Growing Independence and Fluency

Ms. Frizzle’s Field Trips to Fluent Reading

Growing Independence and Fluency | Kellie Vosteen

Rationale: Reading fluency is the ability to recognize words quickly and automatically, to have made sight words. As young readers make new sight words, they begin to read faster, more accurately, smoother, and with expression. Making sight words begins with decoding, but fluency can be developed (and tedious decoding can be decreased) through repeated and timed readings. This lesson utilizes modeling and practice of these repeated readings so that students gain independence in reading strategies and become more fluent.

Materials:

Dry erase board and markers per student
dry erase board and markers for teacher
class set of The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
stopwatch per pair of students
set of stickers to pair students up (matching pictures, 2 different colors)
Record Sheet
coverup critter (popsicle stick and google eyes- optional) per student
pencil per student

Procedures:

Modeling

Say: This morning I was reading a new teacher book. It took me about 10 minutes to read the first little chapter, I knew how to say all of the words, and I knew exactly what was happening in the story. To be able to read like that is called being fluent: fast, correct, reading with expression. When we read like this, we aren’t decoding every single word anymore, and reading is so much more fun! Today we will practice fluency by going on an adventure with Mrs. Frizzle’s class in the book The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth.
Let’s first practice fluency together by reading one sentence that tells a little about our story. I’ll write it on the board. While I write it, I want you to write on your white board any words you see that you don’t know immediately, right away. Everyone, please write down at least one word, even if you think you know all the words. (Write on white board “Ms. Frizzle said to bring a rock for homework.”) Now, I am going to read this sentence like I am practicing to get more fluent. That means my end goal is to read this sentence easily, quickly, and with expression! As I read, when I see a word I don’t know, I will give it my best guess, read to the end of the sentence if I still don’t get it, then I always reread the sentence so that I know what is going on in the story. Read silently as I read aloud and try to see if you can figure out those tough words you see.
(First reading, as a growing fluency reader struggling with Frizzle, bring, and homework) Ms. F-f-r-r-i-i-i-z-z-z, okay Frizz-l-l-l, Oh! Ms. Frizzle said to b-r-r-/i/-n oh wait!-ing says /ng/ so b-r-r-ing Ms. Frizzle said to bring a rock for h-h-/o/-m-m Hm. Home? Ms. Frizzle said to bring a rock for home… work! Ms. Frizzle said to bring a rock for homework. That is so funny, I wonder why Ms. Frizzle will be asking everyone to bring rocks to school in our story today!
I want you to think back to how many times I read that sentence before I could read it fluently. How many do you think? (take 1 or 2 answers from students with raised hands) Right, so I did stop and reread a couple times to help me figure out the meaning of hard words, and it took me about 3 tries.

Practice

Now, we will all read The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth about 3 times. (Students should already have a copy of the book on their desks).
Booktalk: "In this book, all of the kids are tired of learning about animals, so Ms. Frizzle decides it is time to learn about the Earth! Their first homework assignment is to bring rocks to school, but no one is quite sure why. As she always does, Ms. Frizzle has a very special field trip planned. We will have to read to find out where they are going!" First, I want you to read the whole book silently to yourself. Remember, if you see a hard word: give it your best guess, read the whole sentence for clues, then use a coverup critter if you still don’t know the word. If you finish early, write down some hard words on your white board. It’s okay if you don’t finish early enough to get any words on your white board.
(Allow students adequate time to read through The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth, and teacher reads silently along with them) Let’s come back together after our first read. I noticed that Ms. Frizzle’s bus did not go forward or backward like most busses. What did it do instead? (Call on students with raised hands. Correct answer: it spun like a drill). What would you want to do most if you got to go underground? (Call on ~2 students).
Next, we will play a game. Each of you have a partner with the same sticker on your paper. You may go find your partner (encourage speedy pairing up). Now that you’ve found your partner, notice who has a red sticker and who has a blue sticker. Pay attention because you will be switching jobs! If you have a blue sticker, you will first use a timer to time your partner’s reading. Press start when your partner starts reading, then press stop after your partner reads the last word. Let your partner record the time before you clear it. If you have a blue sticker, you will start reading when your partner is ready. Very important: for this part, I want you to only read the black words, the parts not in text bubbles! This will give you the best times for this game. Read all the way to the end without help. You won’t help your partner and they won’t help you. After you read, record, write down, the words. Then, switch partners. Okay, go!
(While students are partner reading, write 3 comprehension questions on the board: “What did the kids use jackhammers for? How would you react if you found out you were on a volcanic island? What did the students in Ms. Frizzle’s class learn about rocks?”)
(Once every student is done reading to their partner,) Now that you’ve all had a chance to read to your partner and record your time, everyone will get to read a couple pages at my desk. I will call you up one at a time. When it is not your turn, you have 2 tasks: (1) Talk with your partner about the 2 comprehension questions on the board. (2) Choose at least 5 new words you learned in today’s reading and draw a picture or write about each word in your notebook. You choose when to switch between your 2 tasks, but you must be done with both by the time everyone in the class has read to me. Remember, you must answer the 2 comprehension questions on the board with your partner and write 5 new words from the reading in your notebook. Please write at least 5 even if you think you know them all. Now, you may begin talking with your partner!
Call each student to your desk one at a time. As they read, record miscue notes and time the passage. After they finish the selected passage (a couple pages), record their time and scaffold missed words. Ask individual students 3 comprehension questions that correlate with the selected passage. Record answers as C (comprehending) or NC (Not Comprehending).
After each student leaves, calculate the words per minute (WPM) of reading #2 and #3. Keep worksheet for records.

On student worksheet, include:

Name: ______________________

Date: _______________________

Text: __________________________________________

Reading #1: _______Silent_____________

Reading #2: _________________________ WPM:_________________

Reading #3: _________________________ WPM:_________________

Comprehension Questions:

2. 3.

Teacher notes:

Resources:

Klibanoff, Corinne, “The Fluent Reader That Could” https://corinneklibanoff.wixsite.com/classroomwebpage/growing-fluency

Sbrissa, Julia, “Snacking for Fluency” https://juliasbrissa.wixsite.com/sbrissa/growing-independence-and-fluency

Murray, Bruce http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/

Book:

Cole, Joanna, and Degen, Bruce, The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth, https://archive.org/details/Eng_Kids01_WH28/02_Inside_the_Earth/mode/2up

gif: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/38/f4/27/38f42730d676d1608a11a63b00203560.gif

Click here to return to the Insights Index