Dr. Joanne RobertsonJuly 14, 2014

Polytechnic University, HK

Thematic Course on Supporting Students with

SEN:Fluency

Shape of the Day

From Vocabulary to FluencyDefinitions of Fluency Problems with FluencyFluency-oriented reading instruction ideasAssistive Technology for struggling readers

Rapid Fire Questions

Partner A - 60 seconds to ask your partner as many questions as you like

Partner B – answers the question or says “Pass”; Partner A – notes the answers

Switch partners Whole group – Partners

introduce each other

What is Fluency?

Fluency is reading with:• accuracy• speed• expression• understanding

Fluency is reading with appropriate phrasing, intonation, speed, pace, and attention to the pronunciation. (Johnson & Keier)

Key Elements of Fluency

Recognizing and pronouncing the words accuratelyReading at the right level of speed for the purpose

and level of textUsing the voice to express meaning, including

pausing and phrasing in line with the punctuation

Effective readers, even at their earliest levels, read in phrases rather than word by word. (Allington, 2005)

Problems with Fluency

Student reads:•slowly•in a monotone •ignoring punctuation•with a choppy " start and stop" rhythm (“robot” voice)•without monitoring understanding•without self-correcting•Word by word reading

Problems with Fluency

Even when students recognize many words automatically, their oral reading still may be expressionless, not fluent. To read with expression, readers must be able to divide the text into meaningful chunks. Readers must know to pause appropriately within and at the ends of sentences and when to change emphasis and tone.

Reading Rockets

Problems with Fluency

For example, a reader who lacks fluency may read, probably in a monotone, a line from Bill Martin Jr's Brown Bear, Brown Bear as if it were a list of words rather than a connected text, pausing at inappropriate places:Brown/ bear brown/ bear what/ do/you see.

A fluent reader will read the same line as:Brown bear/Brown bear/What do you see?/

Discussion Questions

1.What types of strategies and materials should you use to model fluent reading and enhance students’ ability to read with fluency?

2.Which technology tools can support the development of reading fluency?

Two Major Instructional Approaches

1. Repeated and monitored oral readingStudents who read and reread passages orally as they receive guidance and/or feedback become better readers. Repeated oral reading substantially improves word recognition, speed, and accuracy as well as fluency. To a lesser but still considerable extent, repeated oral reading also improves reading comprehension. Repeated oral reading improves the reading ability of all students throughout the elementary school years. It also helps struggling readers at higher grade levels.

oral reading practice is increased through the use of audiotapes, tutors, peer guidance, or other means.

Two Major Instructional Approaches

2. Silent, independent readingResearch has not yet confirmed whether independent silent reading with minimal guidance or feedback improves reading achievement and fluency. The research suggests that direct instruction in reading is the best predictor of reading achievement. However, it is important for students to be given time to apply their reading skills through silent reading with a book at their independent level (read with 95% word accuracy).

Texts and Strategies to Practice Fluency

Texts with sing-song patternsTexts with words arranged in phrases Texts with characters talking Choral Reading (e.g. Big books)Reading for an audience (e.g.

Reader’s Theatre)Group/partner reading Daily morning messageFavourite poems Shared writing (e.g. class stories)

Developing Fluency

The best strategy for developing reading fluency is to provide your students with many opportunities to read the same passage orally several times. To do this, you should first know what to have your students read.

Second, you have your students read aloud repeatedly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a13-JbxC98

Texts with Sing Song Patterns

Texts with Words Arranged in Phrases

The Magic Hat

What’s In? What’s Out? - Vocabulary

Read Aloud - Fluency

Oh the magic hat, the magic hat!

It moved like this, it moved like that!

It spun through the air

From way over there

And sat on the head of a ….

The Magic Hat

Oh the magic _____, the magic ______!

It moved like this, it moved like ______!

It spun through the _____

From way over _________

And sat on the ______ of a ….

The Magic Hat

Prompts to Enhance Fluency

How do you think that sounded?Put the words together. Make it

sound like talking.Was that smooth or choppy? Look at the punctuation. What

does it tell you to do with your voice?

Can you read it quickly?Can you make it sound like the

character?

Texts with Characters

Talking

Give Students Strategies and Models

Model how to: read fluently and expressively address different types of oral reading issues

(e.g., stopping to think aloud about what isn't working)

self-assess fluency using tracking tools

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OVZYEGFfUk

Fluency Instruction

Should be with a text that a student can read at their independent level so students are able to practice on speed and expression rather than decoding.

Independent Level Relatively easy for the student to read (95% word accuracy).

Instructional LevelChallenging but manageable for the reader (90% word accuracy).

Frustration Level Difficult text for the student to read (less than 90% word accuracy).

Assistive Technology

“The abundance of assistive technology available to support literacy skills of students with significant disabilities is promising.”

Technology Suggestions for Building Fluency

Audio and video recording deviceTools for tracking progressTools for marking text (e.g., highlighting, underlining,

changing font size, color coding, adding comments)eBooksAudio books

Assessing Fluency

Diagnosing…

Typically if a student’s fluency is low, but word reading accuracy in grade-level texts is adequate, a teacher can provide intervention focused just on improving fluency. But if diagnostic assessments indicate other areas of weakness, a more comprehensive intervention may be needed.

Jan Hasbrouck, Reading Rockets

Planning for the Practicum…

What does your student need most?? Oral Language Development Phonological Skills Development Vocabulary Development Phonics Instruction Reading Fluency Reading Comprehension

Group DiscussionPlanning/Preparing