This instructional unit provides many opportunities for students to read, write, recite, and listen to poems. Students identify the figurative language, rhyme, and repetition used in poems and begin to understand the elements of verse. Activities in this unit range from choral readings and oral performances to collaborative writing. Links to additional resources, including poems and bibliographies of poetry books are also available at the website. (author/ncl)

Bill Martin, Jr.'s picture books are known for their creative use of language. In this lesson, the repetition, rhythm, and rhyme of Martin's texts provide opportunities for students to hear and participate in fluent reading. By engaging readers in shared and choral reading, students focus on and improve their fluency and comprehension. A list of the author's books and links to related websites are also provided. (author/ncl)

This series of lessons provides a framework for introducing students to short-vowel word families. Focusing first on the "a" family, students work together and individually to learn the word families -at, -an, -ap, and -ack. Teachers begin by introducing the word sort, inviting students to compare, contrast, and reflect on four word families. Students then work with partners to practice sorting and reading words with increased speed and accuracy. As their skills and confidence improve, students are asked to sort, read, and write words individually. These lessons can also be adapted to teach other short-vowel word families. (author/ncl)

This lesson begins with a shared reading of the story, Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley. After the shared reading, students engage in a paired reading of the online version of the story to build fluency and word recognition skills. They also examine onset/rime patterns by generating word families, review sight words in the story, and play a card game to reinforce high-frequency vocabulary. As a culminating activity, students draw their own big green monsters and write stories about the monsters to publish online. This writing exploration allows an integrated application of phonics where skills can be taught to students individually at the point of use. Ideas for integrating this lesson into learning centers are also available at the website. (author/ncl)

Most letter names are similar to the sounds they make, so knowing letter names is helpful in the development of letter-sound recognition.  Kindergarten programs often include letter-recognition fluency as an important part of their early literacy program.  This lesson consists of three 60 minute sessions, designed to make letter-recognition effective while keeping it fun through a variety of activities.  The activities include a letter hunt, class and partner activities, the creation of an alphabet book, and the use of interactive alphabet sites.  Modifications are suggested for special education and ELL students.  Home activities are listed to encourage parent involvement and the additional reinforcement of concepts.  The author also provides ideas for extensions and assessments. (author/jlkrause)

This cross-curricular lesson combines Social Studies and Language Arts to demonstrate how the study of an historical topic can be developed to make learning nonfiction more exciting, and also improve fluency and comprehension.  This project about Benjamin Franklin includes a series of lessons in which the students: 1) read for information from multiple texts, 2) write a script for a Readers Theater play, 3) read for expression and fluency by using their script, 4) enhance their reading with visual arts, and 5) demonstrate dramatic interpretation through role-play.  This approach engages students throughout in active participation and collaboration.  The lesson could also be adapted to a variety of other subjects.  Included are many supporting resources, such as a read-aloud rubric, an audition sheet, and ideas for student assessment and reflection. (author/jlkrause) 

In this lesson, students work in small groups to develop a choral reading of two poems about an assigned insect. The poems serve as an introduction to a research investigation (via the Internet) about the insect. Working cooperatively, students compile factual information about their chosen insect and present the information, along with their choral poetry readings to the class. This lesson offers some adaptations for English language learners to develop their oral language fluency. Poetry provides a nonthreatening way for students to participate and practice oral fluency. Suggested poems, links to reference for insect research, and other resources are available at the website. (Author/ncl)

In this lesson, students view poetry readings online and discuss elements of the performance that influence the fluency and meaning of the written text. Using online resources, students select a poem to perform out loud. Following an "analyze and apply process," students prepare and perform their poem for the class. Performing poetry allows students to build fluency and develop effective oral reading skills. A performance critique sheet, provided to evaluate students' oral performance, can be used for self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and teacher evaluation. (Author/ncl)

This lesson examines how the oral reading of poetry may be used to support and improve fluent reading for middle school students. Central to this lesson is the idea that students require practice and repetition to master decoding skills for fluency and comprehension in oral reading. Following classroom discussions, students work with partners to select a poem for an oral reading performance. Working together, students create a PowerPoint slide show to accompany their performance of the poem. (author/ncl)

This cross-curricular lesson combines Social Studies and Language Arts to demonstrate how the study of an historical topic can be developed to make learning nonfiction more exciting, and also improve fluency and comprehension.  This project about Benjamin Franklin includes a series of lessons in which the students: 1) read for information from multiple texts, 2) write a script for a Readers Theater play, 3) read for expression and fluency by using their script, 4) enhance their reading with visual arts, and 5) demonstrate dramatic interpretation through role-play.  This approach engages students throughout in active participation and collaboration.  The lesson could also be adapted to a variety of other subjects.  Included are many supporting resources, such as a read-aloud rubric, an audition sheet, and ideas for student assessment and reflection. (author/jlkrause) 

