Overview

What is Reading Fluency? A perspective and brief history of Oral Reading Fluency Reading Fluency Research Fluency Assessment Reading Fluency intervention strategies

Big Ideas in Beginning Reading

Phonemic Awareness

Fluency Vocabulary

Comprehension

Alphabetic Principle

Reading in an Alphabetic Writing

What is Reading Fluency?

The ability to read
Accurately Quickly With Expression

Students who read with expression have higher comprehension skills

Beware of Pitfalls and Misconceptions

A detrimental form of oral reading: Round Robin Reading Fluency is not just about rate. Faster is not always better. Most quality fluency instruction is deeply embedded with meaning. The interface between fluency and comprehension is quite tight. Match texts you use to develop fluency with the readers skill level. Help students see connection between fluent oral reading and fluent silent reading.
James Hoffman, Ph.d University of Texas at Austin

Oral Reading History

Reading was a primary form of family entertainment and information sharing
In early American homes books were scarce and usually only one person could read That one person had to read selections aloud

Due to its prominence in daily life, oral reading was the focus of classroom instruction (Hyatt, 1943)

Oral Reading History

From the earliest days of the United States through the first decade of the 20th century, oral reading dominated school instruction Students
Read orally Reread Memorize lessons Simultaneously read assigned text orally Read Chorally one text written on the chalkboard

Shift to Silent Reading

The Fluent Reader by Timothy V. Rasinski; pg., 15

Shift to Silent Reading

The end of the 19th and beginning 20th centuries oral reading began to wane Educational psychologist looked at the frequency of words in text
Researchers created texts of high-frequency words and easily decodable words

Increase in print material

For students and teachers to take advantage and cover the growing body of printed material silent reading was more efficient

The Rise of Round Robin Reading

Began as a assessment of students ability to decode words
Similar to informal reading inventory or a running record

Group Round Robin Reading gave the teacher control Required minimal preparation Thought public reading would motivate the less proficient reader Round Robin Reading is an embedded part of the classroom culture in the United States

st 21

Century

Fluency provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension

National Reading Panel (2000)

Lack of fluency = lack of motivation = fewer words read = smaller vocabulary = limited comprehension There is no comprehension strategy that compensates for difficulty reading words accurately & fluently
Torgeson, 2003

Benefits of Oral Reading

Builds confidence Creates community Connects spoken and written language Strengthens decoding skills Fosters Fluency Boosts comprehension Allows us to view the reading process

Everyday Use of Oral Reading

Reading stories Reciting poetry Giving speeches & presentations Announcing public proclamations and pledges Offering toasts Reporting the news Telling jokes Shouting cheers

Oral Reading Is Fun!

Reading Fluency Research

Oral reading fluency correlates highly with reading comprehension. Validity Coefficients .91
Fuchs, Fuchs, Hosp. & Jenkins, SSR 2001

44% of a representative sample of the nations fourth graders cannot read fluently. Students who scored lower on measures of fluency also scored lower on measures of comprehension.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (Pinnell et al., 1995)

Reading Fluency Research

The more attention readers must give to identifying words, the less attention they have left to give to comprehension
(Foorman & Mehta, 2002; LaBerge & Samuels, 1974; Samuels, 2002)

Fluency serves as a bridge between word recognition and comprehension

Less fluent readers group words in ways that they would not do in natural speech, making reading sound choppy.
(Dowhower, 1987)

Non-fluent readers have little attention to devote to comprehension

(National Reading Panel, 2000)

Reading Fluency Research

Twenty years of research by Germann (Edformation, 2001) has shown a strong correlations between standardized achievement test scores and the number of words read correctly per minute (WCPM). WCPM Correlation
.94 .94 .91 .84

Standardized Reading Tests

Standford Diagnostic Reading Test Woodcock Reading Mastery Test (Word Identification) SAT Comprehension Woodcock Reading Mastery Test (Comprehension)

NCLB/Reading First Assessment Committee Guidelines

Screening Diagnostic

Progress Monitoring

Outcome

Fluency Assessment
1. FINDING students who may need intervention assistance in reading 2. DIAGNOSING fluency problems 3. MONITORING PROGRESS to determine if students are making progress in reading

Finding Students Who May Have Reading Problems

Assess Fluency DIBELS Benchmark Assessment (NWF & ORF) Oral reading fluency scores of words correct per minute(WCPM) can be compared to benchmark norms to determine if a student may need assistance in reading fluency.

Critical Values & Progressive Benchmarks

Diagnosing Fluency Problems

Diagnostic assessment of fluency are similar to the screening assessments, expect now the one minute assessments of ORF are conducted in instructional level text rather then grade level. To identify a students instructional level use the Survey Level Assessment

Levels of Reading
Independent Level
97-100% accuracy Can read text without assistance With no more than approximately 1 in 20 word difficult for the reader

Instructional Level
96-91% accuracy Can read text with instructional assistance With no more than approximately 1 in 10 words difficult for the reader

Frustration Level
Below 90% accuracy Has great difficulty reading the text, even with assistance With more then 1 in 10 words difficult for the reader

SCORING
Percent of words read correctly
(ACCURACY):
# words read correctly

total number of words read =

A student read a passage with 98 words in 1 minute and made 11 errors.

Percent of words read correctly: 98 11 = 87 87 98 = .887 =

PRACTICE EXAMPLE: Accuracy

Percent of words read correctly:

148 8 = 140 148 = .945 = 95%

4th grader reading a 4th grade passage? 7th grader reading a 4th grade passage?

