Fluency

WHAT IS IT?

Fluency includes four components: accuracy, rate, prosody and comprehension. Accuracy is defined as a student’s ability to correctly identify and read the words in a text. Rate considers both automaticity and speed. When a student reads with automaticity, they are able to read the words effortlessly and do not struggle with decoding. A student who can do this, will also read with a higher speed. Prosody is another important component of fluency as it addresses a student’s ability to read with appropriate phrasing and expression (tone, inflection and rhythm) (Deeney, 2010).

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Fluency is important because it connects word recognition with comprehension. When a student is able to read with fluency, more cognitive ability is freed up to focus on making meaning of the text.

HOW WILL I ASSESS IT?

I would assess a student’s fluency using a running record. Using the running record, I would be able to assess a student’s Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) using the formula below:

(Total # of Words Read Correctly x 60) / Total # of Seconds = Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM)

However, as Deeney suggests, teachers should take a deeper view of fluency. That being said, it is important to assess a student’s reading endurance as well. In order to assess a student’s reading endurance, students should read longer texts that take 4-5 minutes to complete (Deeney, 2010). In addition, it is important to follow-up fluency assessments with comprehension questions about the text as fluency and comprehension are closely intertwined.

HOW WILL I TEACH IT?

Objective: Students will be able to read on-level text with appropriate rate and expression.

Engage: repeated poetry readings and performances

Activity: The teacher will write a poem from the book Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young by Jack Prelutsky on chart paper. The class will engage in several reads of the poem (e.g. whole-group choral, antiphonal choral, or echo reading). The chart will remain posted in the classroom and students will be encouraged to practice it individually and in partners over the course of the week. At the end of the week, students will be given the opportunity to perform the poem for the class.

DIFFERENTIATION

This same activity could be done in small groups and with different levels of texts. In addition, students could use the words from the poem to complete words sorts that focus on various structural features within the words (e.g. rime or number of syllables). Students who are strong readers could write their own poem using new words they brainstorm with the same word family or a different word family. They could then practice and perform their poem for the class.

STANDARDS

Arizona English Language Arts Standards, Grade 1

1.RF4.b

Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate and expression on successive readings.

REFERENCES

Deeney, T. A. (2010). One-minute fluency measures: Mixed messages in assessment and instruction. The Reading Teacher, 63(6), 440-450.

Rasinski, T., Rupley, W.H., and Nichols, W.D. (2008). Two essential ingredients: Phonics and fluency getting to know each other. The Reading Teacher, 62(3), 257-260.