Fluency By: Ashley Adkins, Taylor Clear, Joseph Hamer, and Lauren Shurley
Writing a Movie by Helen Hoffner Lauren
Reader s Theatre read and dramatize text rereading beneficial for a wide range of reading abilities motivating improve vocabulary and prosody dramatize - want audience to visualize rereading in rehearsals is an authentic practice for improving fluency - comprehension can divide parts and assign according to ability, and can have other jobs (director) relates to student interests; they want to do a good job for their peers
That Sounded Good! : Using Whole-Class Choral Reading to Improve Fluency by David Paige Lauren
Whole Class Choral Reading students are engaged students read in unison with the teacher can reread the same text or various texts of similar difficulty short stories and poems two minutes options for format use in conjunction with other strategies teacher models format - can have copies or print version or project on board don t want kids to get bored
Daily Implementation 1. introduce the text and discuss tricky vocab 2. model fluent reading while students follow along silently 3. read the passage aloud in unison, with one voice 4. corrective feedback 5. review pronunciation and sentence structure 6. echo reading 1. anticipated 2. read expressively 3. count down and false starts; circulate to ensure that all students read; listen for difficult words or phrases; stop and restart if they get out of sync 4. to the class as a whole 5. as needed; remind to pause at commas and stop at periods 6. maintains interest
Reading fluency instruction: Moving beyond accuracy, automatically, and prosody & Why reading fluency should be hot! By T. Rasinski Joseph
Key Terms and Ideas Prosody: meaningful oral expression while reading Accuracy in word decoding, automaticity in recognizing words, and appropriate use of prosody are the three components that gateway to comprehension Fluency should be a bridge from word recognition accuracy to text comprehension.
Common Misconceptions Fluency means words per minute Word Accuracy and Automaticity should be taught separately from prosodic reading Fluency Misconception: Quoting the Rasinski 2006 article, "fluency is reading with and for meaning, and any instruction that focuses primarily on speed with minimal regard for meaning is wrong."
Teaching All Parts of Fluency Together Instruction on accuracy, automaticity, and prosodic reading can and should occur in unison. Prosody is developed in the same way that automaticity is developed--through wide and deep reading practice. As readers read widely, they encounter different texts that require different prosodic elements to read with appropriate expression and meaning Deep reading is more commonly referred to as repeated reading. As readers read deeply, they gradually recognize to embed into their reading the prosodic elements that allow for a meaningful and expressive rendition of the text.
Teaching All Parts of Fluency Together Use texts that lend themselves to expressive oral performance. The aim of repeated reading should be meaningful and expressive oral interpretation or performance of a text, not faster reading. Use Texts Such as rhythmical, rhetorical, or interactive texts such as poetry, song lyrics, chants, rhymes, plays, monologues, dialogues, and letters. These texts work well for oral reading with expression and meaning, not just speed. The Aim An authentic approach to deep or repeated readings involves students rehearsing a text (script, song, poem, speech, etc.) over the course of a day or several days for the purpose of eventually performing the tex for an audience of learners We need to make our student WANT to engage in repeated readings. Allowing them to pick a piece gives them ownership and performing it for an audience gives them an incentive to practice, rehearse, or engage in the repeated readings. Similar to the way actors rehearse a script to make a meaniful and authentic performance Imagine a classroom where the teacher assigns students a poem, song, readers theatre script, or other such text on a Monday. Then, throughout the week, students rehearse their assigned text in school under the coaching of the teacher. On Fridays, students perform their assigned piece for an audince of classmates, parents, students, teachers from other classrooms, or even the principal.
Something to Think About "If we think of someone who is a fluent reader or speaker, we generally do not think of a person who speaks or reads fast. Rather, we are more likely to think of someone who uses their voice to help convey meaning to a listner when speaking or reading orally" (Rasinksi, 2006, p. 519).
Using digital texts to promote fluent reading by A. Thoerner Ashley
Why use digital texts? Motivation Manipulative features: font, text size, notetaking, text-to-speech, dictionary usage Record & Replay Offers a different literacy avenue, which, in itself can motivate students Record readers theater, self-eval and hear progress
The clock never stops ticking! Record features Can be used during centers Differentiate text for each learner A teacher can easily identify fluent and dysfluent readers by listening to students read aloud. When?! Recording frees teacher up & go back to listen to students later Differentiate a Read Aloud to many different students, with different interests and reading levels, allow some students to re-read multiple times, as much as needed
Reinforce fluency Children must hear many and varied examples of reading aloud. Reading aloud introduces students to new genres, titles, and authors which can motivate readers. Varied examples develop prosody Read along silently to develop accuracy (decoding) deep & wide reading: introduce new exciting stories
Centers Storyline Online site has celebrities reading picture books such as Harry the Dirty Dog -listen on headphones -whisper phone, or silently read along -repeated readings -choral readings -reading activities: questions, props Screen Actors Guild BookPALS storylineonline.net
Prosodic Comparisons Turn off the captions, listen to different celebs reading and critique them. (Tone, rhythm, expression) Venn diagram Vote on favorite, justify decision Allows you to stop and replay with EXACT same expression, which is hard for a teacher to replicate in real-life Higher order thinking Students model fluent and dysfluent reading same books as website. Hear correct example.
