Fluency University of New England EDU 740 Kelley Tetreault

What is Fluency?  Fluency has been described as "the bridge from phonics to comprehension" (94).

How to get from phonics to comprehension: Phonics  Automaticity— Prosody  Comprehnesion

According to Samuels and Farstrup (2011), “ Instructional methods that aim to improve students’ word- recognition automaticity and, at the same time, their prosody - in both oral and silent reading,” (p. 100).

Teaching Fluency using MAPPS (Samuels and Farstrup)  M= Modeling  A= Assisted Reading for Support  P= Practice Reading (Wide and Deep)  P= Phrasing of words in meaningful groups  S=Synergy to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Modeling: Ways of I model in fourth grade:  Through read alouds. Modeling pacing and intonation.  Changing of voice to indicate a specific character.  Model the difference between what fluency is and is not. Outcomes of modeling fluency:  Students are motivated to read.  Building vocabulary  Increase comprehension

Assisted Reading for Support Ways that I assist reading in fourth grade:  Allowing opportunities for children to read with a fluent partner.  Use of Choral Reading during Reader’s Theater.  Clear communication with parents offering tips and feed back for their child’s reading.  Use of audio books Outcomes of assisting reading:  Students don’t feel “stuck” with the same reading partner all of the time.  Intrinsically motivating students to be responsible for their reading. Samuels and Farstrup state that “Parents reading with their children =great improvement.” (103)

Practice Reading Ways that I we practice reading in fourth grade:  Ensure that students are given chances daily to read at their level.  Within our regular lessons, students will re-read the story 3-4 times during the week.  As students’ reading ability, I am sure to increase their level so that they are comfortable, yet challenged. Outcomes of Practice Reading:  Student’s vocabulary increases  They become familiar with what they are reading.  Increased comprehension.

Phrasing of words into meaningful groups: Ways in which we group words in fourth grade:  Divide the words in to sentences.  Use of high frequency words.  Repeated practice and exposure of the high frequency words and the chunked sentences. Outcome of phrasing of words into meaningful groups:  Students begin to focus on the meaning of what they are reading rather than each individual word.

Synergy: Synergy in fourth grade:  Providing short reading passages during morning work.  Providing passages that students can take home and read with parents.  Requiring students to complete reading logs nightly. Outcomes of using Synergy:  Students become more fluent because they have practiced.

References:  Samuels, S. J, & Farstrup, A. E. (2011). What research has to say about reading instruction. Newark, Del: IRA.