1. Action Research Project– Fall 2014 Reading Fluency
Abby Diamond
Classroom Teacher: Mrs. Myrex
1st grade

2. Formulating the Question: Meeting with Mrs. Myrex
Met with cooperating teacher Mrs. Myrex on second clinical day
Recommended I work with two students in the area of reading fluency
Student J- strong reader who lacked expression in his reading
Student S- average reader who also lacked expression in her reading
Focus on expression and prosody because Student J. was a strong reader but lacked expression in reading

3. Formulated the Question:
Initially formulated the question: “What strategies can I use to improve reading fluency, in particular expression, in these students?”
Three weeks into action research, Student J. left school
Re-evaluate
Continued to focus on expression and prosody, but incorporated other aspects of reading fluency the student was lacking
Question evolved into: “What strategies can I use to help improve overall reading fluency in this student?”

4. What does research say about Fluency?
According to National Reading Panel in 2000, reading fluency is defined as “the ability to read text quickly, accurately, and with proper expression”
Fluency consists of accuracy, rate, and prosody or expression (Hudson, Lane, and Pullen, 2003)
Serves as bridge between decoding and comprehension (Chard and Pilulski, 2003)
According to research, fluency instruction should be a part of every comprehensive reading program

5. Evidence-based Strategies for Improving Fluency
Modeled Reading
Reading aloud provides students with model of good fluency
Provides model of how to pace reading in connected text and use expression (Chard and Pilulski, 2003)
Repeated Readings
One of the most frequently used instructional method to improve fluency (Chard and Pilulski, 2003)
Gives students practice on all areas of reading fluency– accuracy, rate, and prosody
Timed repeated readings improve rate and accuracy (Hudson, Lane, and Pullen, 2005)

6. Evidence-based Strategies for Improving Fluency
Assisted Reading
Students need correction and feedback
Helps improve prosody
Hudson, Lane and Pullen (2005) state this is done primarily through echo reading- teacher reads a phrase or sentence and student repeats and unison reading- teacher and student read text together

7. Evidence-based Strategies for Improving Fluency
Reader’s Theatre
Helps improve prosody
Very effective in developing fluent oral reading (Abadiano and Turner, 2005)
Isolated word practice
Can be extremely beneficial
Researchers have found that practicing reading words in isolation led to improved fluency (Hudson, Lane, and Pullen, 2005)

8. Additional Research
Choosing a text to improve student’s fluency is key
Passages at the student’s independent reading level
Text that is motivating and interesting to the student
(Hudson, Lane and Pullen, 2005)
This made interest inventories very important

9. Conducting Action Research
Timeline:
Interest Inventory and Reading Attitude Survey
Initial Assessment
Learning Sessions
Midpoint Assessment
Learning Session
Final Assessment

10. Interest Inventories

11. Assessments Two main assessments used:
Oral Reading Fluency Passage- calculate accuracy and rate (WCPM)
Multidimensional Fluency Rubric

12. Example of Oral Reading Fluency Passage Assessment

13. Multidimensional Fluency Rubric

14. Baseline Data Students were first assessed on October 15, 2014
Initial Assessment:
WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) rate= 13
Accuracy rate= 76%
Multidimensional Fluency Rubric= 5 out of 16

15. Strategies Implemented
Modeled Reading
Using Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems- Should I Share My Icecream?
Assisted Reading
Through Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems- We Are In A Book and There Is A Bird On My Head
Repeated Reading
“Hot” and “cold” fluency passages

16. Strategies Implemented
Reader’s Theatre
“My Friend is Sad” by Mo Willems
Isolated Word Practice
High frequency words for first-grade
Phrasing/scooping technique
“Pass It On!” passage (sample sentences)

17. Assessments Initial Assessment: Midpoint Assessment: Final Assessment:
WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) rate= 13
Accuracy rate= 76%
Multidimensional Fluency Rubric= 5 out of 16
Midpoint Assessment:
WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) rate= 25
Accuracy rate= 96%
Multidimensional Fluency Rubric= 8 out of 16
Final Assessment:
WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) rate= 40
Multidimensional Fluency Rubric= 12 out of 16

18. Student Progress Monitoring Chart- Fluency Rate (WCPM)
Results
Student Progress Monitoring Chart- Fluency Rate (WCPM)

19. Results

20. Multidimensional Fluency Rubric
Results
Multidimensional Fluency Rubric
Assessment
Fluency Rubric score (out of 16)
Assessment #1- Initial Assessment 5
Assessment #2- Mid Assessment 8
Assessment #3- Final Assessment 12

21. Student Data Chart

22. Student S. improved in reading fluency over the course of the project
Data Analysis
Student S. improved in reading fluency over the course of the project
Her reading rate improved from 13 WCPM to 40 WCPM
Accuracy rate improved from 76% to 96%
Improved from a 5 out of 16 on the Multidimensional Fluency Scale to a 12!!

23. Reflection
Overall, I saw huge improvement in fluency in Student S. over the course of the project– rate, accuracy, and expression
Biggest improvement was expression
Initial assessment: read in quiet, monotone voice in short, choppy sentences with very little expression
Final Assessment: read with good expression in large phrases paying close attention to punctuation with good stress and intonation

24. It is extremely rewarding to see students improve!
What I learned…
Explicit instruction is necessary to teach fluency
Modeling is extremely beneficial for teaching expression to students
Sometimes things do not go as planned and you have to learn how to make adjustments
To change and modify my teaching strategies based off of data
Really listen and pay attention to students needs and not overlook them
It is extremely rewarding to see students improve!

25. Works Cited
Abadiano, Helen R. and Turner, Jesse (2005). Reading Fluency: The Road to Developing Efficient and Effective Readers. New England Reading Association Journal, 41(1),
Hudson, R.F., Lane, H. B., & Pullen, P. C. (2005). Reading Fluency Assessment and Instruction: What, why and how? Reading Teacher, 58(8), doi: /RT
Kiley, T. J. (2006). Part I -- Fluency: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle? Illinois Reading Council Journal, 34(2),
Pikulski, J. J., & Chard, D. J. (2005). Fluency: Bridge Between Decoding and Reading Comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 58, 

26. Questions? Comments? Thank you!
Abby Diamond
Samford University