1. Fluency Instruction Tier 2 & 3
Module 5

2. Tier 2 and 3 Fluency Instruction
In this module, participants will learn instructional methods for students who are below benchmark in reading fluency.
In the last module, we discussed fluency instruction in the classroom using a core reading program. In module 5 we will learn about fluency instruction in a tier 2 and 3 setting. Tier 2 students are students who need supplementary support 3 to 5 times a week in small groups. Tier 3 students present the most severe problems. They need intensive daily instruction with frequent progress monitoring.

3. Learning Target #1
Teachers will understand the three subtypes of poor reading and how they connect to fluency.

4. Poor Readers Phonologically Based Reading Difficulties
Weak in decoding and word recognition
Trouble identifying phonemes
Trouble identifying words
Trouble recalling and manipulating sounds within words
Struggle with nonsense word/real word tests
(Moats, 2009)
Poor readers can be grouped into three subgroups. The first group consists of students with phonologically based reading difficulties, those who are weak in decoding and word recognition. They have trouble identifying phonemes (the smallest units of sound), identifying words accurately, and recalling and manipulating sounds within words. They will struggle with nonsense word and real-word reading tests. Even older students who are poor readers must often relearn and practice the basics before they can move ahead. Remember, accuracy is a necessary component of fluent reading.

5. Poor Readers Slow or Dysfluent Reading
Accurate but unable to recognize words quickly
Have trouble storing letter patterns and words in memory for automatic recognition
(Moats, 2009)
The second subtype of students who read poorly are slow, dysfluent readers. These students may be accurate, able to recognize and blend sounds into words, but they are slow when it comes to recognizing letter patterns and words. These students have difficulty storing words in memory for automatic recognition. Because these students are not automatic when they look at words, they are not fluent readers of text.

6. Poor Readers Language Comprehension Problems
Can be slow and/or inaccurate in building connections among meanings and ideas
Lack expression (prosody)
High error rate when timed because they aren’t processing meaning
Need comprehension instruction at all levels (word, sentence, paragraph)
WE OFTEN THINK A STUDENT HAS A COMPREHENSION PROBLEM WHEN REALLY IT’S A PROBLEM WITH WORD RECOGNITION OR AUTOMATICITIY (Moats, 2009)
Students who struggle with language comprehension can be considered the 3rd type of poor readers. These students often have a difficult time making connections from sounds to words, and then to meanings and ideas. They may not even understand the meaning of individual sentences. They lack expression (prosody) when they read and often rush through the reading without thinking about what they are reading. These students need to have instruction in comprehending words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, along with an emphasis on reading accurately or slowing down if the reading is too fast to pull meaning from the text. Often times, we think a student may have a problem with comprehension when really the lack of comprehension is caused by problems with word recognition or automaticity.

7. Learning Target #2
Teachers will learn techniques for working with dysfluent readers at the word level.

8. Dysfluent Poor Readers The Word Level
Flash a word bank of high frequency word cards to develop automaticity of words found in most texts. (U of U Reading Clinic)
Sets of word with contrasting spelling patterns (hop, hope) can be given to students. Students can first mark the vowels long or short and then go back and read the words.
Students can be timed to determine automaticity growth. (U of U Reading Clinic &Moats, 2009)
Many poor readers are dysfluent at the word level. It’s not enough to be able to read words such as high frequency words accurately, but students need to also be able to read those words quickly. The best way to do this is to work with words that appear frequently in text that the students are familiar with. Do not have students try to learn a large number of unfamiliar words at one time. The University of Utah Reading Clinic suggests that when you are working on fluency/automaticity of words, you should have a set of words on cards that you present one at a time for the students to read. The bank of words should consists of no more than one unknown word to every five known words. The words should be flashed to the students until they are automatic in reading them. Words can continually be added as automatic words are taken out of the deck. Students can also be given sets of word with contrasting spelling patterns (hop, hope). Students can first mark the vowels long or short and then go back and read the words. They can also do this with a single set of words by stating the vowel sound and then reading each word. To measure automaticity improvement, students can be timed each time they read the words to see if they are improving in reading rate.

9. Dysfluent Poor Readers The Word Level--The Herman Reading Method
Place students in small groups.
Use words that have already been taught.
Create a deck of 16 cards and place them face down.
The first player draws a card and the teacher silently counts 3 seconds while the student tries to read the word.
If the word is read in 3 sec., the student keeps the card.
If not, the card goes back in the deck.
(Moats, 2009)
The Herman Reading Method uses a game called, Land the Fish to increase word level fluency. (Read the instructions on the slide.)

10. Learning Target #3
Teachers will learn techniques for working with dysfluent readers at the phrase and sentence level.

