Transformation in Teaching and Student Learning
Cartoon courtesy of computerclipart.com
In order for students to become fluent readers, they first must have a firm grasp and knowledge of phonics and phonemic awareness. Once this is in place, fluency becomes an important priority in reading instruction. Fluency is so important because it is the bridge between word recognition and comprehension. Of the six facets of understanding, the following three are the most important to consider when teaching reading fluency:
Laptops will offer students a great variety of ways in which to practice reading fluency. Not only will they have access to the many websites which offer reading fluency practice activities (to be mentioned in more detail later), they will also engage in recordings of their own reading. Using a microphone and headphones to record themselves reading will allow them to evaluate their own fluency. Then they will practice, record, and listen again to see improvement.
Assessing reading fluency is an ongoing practice for the classroom teacher in an early elementary setting. Teacher observation is an informal way to assess whether or not students are becoming fluent readers. Most school districts also have other assessment methods in place, such as DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). In addition to the methods mentioned, teachers can assess students’ fluency using the recordings made during fluency practice in the classroom.
- Interpretation: Students will come to understand that reading fluency is important, because without it, comprehension suffers. As students grow, develop, and mature, they will listen to others read and will begin to recognize fluent reading when they hear it. They hear other students reading aloud as well as other adults in their home and school lives. This will further increase their awareness of fluency and the importance of attaining it themselves.
- Application: Fluency requires repeated practice. Students will use various methods to practice fluency. All of these methods involve repeated reading of appropriate leveled texts. In doing this, students will see and measure their own improvement. As students and human beings, we read on a daily basis. Therefore, students will be continually applying their improving fluency skills. This everyday reading will, in turn, help to improve their fluency even more.
- Self-knowledge: In order to become a fluent reader, students must first recognize what fluent reading sounds like, and then be able to evaluate their own reading and determine whether or not it qualifies as fluent reading. This kind of self-evaluation and self-awareness requires that students engage in reflective activities about their own reading as well as the reading of others.
Laptops will offer students a great variety of ways in which to practice reading fluency. Not only will they have access to the many websites which offer reading fluency practice activities (to be mentioned in more detail later), they will also engage in recordings of their own reading. Using a microphone and headphones to record themselves reading will allow them to evaluate their own fluency. Then they will practice, record, and listen again to see improvement.
Assessing reading fluency is an ongoing practice for the classroom teacher in an early elementary setting. Teacher observation is an informal way to assess whether or not students are becoming fluent readers. Most school districts also have other assessment methods in place, such as DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). In addition to the methods mentioned, teachers can assess students’ fluency using the recordings made during fluency practice in the classroom.