Making a Strong Commitment to Reading-Fluency Training Fredricka L. Stoller Northern Arizona University

How fast do fluent readers read? a. 100 words per minute (wpm) b. 150 wpm c. 200 wpm d. 300 wpm e. 350 wpm f. It depends

How fast do fluent readers read? a. 100 words per minute (wpm) b. 150 wpm c. 200 wpm d. 300 wpm e. 350 wpm f. It depends

Fluent Readers  600 wpm: scanning  450 wpm: skimming  300 wpm: reading with understanding  200 wpm: reading to learn  138 wpm: reading to memorize

How fluent is the average 2 nd grader (around 7 years old)? a. ~ 60 words per minute (wpm) b. ~ 80 wpm c. ~ 90 wpm d. ~ 110 wpm e. ~ 120 wpm

How fluent is the average 2 nd grader (around 7 years old)? a. ~ 60 words per minute (wpm) b. ~ 80 wpm c. ~ 90 wpm d. ~ 110 wpm e. ~ 120 wpm

How fluent is the average 12 th grader (around 17 years old)? a. ~ 150 words per minute (wpm) b. ~ 200 wpm c. ~ 250 wpm d. ~ 300 wpm e. ~ 350 wpm

How fluent is the average 12 th grader (around 17 years old)? a. ~ 150 words per minute (wpm) b. ~ 200 wpm c. ~ 250 wpm d. ~ 300 wpm e. ~ 350 wpm

How fluent is the average university student? a. ~ 260 words per minute (wpm) b. ~ 280 wpm c. ~ 300 wpm d. ~ 320 wpm e. ~ 340 wpm

How fluent is the average university student? a. ~ 260 words per minute (wpm) b. ~ 280 wpm c. ~ 300 wpm d. ~ 320 wpm e. ~ 340 wpm

Fluent Readers  600 wpm: scanning  450 wpm: skimming  300 wpm: reading with understanding  200 wpm: reading to learn  138 wpm: reading to memorize

Why is Fluent Reading Important?  Fluency is a defining characteristic of skilled reading comprehension abilities, especially in academic contexts. Skilled readers are fluent readers.  Fluency is associated with reading comprehension development; a lack of fluency is one source of comprehension problems.

Why is Fluent Reading Important?  Fluency helps develop a number of other important aspects of reading including word recognitionword recognition vocabularyvocabulary sentence processingsentence processing motivationmotivation

What Is Needed to Become Fluent in Reading?  Fast and accurate word & phrase recognition  A large recognition vocabulary  A lot of comprehension skills practice  A reasonable level of grammatical knowledge  A lot of practice reading

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading

Timed and Paced Silent Reading

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud

Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  T selects short, interesting, level-appropriate passage (120–200 words).  T reads the text aloud to Ss with expression, while Ss read along silently.  Class discusses the text or Ss turn to a partner to summarize the passage.  Ss quietly read text aloud to themselves (timed) and mark end point in text. (2 times)  Ss keep the text and revisit it multiple times, under timed conditions, during the week, noting how far they read in the time allotted.

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises

(from Savage, 2010)

North Pacific Gyre

(from Savage, 2010) North Pacific Gyre The gyre moves in a clockwise direction

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises

Word-Recognition Exercises (Timed) through though thought through thorough objects object objects organic oceans truth trail trial trait truth Key Word

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises

Phrase-Recognition Exercises (Timed) by the way by the time by the way on the way by the end on the way by the end sea of garbage pile of garbage ocean of garbage sink of garbage sea of garbage sink of garbage sea of garbage Key Phrase

Timed Semantic-Connection Exercises Key word + a word that  has a general or more specific relationship with the key word (e.g., hypernym [flower] - hyponym [daffodil])  is similar in meaning to the key word  is a common collocate of the key word

Timed Semantic-Connection Exercises toxins currents seawater disposable satellites bacteria satellites bacteria harmful helpful dangerous surface however therefore however therefore (to) solve a problem the route the race an expert the surface an expert the surface

Timed Lexical Access Fluency Exercises  Involves the matching of key words with their definitions or synonyms under timed conditions

Timed Lexical Access Fluency Exercises 1. ocean very big 2. huge large body of water 3. shocking area that is different 4. patch surprising

Timed Lexical Access Fluency Exercises 1. ocean surprising 2. huge very big 3. shocking area that is different 4. patch large body of water … 1. ocean area that is different 2. huge surprising 3. shocking large body of water 4. patch very big …

Timed Recognition Exercises  Focused on words or phrases  Read silently  Conducted in a “beat-the-clock” fashion  Done 2 – 3 in a row  Accompanied by student record keeping  Completed in a short amount of class time, after initial procedures are introduced

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises  Oral Reading

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises  Oral Reading Choral Reading (with the teacher; with an Choral Reading (with the teacher; with an audio tape, DVD, or CD) audio tape, DVD, or CD)

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises  Oral Reading Choral Reading Choral Reading Echo Reading Echo Reading

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises  Oral Reading Choral Reading Choral Reading Echo Reading Echo Reading Radio Reading Radio Reading

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises  Oral Reading Choral Reading Choral Reading Echo Reading Echo Reading Radio Reading Radio Reading Oral Paired Re-reading Oral Paired Re-reading

Oral Paired Re-reading  In pairs, decide who is A and who is B.  A starts at the beginning (of the text) and reads as quickly and as clearly as possible, until asked to stop. B helps.  B starts at the beginning (of the text) and reads as quickly and as clearly as possible, until asked to stop. A helpss.  Repeat the process.

Oral Fluency-Building Activities  Use reading passages that your students are familiar with that your students are familiar with that are easy that are easy that are fairly short that are fairly short  Read aloud  Work with a partner

Fluency-Building Activities  Timed and Paced Speed Reading  Listen-Then-Read-Aloud  Timed Word and Phrase Recognition Exercises  Oral Reading Choral Reading Choral Reading Echo Reading Echo Reading Radio Reading Radio Reading Oral Paired Re-reading Oral Paired Re-reading  Reader’s Theater

Reader’s Theater  Reader’s Theater represents another good way to build reading fluency, word and phrase recognition skills, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Reader’s Theater  Let’s give Reader’s Theater a try.

Reader’s Theater  With Reader’s Theatre, students practice (rehearse) and then perform scripts (without memorizing them, without props, without costumes), usually in groups.  Mini-lessons about expressive and interpretive reading, with teacher modeling, can be helpful.  The key is reading, not drama.

Reader’s Theater  Scripts can be created from poems, speeches, stories, plays, and adapted textbook passages, all within students’ instructional range.  Informational texts can be converted into radio scripts, with 1+ announcers and “experts” who share the reporting

Reader’s Theater  Poems can be read every other line by different students, with up to three participating students. Refrains can be read by all participating students.  An episode from a story can be converted into a short dialogue between 2 – 4 characters.

Listen-Then-Read-Aloud Let’s try this again. Try to get further in the text but still read clearly.

Issues and Challenges  Finding interesting and level-appropriate resources (that can be used multiple times)  Fitting fluency practice into classroom instruction  Keeping records of fluency improvement  Assessing fluency gains  Motivating students to practice  Maintaining fluency practice as a consistent classroom activity

Making a Strong Commitment to Reading-Fluency Training Fredricka L. Stoller Northern Arizona University