Is it really already the 11th of February? This month is so full for me that my family may survive solely on cereal and hot dogs (hopefully not at the same time)!
I've been thinking about what I wanted to talk about this month, and then yesterday a little piece of heaven was delivered to my front door:
I've been thinking about what I wanted to talk about this month, and then yesterday a little piece of heaven was delivered to my front door:
These two books were waiting for me Friday afternoon. The "White Book" is one of two first edition books by Fountas and Pinnell. The other one is the new, improved "Bible of Guided Reading" that I have been glued to all weekend! I have probably left sticky notes on at least fifty pages to go back and read, and so many sections have stood out as worthy of sharing with you, but I've chosen just one small section: Fluency.
WHAT IS READING FLUENCY?
(p.428) Fluency means:
*We want to make it clear that fluency is not synonymous with speed in reading. Too much emphasis has been placed on speed to the detriment of comprehension. Fluency is a highly complex process and cannot be measured by a simple "words per minute" assessment or even a "correct words per minute" (In this case, any smart reader would simply skip all words that require work and the reading can become incoherent!)
I have seen so much focus on "speed" that comprehension plays a distant second. Students want to know their words per minute without mention of the meaning of what they just read. This lopsided approach only hinders comprehension. Fluency is an important piece of understanding text, just not the only important piece. Speed cannot be the only piece you look at when assessing fluency.
I advocate teaching fluency (and just about everything else) through the use of authentic text. Use an instructional design that includes (p. 437)
WHAT IS READING FLUENCY?
(p.428) Fluency means:
- Having high expertise in the motor movements of a task.
- Being able to perform a large number of actions so automatically that they require no attention.
- Having an eye to the ultimate goal, realizing (not always consciously) how every action leads to it.
- Being able to orchestrate simultaneously a number of complex actions in search of the goal.
- Monitoring in a way that gives you feedback about how it is going so that you can correct action.
- Varying rate according to purpose and interpretation of a text.
- Feeling a constant sense of satisfaction at the fluent performing.
*We want to make it clear that fluency is not synonymous with speed in reading. Too much emphasis has been placed on speed to the detriment of comprehension. Fluency is a highly complex process and cannot be measured by a simple "words per minute" assessment or even a "correct words per minute" (In this case, any smart reader would simply skip all words that require work and the reading can become incoherent!)
I have seen so much focus on "speed" that comprehension plays a distant second. Students want to know their words per minute without mention of the meaning of what they just read. This lopsided approach only hinders comprehension. Fluency is an important piece of understanding text, just not the only important piece. Speed cannot be the only piece you look at when assessing fluency.
I advocate teaching fluency (and just about everything else) through the use of authentic text. Use an instructional design that includes (p. 437)
- Interactive read-aloud - students hear fluent reading and talk about texts
- Shared reading - repeated reading of familiar texts, practice with the support of a group
- Independent reading - reading continuous texts at an independent level
- Phonics/word study minilessons - students learn a range of efficient word analysis strategies
- Writing - practice with words