11. Dysfluent Poor Readers The Phrase/Sentence Level-Fry Phrases
Fry Phrases-Phrases that contain the most frequently used words that make up two thirds of everything read in elementary.
Rasinski recommends that students should learn words each year.
Create opportunities to read several times a day in class and/or send home to practice with a parent.
Even though practicing words in isolation can help students become automatic in reading words, it is important that we do not reinforce the notion that reading is simply about reading individual words. We don’t want to create word-by-word readers who read choppy and are unable to pull meaning from what they are reading. Students can also practice high frequency words in other ways. For example, students can read the frequently used words in short sentences or phrases. List 5 or 10 phrases on the board or a chart and quickly read them with your students at the beginning and end of the day and right before lunch. They are also great for creating partner games or sending home to practice with parents. In chapter 4 of the book, The Fluent Reader by Timothy Rasinski, you can find phrases that consist of the first 100, 200, and 300 most frequently read words. He also has some pdfs online that I have included with one of your assignments.

12. Dysfluent Poor Readers The Phrase/Sentence Level-Phrase-Cued Oral Reading
Phrase-Cued Oral Reading is an activity that will allow students to practice reading words grouped together in meaningful phrases to increase fluency and comprehension.
Students first read text/ that has been divided/ into meaningful phrases.// The teacher can use/ a pencil eraser/ to scoop under each phrase/ as the students read.//
Students can also/ scoop and read/ in their
own text.//
(Read slide.) In one of your assignments, you will find more thorough directions about how to prepare for and implement Phrase-Cued Oral Reading for your students who need to work on prosody.

13. Learning Target #4
Teachers will learn techniques for working with dysfluent readers at the passage level.

14. Dysfluent Poor Readers The Passage Level
Students who struggle with fluency often benefit from practicing along with a fluent reader until they can read the text fluently on their own.
Scaffolding can take students from hearing a model of fluent reading to being able to fluently read on their own.
Assisted Reading is a method in which a proficient reader assists a struggling reader (Rasinski,, 2010)
Students who struggle with fluency often benefit from practicing along with a fluent reader until they can read the text fluently on their own. We can support the students in the process of becoming independent readers by scaffolding the instruction. One technique that is used in reading interventions that addresses fluency is called Assisted Reading. Assisted Reading is a technique in which a proficient reader, usually a teacher or a para will provide a strong scaffold for the student who needs support in learning to read fluently.

15. Dysfluent Poor Readers Assisted Reading—Echo Reading
Echo Reading-A method of reading that provides a great deal of support for non-fluent readers
Teacher models a chunk of text as student(s) track print
Students repeat or copycat the chunk
Continue with the process until the students can move toward less scaffolding (U of U Reading Clinic)
Assisted Reading can be done in a variety of ways. One method of Assisted Reading that is excellent for students who need a great deal of support is Echo Reading. In this method, the teacher reads a chunk of text as the student or students track the text. For beginning readers, the chunk should be very brief—1 or 2 sentences. Older students can handle 3 to 5 sentences or a paragraph at a time. The chunk is then repeated with the students reading along with the teacher. The teacher models every chunk with high expectations for tracking print before students are expected to read. The teacher should read the passage smoothly, with appropriate expression and punctuation and also at a pace that is appropriate for the level of text. The process continues through the text as long as needed. This method is one step closer to independence than the teacher modeling fluent reading without the student doing any of the reading. Even though the student is doing some of the reading, Echo Reading still provides a very high level of support. This method works well one-on-one or in a small intervention group. It is also very effective in a whole class setting when the students are reading difficult text.

16. Dysfluent Poor Readers Assisted Reading—Choral Reading
Choral Reading-Students have the support of others reading the text along with them
No model is provided before the choral reading
Maximizes reading time from dysfluent students and supports students who are reading difficult text
As we move from a great deal of support to slightly less support, we can make a change from Echo to Choral Reading. Like Echo Reading, Choral Reading supports students who struggle reading text fluently. In this method, the students do not hear a model for reading the text. However, they have support by having others read the text along with them. This will maximize the amount of reading in a couple of ways: First, having the whole group or class read at the same time allows for more time in text than students will get if they each read separately. Second, a student who isn’t fluent will read the text much more slowly if they are reading alone than if others are reading along also. They will pull the struggling reader along with them.

17. Dysfluent Poor Readers Assisted Reading—Neurological Impress Method/Simultaneous Oral Reading (SOR)
Similar to choral reading using a partner
Preview the vocabulary and content
Teacher reads as student tracks
Student reads the same text while the teacher pulls the student along with his/her finger
Repeat until student is ready to read independently
Neurological Impress Method is a form of assisted reading using a choral reading approach. This method came out clear back in 1969 but was found to be extremely effective in helping students make reading gains. Today you may hear it called Simultaneous Oral Reading or SOR. In the older method, struggling students were paired up with a more fluent student. They would be given instructional level text to work from. The more fluent student would read slightly faster and louder making an effort to direct his or her voice into the less fluent student’s ear. In the more current SOR method, the student is placed with an adult, the student is given a passage that he or she can read accurately with no more than one error for every 10 or 15 words. A preview can be done to introduce any difficult content or vocabulary. The teacher reads with good expression as the student tracks the print with a finger or a pencil eraser. The second time through, the student reads along with the teacher as the teacher tracks the text with his or her finger in order to pull the student along at a slightly faster rate. After repeating the passage this way several times, have the student read the passage independently.