A Rhyme-a-Week is a phonological awareness resource that features thirty downloadable nursery rhymes and poems. Designed for use with early literacy learners, these rhymes can be integrated into many classroom literacy routines, including choral and shared reading experiences, word study, and phomenic awareness activities. Commonly-used rimes, drawn from research by Richard Wylie and Donald Durrell, form the basis for weekly word study. Each rhyme includes a downloadable card of the full text, rhyming picture cards, suggestions for lessons and instructional activities, and sets of rhymes to extend the learning of the word family. (author/ncl)

Reading aloud to children of all ages is an important part of a comprehensive approach to literacy. Jim Trelease's Read-Aloud Handbook includes ideas for building children's interest and skill in reading and an annotated bibliography (with synopses) of more than one thousand books to support read aloud activities. A practical guide for teachers and parents, this resource describes the many benefits of reading aloud to children, offers tips for selecting books, and suggests ways to encourage independent reading. Although shorter than the print copy, this web version of the text successfully highlights the overall value to reading aloud to children at all stages of their literacy development, beginning at birth and continuing through adolescence.

This resource provides free scripts for reader's theater (or readers theatre) adapted from stories written by Aaron Shepard and others. The stories represent a range of genres, mostly humor, fantasy, and world tales from a variety of cultures. Some scripts are available in Spanish or traditional Chinese translation for foreign language study and ESL. Suggested reading levels and ideas for use are also available at the web site. Special features, such as printable posters, audio recordings, extended author notes, fun writing exercises, and additional story formats, are available for many scripts. To find these features, click on links marked Aaron's Extras. (Author/ncl)

Based on a popular children's book, this reader's theater script offers opportunities for teachers to promote oral reading fluency in young readers. Reader's theater provides an effective way to engage students in repeated readings, rehearse and practice expressive reading, and build comprehension skills. This script may be used as written or adapted to better meet the needs of students. (ncl)

Based on a popular children's book, this reader's theater script offers opportunities for teachers to promote oral reading fluency in young readers. Reader's theater provides an effective way to engage students in repeated readings, rehearse and practice expressive reading, and build comprehension skills. This script may be used as written or adapted to better meet the needs of students. (ncl)

Readers Theatre is a professional resource that connects oral reading, literature, and drama. No props or make-up required--only readers and a well-chosen script are necessary. These activities help students develop fluency, sight word vocabulary, reading comprehension, and an appreciation of drama. The resource includes a complete picture for setting up a reader's theatre in the classroom: 1) what Readers Theatre is, 2) how to find, select, or create good scripts, 3) instructional guidlines, 3) classroom applications, and 4) assessment possibilities. Many valuable links are provided for teachers to gain futher details and to find free scripts online. (author/jlk/ebm)

This resource is an assessment form that addresses seven areas to be considered when evaluating Readers Theatre presentations .  The areas assessed are: Introduction, Selection, Staging, Performance, Script Use, Narration, and Vocal/Physical.  Within each area there are more specific measures to evaluate, thus offering more detailed feedback to Readers Theatre participants.  The form also evaluates the perceived commitment of each of the participants.  (author/jlkrause)

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of standardized, individually administered measures of early literacy development. This website provides free access to all of the K-3 literacy assessment tasks. These assessments are short fluency measures, used to monitor the development of early reading skills. Free registration is required to download and use materials. (author/ncl)

This assessment resource is the Multidimensional Fluency Scale created by Jerry Zutell and Timothy Rasinski (1991).  This rating scale will be helpful in evaluating student fluency.  It is quick and easy.  There are three main categories: Phrasing, Smoothness and Pace.  When listening to students read, teachers need to simply circle the number in each category that best describes how the student reads. (author/jlkrause)

This video which is part of a K-2 workshop, explores the foundations of early literacy through a review of research-based principles for effective teaching of word study and fluency.  Boston University professor, Jeanne Paratore guides teachers as they analyze a word study lesson plan, discuss their own experiences, and compare approaches to teaching phonics. This video requires a free log-in to be viewed online.  (author/jlkrause)

This professional development video is focused on reading fluency and vocabulary with children in the middle grades.  Richard Allington discusses specific instructional practices that support the development of fluency and vocabulary.  The main points highlighted are: 1) the selection of appropriate texts or "just right" books, 2) opportunities to practice, and 3) a non-interruptive reading strategy.  All these techniques are demonstrated with classroom excerpts. (author/jlkrause) 

Teacher Tina Scholtes demonstrates how to help first graders move beyond individual letter/sound decoding and into spelling pattern or word family decoding.  Automatically recognizing the spelling patterns will help children decode more quickly and become more fluent readers.  (author/jlkrause)

This fluency video highlights the importance and concepts of fluency, instructional activities, and critical features for effective instruction.  Included are examples such as multiple opportunities to visit text, the delivery of instruction, progress monitoring, corrective feedback, and adaptations.  The site also provides links to the video script, viewing guide, fluency lessons, instructional activities, and considerations for adaptations. (author/jlkrause)

This brief video features teacher Cathy MacDonald using an after school program designed to build fluency.  The emphasis is on vocabulary building with a word web.  The teacher and students explore multiple meanings of the word "bat".  The premise is that a rich knowledge of words helps build fluency. (author/jlkrause)

