can recognize words and comprehend at the same time.

The EvidenceThe EvidenceCan practice specifically targeted on word reading improve

fluency and comprehension?

• A study by Fleisher, Jenkins and Pany (1979) is often cited as showing that direct practice to increase efficiency of word identification does not improve fluency or comprehension.

• However, Levy, Abello, and Lysnchuk (1997) reported a carefully controlled study with 4th grade poor readers in which context free practice to increase speed of word identification did positively affect both fluency and comprehension.

Does Fluency Apply to Silent Does Fluency Apply to Silent Reading?Reading?

• Fluency in silent reading is also important if students are to become efficient and effective readers.

• Silent reading becomes more important as students move through the grades.

• Because silent reading is used so commonly, the rate at which students comprehend is an important consideration.

Students in the Middle Grades Who Students in the Middle Grades Who Understand the MaterialUnderstand the Material

Grade 5Grade 5 148-161 WPM 148-161 WPMGrade 4 131-147 WPMGrade 4 131-147 WPMGrade 3Grade 3 109-130 WPM 109-130 WPM(average reading rates of students in a particular grade (average reading rates of students in a particular grade who can understand material at grade level)who can understand material at grade level)(note that rate is considered in tandem with (note that rate is considered in tandem with comprehension)comprehension)

Carver (1989) Jerry Johns has since updated this information.Carver (1989) Jerry Johns has since updated this information.

Reading Program and FluencyReading Program and Fluency

• As students move beyond second grade, they should continue to exhibit attention to punctuation, good intonation, appropriate phrasing, good voice quality and dialogue.

» Johns and Bergland,2002» **older students who read at a late 2nd grade level or lower would

benefit from fluency instruction

Instructional principles, strategies, Instructional principles, strategies, activities and resources to help students activities and resources to help students become fluent readersbecome fluent readers

• Match students reading level and the material used for instruction and practice.

• (The instructional level is when the student misses no more than one word in twenty (95% accuracy) and satisfactorily understand what was read.

Continued…Continued…

• Model Oral Reading

• Provide Guided Oral Reading Opportunities

• Offer Daily Opportunities for Students to Read Easy Materials Independently

Grammar and Meaning help us identify and Grammar and Meaning help us identify and recall wordsrecall words• Which string is easiest to process?

1. Furry wildcats fight furious battles.

2. Furry jewelers create distressed stains.

3. Furry fight furious wildcat battles.

4. Furry crate distressed jewelers stains.

We can start to draw implications. Next are some suggestions for improving fluency.

Goals for Fluent ReadersGoals for Fluent Readers

1. Read more and often2. Read more during each stop-use chunks of

meaning-rather than individual words3. Key in on words that carry the meaning4. Eliminate bad habits-moving lips5. Don’t use a pencil or a card to “underline” each

line you read.

Now have students make individual goals!

Questions that trap fluent readers!Questions that trap fluent readers!

1. Two men played chess. They played give games, and each man won three. How do you explain this?

2. If you have only one match and you entered a room to start a kerosene lamp, and oil lamp, and a wood burning stove, which would you light first? Why?

QUESTIONS??