Reader s Theatre Students can create own scripts with apps such as Puppet Pals, or use online resources Download and customize script, hi-light, add names, modify script Use camera to video group While recording, kids can play audio files or make sound effects to add in Can listen and self-eval, correct and re-record.
Resources storylineonline.net www.gigglepoetry.com/ poetrytheater.asp www.readerstheatre.ecsd.net/ collection. www.poetryteachers.com/ poetrytheater/delaybedtime.html aaronshep.com/rt/rte34.html
Extending Readers Theatre: A Powerful and Purposeful Match with Podcasting (Vasinda) Taylor Clear
Questions Asked... Can we replicate the reading comprehension gains from previous Readers Theatre research using podcasted performances? How will the experience of podcasting Readers Theatre be qualitatively different from performances without technology?
Key Points/Statements Repeated reading as a way to improve both fluency and comprehension is well established Readers Theatre offers an authentic purpose for repeated reading Performing readers use only their voice to expressively read a text
Key Points cont d the expressive nature of Readers Theatre causes students to gain reading comprehension and fluency educators must use technology to create a learning experience that would not be possible without the technology matching school strategies with technology bridges the gap between the schools of now and the schools of the 21st century that students deserve
Cautions Don t select to use technology just for the sake of integrating technology the novelty will wear off long-term Only use audio for Readers Theatre when it comes to podcast use to increase comprehension and fluency visuals could take away time from the real purpose of performance reading matching technology is critical technology doesn t always transfer easily to the rhythms of the classroom
Study Done 10 week study (Oct. 2007- Jan. 2008) 2nd grade class & 3rd grade class chosen from 3 different elementary schools 100 Participants 35/100 identified as struggling readers(at least 1 year below grade level) Teachers could choose their students scripts, or write their own Scripts had to support a content area or something that their students would enjoy 2 teachers wrote their own based off class book favorites
Study Done cont d Scripts would be given out on mondays and students could practice alone or in groups throughout the week On fridays the students would record a podcast for the given script
Results After 10 weeks of repeated reading, recording, podcasting, and listening to their own voice recordings: 35 struggling readers who started at 1 grade below reading level, increased their reading level on average, 1 grade level (1.09 to 2.22) gains ranged for individual students to only one semester reading growth to three years growth
Benefits Seen -provided strong theme of authenticity -students enjoyed the social aspect -students found it challenging and satisfying -Improved expressive reading -students could show the podcast to parents and family members outside of the class because it was a recorded podcast
Implementing Readers Theatre as an Approach to Classroom Fluency Instruction (Young) Taylor Clear
Key Points and Vocabulary -reading fluency-the ability to read the words in a text with sufficient accuracy, automaticity, and prosody to lead to good comprehension -accuracy-reader s ability to read the words in a text without error in pronunciation -automaticity(reading rate/speed)-the ability of proficient readers to read the words in a text correctly and effortlessly so that they may use their cognitive skills to find meaning -prosody-ability of readers to render a text with appropriate expression and phrasing
to promote fluency in reading... -model fluent reading: listening to a text read fluently, provides a clear model of what fluency sounds like -assisted reading: student is listening to a text being read fluently, while following along in the book -repeated readings: reading the same text until a level of fluency is achieved
Cautions with automaticity... - the speed of reading is usually an indicator of the child s ability to read the words in a text -consequences of solely relying on automaticity: -students will read a text many times until they re only reading very quickly -students are sometimes encouraged to read text repeatedly until they re reading at a certain rate, regardless of their level of understanding -this trend could lead to many students who read very quickly, but have no idea what they just read (zero comprehension) -students who don t enjoy reading -students lose the ability to speak/read a text with prosody
Readers Theatre as a part of the class (Young) -Chase Young implemented Readers Theatre as a part of his classroom curriculum -students made gains with reading with prosody, pace of reading, and comprehension -Used workstations that helped to motivate his students to do repeated readings of a text
Workstations Young Used -Directed Thinking Activity (DR-TA) -Creature Feature -Mental Images -Word Study -Synthesis -Readers Theatre -Poetry -Creative Response -Connections -Social Studies *different days they would do these work stations *reminded me of Literature Circles activities
References Hoffner, H. (2003). Writing a movie. The Reading Teacher, 57 (1), 78-81. Paige, D. (2011). That sounded good: Using whole-class choral reading to improve fluency. The Reading Teacher, (64) (6), 435-438. Pikulski, J.J., & Chard, D. J. (2005). Fluency: Bridge between decoding and reading comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 58 (6), 510-519. Rasinski, T.V. (2012). Why reading fluency should be hot! The Reading Teacher, 65 (8), 516-522. Rasinski, T.V. (2006). Reading fluency instruction: Moving beyond accuracy, automatically, and prosody. The Reading Teacher, 59 (7), 704-706. Thoerner, A. & Williams, L. (2012). Using digital texts to promote fluent reading. The Reading Teacher, 65 (7), 441-445. Vasinda, S. & Mcleod. (2011). Extending readers theatre: A powerful and purposeful match with podcasting. The Reading Teacher, 64 (7), 486-497. Young, C., & Rasinski, T. (2009). Implementing readers theatre as an approach to classroom fluency instruction. The Reading Teacher, 63 (1), 4-13.