FLUENCY The Bridge Between Word Recognition and Comprehension

Big Ideas Fluency= Accuracy, Rate, & Prosody Model fluent reading Opportunities for oral reading

The Fluency Bridge “It may be helpful to think of reading fluency as a bridge between the two major components of reading – word decoding and comprehension. At one end of this bridge, fluency connects to accuracy and automaticity in decoding. At the other end, fluency connects to comprehension through prosody, or expressive interpretations. ” ~ Rasinski, 2004 © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 3

Training Goals § Understand the meaning of “fluency” § Practice determining levels of accuracy, rate, and prosody § Explore letter/sound fluency, high frequency word fluency, phrase fluency, and connected text fluency § Learn and practice strategies teachers can use to help build oral reading fluency © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 4

WHAT IS FLUENCY? © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System

Related Research “Fluency is an essential element of reading for K 3 students. It is not something that only 2 nd and 3 rd grade teachers need to be concerned about. Fluency develops over time and from the beginning stages of reading. ” (Vaughn & Linan-Thompson, 2004, p. 50) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 6

A Definition • fluency n. 1. the clear, easy, written or spoken expression of ideas. 2. freedom from word-identification problems that might hinder comprehension in silent reading or the expression of ideas in oral reading; automaticity. (Harris & Hodges, 1995, p. 85) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 7

Related Research • “Reading fluency refers to the ability of readers to read quickly, effortlessly, and efficiently with good, meaningful expression…. ” • “Fluent readers. . . are able to read words accurately and effortlessly. They recognize words and phrases instantly on sight. Very little cognitive energy is expended in decoding the words. This means, then, that the maximum amount of cognitive energy can be directed to the all-important task of making sense of the text. ” (Rasinski, 2003, p. 26) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 8

Fluency Is… reading letters, words, sentences, or passages with accuracy, automaticity, and prosody. ©

Accuracy refers to: § the ability of a reader to decode and/or recognize irregular and high-frequency words in text without error. § the percentage of words a reader reads correctly. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 10

Determining Word Reading Accuracy Count as errors Do not count as errors § Omissions § Substitutions § Hesitations (more than three seconds) § Mispronunciations (such as leaving off or adding – s, -ed, and –ing) § Reversals § Self-corrections (within three seconds) § Insertions § Repetitions © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 11

Determining Word Reading Accuracy – # of errors # of words = read correctly # of words / read correctly # of words read % = accurate # of words read © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 12

Levels of Performance for Word Reading Accuracy Level of Performance Accuracy Independent Level 95 -100% Instructional Level 90 -94% Frustrational Level <90% © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 13

Automaticity and Rate Automaticity is the “fluent processing of information that requires little effort or attention, as sight-word recognition. ” (Harris & Hodges, 2004, p. 16) Rate is “how fast a person reads. . . ; reading speed. ” (Harris & Hodges, 2004, p. 202) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 14

Related Research § Perfetti (1977, 1985) suggests that slow word reading interferes with automaticity, and thus impairs reading comprehension. § Torgeson, Wagner, & Rashotte (1994) indicate that many students who have reading difficulties have significant problems with fluency and continue to be slow readers into adolescence and adulthood. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 15

Determining Automaticity / Rate # of words – # of read in errors one minute 100 – 5 # of words read correctly = in one minute (wcpm) = 95 wcpm © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 16

2006 Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data Grade Percentile 1 90 75 50 25 2 90 75 50 25 3 90 75 50 25 Fall WCPM Winter WCPM Spring WCPM 81 47 23 12 111 82 53 28 106 79 51 25 100 72 42 117 89 61 128 99 71 44 146 120 92 62 137 107 78 (www. readnaturally. com) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 17

Prosody is “the pitch, loudness, tempo, and rhythm patterns of spoken language. ” (Harris

Related Research “If readers read quickly and accurately but with no expression in their voices, if they place equal emphasis on every word and have no sense of phrasing, and if they ignore most punctuation… then it is unlikely that they will fully understand the text. ” (Rasinski, 2004, p. 46) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 19

Nonfluent Fluent Adapted Version of NAEP’s Oral Reading Fluency Scale HO 3 Level 4 Reads primarily in larger, meaningful phrase groups. Although some regressions, repetitions, and deviations from text may be present, these do not appear to detract from the overall structure of the story. Preservation of the author’s syntax is consistent. Some or most of the story is read with expressive interpretation. Level 3 Reads primarily in three- or four-word phrase groups. Some small groupings may be present. However, the majority of phrasing seems appropriate and preserves the syntax of the author. Little or no expressive interpretation is present. Level 2 Reads primarily in two-word phrases with some three- or four-word groupings. Some word -by-word reading may be present. Word groupings may seem awkward and unrelated to larger context of sentence or passage. Level 1 Reads primarily word-by-word. Occasional two-word or three-word phrases may occur— but these are infrequent and/or they do not preserve meaningful syntax. (NAEP, 2002) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 20

