Ed+302+Fluency+Readers+Theater

=**Fluency**=

**What is Fluency?**
Fluency is the abilitiy to read most words in context quickly, accurately, automatically, and with appropriate expression. Fluency is critical to reading comprehension because of the attention needed to understand the passage completely. When you pause many times while reading, the meaning of the text can be lost.


 * "Let’s Be Fluency Friends" **

**Characters:** Narrator/ Teacher Hippo, Turtle, Lizard, Monkey **Narrator**: Once upon a time in a far away classroom teacher hippo was explaining the lesson of the day. **Teacher Hippo**: Good morning class, today in our daily five we are going to work on fluency and reading aloud. **Lizard**: What’s fluency? **Teacher Hippo**: Can anyone tell me what fluency is? **Monkey:** it’s when you read really fast and fly through the book. **Teacher Hippo**: Very close Monkey, fluency is the ability to read most words in the context quickly, accurately, automatically, and with appropriate expression. **Turtle:** What? **Teacher Hippo**: What is it that you don’t understand Turtle? **Turtle:** I don’t understand what accurately, automatically, and appropriate means. **Teacher:** To read most words in the context quickly means that you can read most of the words without having to pause to sound out the words. **Lizard:** So does that mean that you can’t spell out words? **Teacher:** No you should sound out words but make sure you go and reread the sentence to make sure you understand the sentence and become more fluent. **Turtle:** That makes sense, so while I’m listening to my partner read, the story will make more sense without a lot of pauses. **Teacher:** Good class, the next part of the definition is accurately, which is… **Monkey:** I know what that is, that’s when you say the word right, like banana instead apple. **Teacher:** That’s absolutely correct Monkey, the next part of the definition is automatically, which means not having to think about what the word is but just knowing it like your snap words. The last part of the definition is reading with an appropriate expression, does anyone know what that means? **Lizard**: When a character in a book is mad you make a mad face too. **Teacher:** that’s good Lizard would anyone like to add to that? **Turtle:** Maybe if the character is excited you talk in an excited voice? **Teacher:** That’s good class, when you read with an appropriate expression you match your voice and expression with that of the characters in the book. **Narrator**: The students then split and went to their own area in the room to practice their fluency while reading aloud and the Teacher went around too help. **Turtle**: I know it is ww eh t, and the sun is not sss uh nn y. But we can have lll o tt s of gggood fun that is fff uh nnn y.   **Teacher:** That’s a really good job turtle but let’s try rereading the sentence with less pauses on the words. **Turtle:** I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny. But we can have lots of good fun that is funny. **Teacher:** Good job Turtle. **Monkey:** (reading fast) I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny. But we can have lots of good fun that is funny. **Teacher:** Woah Monkey you need to slow down then you won’t stumble on your words. Let’s try again. **Monkey:** I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny. But we can have lots of good fun that is funny. **Teacher**: That’s really good Monkey see how when you slowed down you didn’t stumble on your words. **Lizard:** (angry voice) I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny. But we can have lots of good fun that is funny. **Teacher**: Good fluency Lizard but why do you sound so angry? **Lizard:** Because I’m trying to read with expression. **Teacher:** Ok Lizard let’s look at the text, does it seem like what they are saying is angry? **Lizard:** No I guess they sound kind of happy. **Teacher:** Ok let’s try reading it again with a happy expression. **Lizard:** I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny. But we can have lots of good fun that is funny. **Narrator:** The bell rang and they all grabbed their backpacks and scurried home. =   = ==****Our Activities**** ==


** Punctuation Challenge: ** The following sentence will be put up on the SMARTBoard and a student will read it as it is. the sun did not shine it was too wet to play so we sat in the house all that cold cold wet day too wet to go out and too cold to play ball so we sat in the house we did nothing at all Afterwards another student will come up and add punctuation and then re-read it with the changes that were made. This is will show the importance of having punctuation while reading. The punctuation causes the reader to pause at commas and at periods making the text more understandable. ** Express Yourself: ** Index cards will be passed out to five volunteers. A paragraph will be placed on the board for each of the volunteers to read aloud. While they are reading they need to display the emotion that is written on each of their cards.

==****Sources:**** ==


Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and Writing by Patricia M. Cunningham Creating Strategic Readers: Techniques for Developing Competency in Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension by Valerie Ellery The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Suess