This professional article provides a review of the literature examining how children move toward fluent reading. Incorporating both theoretical discussions and empirical studies relating to fluency research, the authors reviewed the theoretical accounts of reading that included an important role for fluency in the reading process and studies that have attempted to facilitate its development. Specific instructional approaches to developing fluency are also described. (author/ncl)

This short article describes five effective, easy to implement instructional strategies aimed at improving students' oral reading fluency. Ideas for whole group approaches, such as choral reading and reader's theater, are given. Poetry is integrated into both whole group and small group instruction to promote phrased reading and create opportunities for repeated reading. (author/ncl)

Fluency is a goal for all readers, including those with disabilities. Students who have developed accurate word pronunciation skills may still experience labored or slow reading instead of smooth and automatic reading. In addition to being fluent, it is also important to be able to comprehend the reading material. This article is an excerpt from a book by N. Mather and S. Goldstein entitled, "Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors: A Guide to Intervention and Classroom Management." The authors review activities for increasing reading rate and fluency. The interventions listed are particularly beneficial for students who have strong conceptual abilities yet weak automaticity due to problems with phonological or orthographic awareness. (author/jlkrause)

Timothy Rasinski's "Reading Fluency for Adolescents: Should We Care?" is the featured article in the April 2007 AdLIT In Perspective. The author focuses on the disparity between what reading research recommends and what classroom studies show: fluency's being increasingly recognized as a key to success in reading, but many older and younger students are not fluent readers. His approach, then, is to discuss ways in which fluency might best be taught to older readers. Rasinski suggests three components of fluency instruction for teachers to consider: Modeling, Assistance, and Practicing. Each of these components is explained in brief and will be helpful to teachers looking for a quick overview of fluency instruction. (author/ebm)

This professional resource provides a brief overview of a plan to attack fluency problems. Stemming from the position that struggling readers need to spend more time reading, this article highlights the research behind the key issues in reading instruction for struggling readers. Subheadings include "Struggling readers do not read enough," "Why do struggling readers need to become fluent?" "Teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring procedures," and "The results." A case study of second- and third-grade students in a large city public school looks at the result of their having used Teacher Modeling and Repeated Reading (TMRR). Observations are noteworthy. (author/ebm)

In this article, researcher Lesley Mandel Morrow provides an overview of important terminology and instructional practices for building fluency. Brief descriptions for echo reading, choral reading, partner reading, and reader's theater are included. Ideas for integrating these practices into daily and weekly classroom routines are also provided. (ncl)

Knowing letter names is important for phonics acquisition and reading fluency.  Accuracy as well as speed is a factor.  This professional presentation from the International Reading Association's Pre-Institute on Early Literacy (2008) highlights the importance of letter naming and writing.  It also offers activities for teaching letter names and assessing students' knowledge of letter names.  Further, author D. Ray Reutzel challenges the tradition of learning a "Letter a Week" and offers compelling evidence that learning a "Letter a Day" can be more successful.  (author/jlkrause)

This detailed professional presentation about fluency was delivered at the 50th Annual Convention of the IRA (2005).  It includes: 1) a description of general resource findings about fluency, 2) implications for effective practice, 3) fluency definitions, 4) essential components of fluency, 5) fluency tasks, 6) selecting supportive texts, and 7) how readers become fluent.  The presentation also reports on a fluency study conducted with four treatment groups of third graders and the preliminary findings on fluency rate, accuracy, expression and also retells. (author/jlkrause)

This article provides simple answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about fluency instruction.  The questions are: 1) How do I find my students' fluency score?  2) How many words per minute should my students be reading?  3) What should I do about silent independent reading in the classroom?  4) When should fluency instruction begin?  5) Is increasing word recognition skills sufficient for developing fluency? ...and 6) Should I assess fluency?  If so, how?  This resource is a quick and helpful reference for teachers. (author/jlkrause)

Fluency is multidimensional; therefore, it follows that fluency assessments should be able to capture those multidimensional qualities.  This comprehensive booklet, by Timothy V. Rasinski, Ph.D., describes how to measure students' fluency achievement and monitor progress in terms of the three fluency components: 1) accuracy, 2) automaticity, and 3) prosody.  This resource also discusses the qualities of a good fluency assessment, and offers suggestions of how to implement these assessments in classrooms and schools.  Rasinski includes helpful charts and measurements with norms and rates to assist with reliable and valid fluency assessment. (author/jlkrause)

How do teachers help struggling readers?  This professional article provides one solution that is very effective.  Early and frequent  fluency screening of students in grades 1-8 can help keep them on track with reading.  The emphasis is on finding readings difficulties and providing high-quality, intensive interventions to fix the problems.  Author Jan Hasbrouck provides details of when and how to screen, diagnose, and monitor for fluency using the words-per-minute (WPM) measure for all three assessments.  She includes fluency norms for fall, winter and spring and explains how to use fluency scores combined with information about other reading skills to provide interventions that are individualized to student needs.  (author/jlkrause)