TYPES OF FLUENCY © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System

Related Research “If children do not acquire good word reading skills early in elementary school, they will be cut off from the rich knowledge sources available in print, and this may be particularly unfortunate for children who are already weak in general verbal knowledge and ability. ” (Torgesen, 2000, p. 28) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 22

Types of Fluency 1. Letter naming/letter sound fluency 2. High-frequency word fluency 3. High-frequency phrase fluency 4. Connected text fluency © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 23

Related Research “Just measuring how many letters a kindergartner is able to name when shown letters in a random order appears to be nearly as successful at predicting future reading, as is an entire readiness test. ” (National Reading Council, 1998, p. 113) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 24

Letter Naming Fluency HO 4 Students need to be able to fluently name the letters of the alphabet, capital and lowercase, in order and out of order. “Fluently” refers primarily to being able to name each letter correctly, taking no more than three seconds per letter. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 25

High-Frequency Word Fluency HO 4 “Recent studies on reading indicate that a limited amount of word-reading practice, whether in the form of flash cards, word banks, or word walls can have a beneficial effect on students’ word-recognition skills. ” (Rasinski, 2003, p. 94) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 26

High-Frequency Word Fluency HO 4 “…along with a limited amount of practice of highfrequency words in isolation, students (should) do repeated reading of these words in the context of short sentences and phrases. ” (Rasinski, 2003, p. 94) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 27

Connected Text Fluency “When we become fluent at a task, we can devote our attention to other related tasks…. Through practice, the reader’s decoding can become so fluent that she pays maximum attention to creating meaning from the words she encounters. ” (Rasinski, 2003, p. 77) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 28

HOW CAN A TEACHER HELP STUDENTS BUILD FLUENCY? © 2013 Texas Education Agency /

Small Group Reading Example “Oral reading plays a significant role in effective reading instruction. It is an important tool in any teacher’s kit of instructional strategies. In the earliest grades, oral reading may take on a primary role instruction. Oral reading can make reading instruction more varied, more interesting and more powerful. The key is knowing how to use oral reading to its full potential. ” (Rasinski, 2003, p. 36. ) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 30

Related Research “Despite its widespread use, round-robin reading has never been widely advocated nor endorsed by scholars of reading. ” (Rasinski, 2003, p. 20) “It is evident that with round-robin procedures students receive little actual practice in reading because no child is allowed to read for very long. ” (National Reading Panel, 2000, p. 3 -11) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 31

Ways to Build Reading Fluency § Effectively model fluent reading § Provide oral support of student reading through structured oral reading practice § Offer multiple opportunities for practice § Encourage fluency through phrasing (Rasinski, 2003) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 32

Effectively Model Fluent Reading 1. Read with expression and enthusiasm 2. Draw attention to how the passage is read 3. Demonstrate examples and non-examples © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 33

Fluency: Non-Examples Robot Reading: Students read without expression Race Car Reading: Students attempt to read as quickly as possible Stop-and-Go Reading: Students stop when they come to a word they don’t know and wait for someone to tell them the word Slow-and-Steady Reading: Students read at a slow, steady rate for the entire passage © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System

Effectively Model Fluent Reading “Every time we read to a child, we’re sending a ‘pleasure’ message to the child’s brain. You could even call it a commercial, conditioning the child to associate books and print with pleasure. ” (Trelease , 1995, as cited in Rasinski, 2003, p. 39) Remember, students of ALL ages love being read to! © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 35

Structured Oral Reading Practice Echo reading Choral reading Paired reading © 2013 Texas Education

Echo Reading § Teacher reads one sentence at a time - modeling appropriate phrasing, intonation, and expression - as students listen. § When teacher gives students a signal to begin, students read the same phrase chorally. § Teacher provides corrective feedback. § This technique is highly supportive. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 37

Choral Reading § When teacher gives students a signal to begin, students and teacher read a passage together orally. § Teacher begins reading with a strong voice, then gradually reads more softly. § Teacher gives corrective feedback as necessary. § This technique is less supportive than echo reading. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 38

Paired Reading § Teacher strategically assigns reading partners. Text must be at an independent or instructional level for BOTH students. § Students take turns reading the text. § Teacher monitors & gives corrective feedback. § Less supportive than echo or choral reading. § The procedure must be modeled and practiced. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 39

Echo reading Choral reading Paired reading © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University

Multiple Opportunities for Practice § Repeated readings – Echo reading – Choral reading – Paired reading § Whisper reading § Readers’ Theater § Reading familiar song lyrics § Radio Reading § Poetry Club § Mentor/Big Buddy Reading © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 41

Fluency Through Phrasing – Attention to Punctuation A B C D. E F G?