18. Dysfluent Poor Readers Assisted Reading—Paired/Buddy Reading
Students with similar reading levels are paired
Students sit side by side with good posture
Students choral read, taking turns with who acts as teacher and who acts as student on each page
Teacher reader asks what the author wants them to know at the end of the page (U of U Reading Clinic)
There are many ways that you can create paired or buddy reading situations in your classroom. The one thing in common with all of them is that they provide added support for the students who are not fluent readers of text. The University of Utah Reading Clinic uses one method of paired reading in their interventions. While the teacher is working with one student in the intervention group, the other students are partnered up to read the text. One student acts as the teacher reader while the other reader acts as the student. The teacher reader cues the student to start and they choral read together. The teacher reader sets the pace and asks the student to tell what the author wanted him/her to know on the page. The student reader thinks and states the critical message and then they change roles on the next page. Other methods, as in SOR, pair the teacher or a more advanced student with the reader to provide support.

19. Dysfluent Poor Readers Assisted Reading—Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehension (RRAC)
Effective with 1st through 3rd grade students
Will benefit students who have both fluency and comprehension problems
(Moats, 2009)
I want to take a minute and share one last intervention technique that is fairly new to me. It’s one that I learned about in Louisa Moats’ LETRS fluency module and have since read more about it in an article that I will share with you. This intervention model has shown to be effective with 1st through 3rd grade students who have both fluency and comprehension problems. First, the teacher needs to select appropriate reading material for the student, something that will be within the student’s target goal for reading. By this I mean that the student should be reading at a level in which they can achieve an adequate rate and accuracy if they were to practice the passage. If the text is too easy, the student will already be reading with appropriate rate and accuracy. If the text is too difficult, the student may not be able to achieve their goal, even with practice.

20. Accuracy and Rate Criteria (U of U Reading Clinic)
This is the criteria we follow in our district intervention. The University of Utah Reading Clinic sets these expectations for students before they can move to more difficult text. You can see that students reading 1st grade level text should work toward reading 20 wpm in the beginning to 40 wpm on more difficult end of year text. 2nd grade students should be reading between 60 and 80 wpm and 3rd grade readers should be between 80 and 100 wpm, hopefully reading 100 wpm or more on difficult 3rd grade text. Remember, these are rates that indicate that a student can move up to a higher text level for instruction, not necessarily assessment criteria. Students are placed in a specific level of text based on reading level assessment scores and work toward increasing their fluency so that they can move to a higher level.

21. Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehension (RRAC) Text Level
Passages are short
Passages focus on one main idea
Passage length criteria:
53-66 words for 1st grade
89-111words for 2nd grade
words for 3rd grade
words for 4th grade
(Moats, 2009)
Appropriate reading material for the student consists of not only the correct level for growth but also the correct passage length that focuses on one main idea. For example, a student who met the 1st grade reading expectations for rate and is able to comprehend what is being read but needs to increase fluency and comprehension at a 2nd grade level, would need a 2nd grade level passage consisting of approximately 89 to 11 words.

22. Boosting Fluency and Comprehension to Improve Reading Achievement
Click on the link and review the procedures in figure 2 on page 25 of the article.

23. Application Task #1
Read the information on Phrase-Cued Oral Reading. Create a lesson for a group of students who need to practice prosody and phrasing.
Share the text, how you divided the text into phrases, and what happened after your students participated in the phrased reading.
Explain why you would or wouldn’t continue using the activity with your students.

24. Learning Task
Read the article, Boosting Fluency and Comprehension to Improve Reading Achievement.
View the video of an RAAC intervention.
This information will help you complete Application Task #2.
(Read Slide-Explain that in the video, the teacher is using an app for the intervention. Teachers don’t have to have the app to provide the RAAC intervention but if they want to put it on an Ipad the cost is $0.99.)

25. Application Task #2
Go to the Read Naturally website by clicking on the link provided and view Determining Who Needs Fluency Training.
From there, view the Hasbrouck-Tindal oral reading fluency norms.
Use assessment data from your classroom to locate 3 of your students (who struggle with fluency) on the Oral Reading Fluency Norms Table (Hasbrouck-Tindal table). Set some fluency goals for those students based on the information given with the table.
Create a fluency training program for those students using two of the Assisted Reading methods we learned about (slides 15-22).
(Read slide) More information about some of the methods along with the grading criteria will be posted on canvas.