Rationale: In order to comprehend reading, students need to be a fluent reader. Being a fluent reader means that a student can read automatically and effortlessly, while also being able to retain the message of the text. Fluency makes reading more enjoyable for students because they can use expression and read smoothly through the story. Through reading, decoding, crosschecking, mental marking, and rereading, students can grow into fluent readers. In this lesson, students will gain fluency and independence in reading by crosschecking after reading texts and repeated readings.

 

Materials:

• class set of Junie B Jones Is a Party Animal by Barbara Park

• pencils

• stopwatch for each pair of students

• coverup critter for each student

• peer checklist (one per student)

• white or smart board

​
 

Procedures:

1. Say: “Alright class, today we are going to be working on improving our fluency while reading. Does anyone know what fluency means? (allow students to answer and respond accordingly). A fluent reader can read smoothly and quickly so you don’t have to sound out each word. The more fluent we are, the easier reading becomes! First, we need to add more sight words to our vocabulary. To do this, we are going to go over some strategies.”

2. Say: “Let’s look at the word I have written on the board: Animal. I will be using my coverup critter to help me figure out what this word is. Watch me as I model how to read this unfamiliar word. (Use the coverup critter to slowly unveil the letters as you are sounding them out) Aaaa-nnnn-iii-mmm-aaa-llll. /a/ /n/ /i/ /m/ /a/ /l/.  This doesn’t make sense, let’s try to blend it together: aanniimmaall. Oh, animal, like Junie B Jones is a party animal! In this word, our a and our i are making their short sounds! Our coverup critters and decoding skills are really helpful when identifying hard words that we have never seen before.”

3. “Our next skill that helps us when reading tough words is cross-checking. To cross-check we need to read the rest of the sentence and see what makes sense in the sentence. Let’s look at one of the first sentences of Junie B Jones is a Party Animal that I have written on the board: “I am almost six years old.” I am going to read this sentence out loud for everyone. I want you to tell me if I sound like a fluent reader. I am almost six (pause and wait a few seconds) yy-ee-aaa-rr-ss huh? Let’s finish the sentence: old. Oh, years because she said how old she was! By reading the rest of the sentence, I used the context to understand the hard word. Let’s all read this sentence together and see if we can do it fluently. (Class says sentence together)  Perfect! I saw some of you read this sentence with fluency because you read it automatically and effortlessly. I also saw some of you took the tough word and mentally marked it, so that when they reread the sentence, you knew exactly what the word was! Nice job everyone!”

4. Say: “Now we are going to read the book Junie B Jones Is a Party Animal by Barbara Park. This story is about a kindergartner named Junie B Jones. Junie B Jones gets invited to a sleepover by her friend's grandmother. Will she go? What will happen when she gets there? Let’s find out! I want you to read the book silently to yourself and see what happens! Please use your coverup critters if you come across a tough word.” (pass out class sets of the book and coverup critters and allow students time to read).

5. (Once everyone is finished) say: “Now we are going to pair up and read the book again with our partner. The first time through, do not help your partner if they cannot figure out a word. I want you to just listen to them read.” (Pass out recording sheets and stopwatches to each group while partners are taking turns reading) “Next, we are now going to be playing a fluency game. I want you to decide who is going to be reader 1, and who is going to be reader 2. Reader 1 is going to read the first 5 pages of the book while Reader 2 times them on the stopwatch. Reader 2 will record this time on the sheet I just gave you. Then the readers will switch positions. I want you to repeat this 3 times, so that each spot on the sheet is filled. Be thinking about if the reader you are timing remembers more words, is reading smoother, faster, and is using expression each time through. Write the answers to these questions on your sheet.” (allow time for students to read the first 5 pages of the book 3 times). After students have read the first 5 pages 3 times, call each student up individually to your desk. Have them bring their fluency checklist and their book to you. Ask them to read the book to you and time them as well as record how many words per minute they read. After all students have read the book to you, have them quietly and independently answer the three comprehension questions to assess.

 

Fluency Checklist:

Title of Book: __________________________________

 

Student’s Name: ____________   Date___________

 

Partner's Name: ______________________________

 

After 1st Reading       After 2nd Reading

     _________                    _________       Remembered more words

     _________                   _________       Read faster

    _________                   _________       Read smoother

   _________                    _________       Read with expression

 

(Words x 60)/seconds= WPM 

      

 

0 - - - 10 - - - 20 - - - 30 - - - 40 - - - 50 - - - 60 - - - 70 - - - 80 - - - 90 - - - 100

Correct Words Per Minute

 

Assessment:

• Collect Partner Fluency Checklist to see student progress

• Words Per Minute Formula: (words x 60) / (seconds)

• Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is Lucille upset at Junie B. and Grace?

2. ​​Why was Junie B. so energetic and excited when Lucille’s nanna arrived to pick her up?

3. Why couldn’t Junie B. and Grace play with Lucille’s stuffed animals or sit on her bed?

 

Resources:

​​Book: Park, Barbara. Junie B. Jones Is A Party Animal. 1997. Random House

http://www.risetoreading.com/

Shelby Ptak’s “Junie B Jones Is A Fluency Animal”

https://shelbyyyptak2000.wixsite.com/my-site/growing-independence-and-fluency

Cate Behl’s “The Couch Potato’s Leap to Fluency

https://ceb0131.wixsite.com/my-site/growing-independence-and-fluency

Murray, Bruce. Reading Genie. http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/