Fluency Through Phrasing –Phrase -Cued Text “One of the chief characteristics / of the disfluent reader / is staccato, / word-by-word / oral reading. // Decoding tends to be so difficult for these readers / that they stumble / over nearly every word. // They do not easily grasp / the meaning of phrases / because they don’t process text / in phrasal units. //”. // (Rasinski, 2003, p. 140) © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 43

WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK SHOULD I GIVE TO A STUDENT WHO IS LACKING FLUENCY?

Providing Feedback For Accuracy Mary had a little lam - b, Its fleas white as snow. And everyone that Mary went The lam-b was sorry to go. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 45

Providing Feedback For Accuracy Student: “Mary had a little lam-b” Teacher: Look at that word again. What do you notice about the end of that word? What sound do the letters mb make when they are together? Student: “Its fleas white as snow” Teacher: There’s a ce at the end of that word. What sound does ce make? Read the word again. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 46

Providing Feedback For Accuracy “And everyone that Mary went” • Does that make sense? • Look at all the letters. That’s a compound word. Read the first word. Read the second word. Now, put them together. “The lamb was sorry to go” • That word is “sure. ” What is the word? © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 47

Providing Feedback For Prosody Student: “Mary had a little. Lamb, its fleece was. White. As snow and, everywhere. That Mary! Went, the lamb was sure. To go? ” Teacher: Did that make sense? Listen as I model reading the poem for you. Then let’s echo-read the poem. I’ll read a line, then you read it just the way I read it. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 48

Providing Feedback For Automaticity/Rate Student: “Maryhadalittlelambitsfleecewaswhiteassnowand everywherethat. Marywentthelambwassuretogo…” Teacher: § Does that sound like talking? § How do you think Mary might read that poem? § You read that so fast, I couldn’t understand it. Could you read it again more slowly? § Let me model that phrase for you. . . © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 49

What’s Important To Remember About Fluency Instruction? Think Turn Talk © 2013 Texas Education

Big Ideas © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 51

By equipping our students with not only the ability to read, but the ability to read fluently - with accuracy, prosody, and automaticity - we can enable our students to discover the pleasure and joy of reading, and it can become not only something to be done during the school years, but throughout all of life. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 52

References Bear, D. R. , Invernizzi, M. , Templeton, S. , & Johnston, F. (2004). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Cunningham, P. M. , Hall, D. P. , & Sigmon, C. (1999). The teacher’s guide to the four blocks. Greensboro, NC: Carson Dellosa. Daane, M. , Campbell, J. , Grigg, W. , Goodman, M. , & Oranje, A. (2002). Fourth-grade students reading aloud: NAEP 2002 special study of oral reading. U. S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress. de. Paola, T. (1983). The legend of the bluebonnet. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. Harris, T. L. , & Hodges, R. E. (Eds. ). (2005). The literacy dictionary. Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association. Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data Chart 2006. Retrieved on March 12, 2009, from www. readnaturally. com/pdf/oralreadingfluency. pdf. Honig, B. , Diamond, L. , & Gutlohn, L. , (2000). Teaching reading sourcebook for kindergarten through eighth grade. Novato, CA: Arena Press. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 53

References Moats, L. , & Tolman, C. (2009). The challenge of learning to read (2 nd ed. ). Boston: Sopris West. National Reading Panel. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read. Report of the subgroups. Washington, D. C. : U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Nicholson, T. (1998). The flashcard strikes back. The Reading Teacher, 52(2), 188 -192. Opitz, M. F. , & Rasinski, T. V. (1998). Good-bye round robin: 25 effective oral reading strategies. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Perfetti, C. A. (1977). Language comprehension and fast decoding: Some psycholinguistic prerequisites for skilled reading comprehension. In J. Guthrie (Ed. ), Cognition, curriculum and comprehension. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Perfetti, C. A. (1985). Some reasons to save the grapheme and the phoneme. Commentary in Brain and Behavior Sciences, 8(4). Rasinski, T. V. (2004). Assessing reading fluency. Honolulu, HI: Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. Rasinski, T. V. (2007). Creating fluent readers. Peterborough, NH: Staff Development for Educators. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 54

References Rasinski, T. V. (2003). The fluent reader: Oral reading strategies for building word recognition, fluency, and comprehension. New York: Scholastic Professional Books. Snow, C. E. , Burns, M. S. , & Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Tan, A. , & Nicholson, T. (1997). Flashcards revisited: Training poor readers to read words faster improves their comprehension of text. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(2), 276 -288. Torgesen, J. K. , Wagner, R. K. , & Rashotte, C. A. (1994). Longitudinal studies of phonological processing and reading. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27(5), 276 -286. Trelease, J. (2006). The read-aloud handbook. New York, NY: The Penguin Group. Truss, Lynne. (2003). Eats, Shoots & Leaves. New York: The Penguin Group. Vaughn, S. , & Linan-Thompson, S. (2004). Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Zutell, J. , & Rasinski, T. (1991). Training teachers to attend to their students’ oral reading fluency. Theory into Practice, 30(3), 211 -217. © 2013 Texas Education Agency / The University of Texas System 55