Survey level assessment

Purposes
To determine the appropriate instructional placement level for the student
The highest level of materials that the student can be expected to benefit from instruction in

To provide baseline data, or a starting point for progress monitoring

In order to monitor progress toward a future goal, you need to know how the student is currently performing

Can be conducted in reading and math

Can be conducted in spelling and written expression if benchmarking/norming also conducted

Survey level assessment

1. Start with current reading level passages (Use DIBELS progress monitoring stories)

2. Administer 3 separate probes (at same difficulty level) using standard DIBELS procedures
3. Calculate the median (i.e., find the middle score)

4. Is the students score within instructional range? Yes: this is the students instructional level No: if above level (too easy), administer 3 probes at next level of difficulty No: if below level (too hard), administer 3 probes at previous level of difficulty

Determining placement level in reading material

Grade Level 12 Placement Level Correct Words Per Minute (CWPM) < 40 40 60 > 60 < 70 70 100 > 100 Errors Per Minute >4 4 or less 4 or less >6 6 or less 6 or less

Frustration Instructional Mastery

36

Frustration Instructional Mastery

Fuchs & Deno (1982)

How to Interpret & Use ORF Norms

Norms are listed as percentile scores
A percentile score of 65 means that 65% of students received fluency scores equal to or lower than the number indicated.

Generally, students reading at the 50th percentile will have good comprehension of grade-level texts.
A 4th grade student reading at 123 WCPM (50th percentile) would be expected to have at least adequate comprehension of grade-level text at the end of the year. A 4th grade student who reads 152 WCPM (75th percentile) would be expected to have excellent comprehension of gradelevel text at the end of the year. Students reading at 92 WCPM (25th percentile) would be expected to have difficulty comprehending grade-level text.

PRACTICE EXAMPLE: Fluency

Words read correctly per minute:
(first 60 seconds of passage): 98 4 = 94 WCPM

4th grader reading 4th grade passage? Fall? Spring? 5th grader reading 3rd grade passage? Fall? Spring?

How to Interpret & Use ORF Norms

If a 5th grade student is reading at about the 3rd grade level, we would assess his fluency using unpracticed passages of 3rd grade text. That score can then be compared to benchmark scores of 3rd graders to determine if that student's fluency is on track for their level of reading development. (NOTE: a 5th grader who is reading at the 3rd grade level will clearly need a serious reading intervention program, that will likely include some fluency practice. It is also possible that diagnostic assessments will indicate that the cause of this student's reading problems are primarily in the areas of phonics/decoding or even phonemic awareness.)

4th Grader 92 WCPM

4th Grader 152 WCPM

25%
4th

75%

Grader 123 WCPM

Practice Survey level assessment

Turn to Survey Level Assessment & Graphing Activities Section Take out Survey Level Assessment Reading Sheet
Herbert

59 words read in the first 60 seconds with 4 errors Words read correctly per minute: 59 4 = 52

Tracking ORF Errors

Refining analysis of ORF errors by categorizing type and location
Use Word Recognition Error Form
The Fluent Reader by Timothy V. Rasinski (pg. 164)

Tracking ORF Errors

Substitutions/Mispronunciations stars He walked down the stairs.

dark She looked down the deep well.

Reversals The servant cleaned and cooked
(counted as 2 errors)

Tracking ORF Errors

Omissions

My dog quickly ran home.

Insertions

house How lovely it was out ^ in the country.

Refusal to Attempt Word/Hesitations
(Teacher pronounces word 3-5 seconds)

I have a purple bear.

Tracking ORF Errors

NOTE dont count as
errors:
Selfcorrections/Repetitions Punctuation Insertions (if it does not change the meaning)

ORF Error Analysis

Large number of refusals student may be unwilling to try to figure out unknown words.
Suggested Strategy- Build students confidence and encourage he/she to take risks when confronting unknown words

Regularly omits words student may read too quickly or carelessly

Suggested Strategy- Encourage student to slow down and process text more carefully
The Fluent Reader by Timothy V. Rasinski; pg., 162.

ORF Error Analysis

High rate of mispronunciation of word (e.g., house for mouse; trouble for tremble)
Suggested Strategy- May benefit from decoding instruction that focuses attention on the soundsymbol patterns and relationships in words

Reverses letters within words (saying saw for was, and mazagine for magazine) beyond the primary grade
Suggested Strategy- Instruction on closer attention to the print as student reads
The Fluent Reader by Timothy V. Rasinski; pg., 163.

Supported Reading
Oral Support Reading The reading of a more proficient reader supports the developing or struggling reader Moves a student from teacher modeling reading fluently independently
The Fluent Reader by Timothy V. Rasinski; pgs., 56-57

Oral Support Reading or reading while listening has a wellestablished research base for students struggling in word recognition, fluency, or comprehension due to problems related to word recognition and fluency
(Kuhn & Stahl, 2000; Sindelar, Monda, & OShea, 1990)

Supported Reading

Paired Reading
The student reads aloud in tandem with an accomplished reader. At a student signal, the helping reader stops reading, while the student continues on. When the student makes an error, the helping reader resumes reading in tandem. The pair can be made up of
Parent & child Teacher & child Teacher aide or classroom volunteer & child Older student & child 2 students in same grade, where there is some differential in reading proficiency
(Students should be trained in advance to use the paired reading approach)

 Do Paired Reading at least 5X per week, 10-20 minutes per session, for at least 6 consecutive weeks. Reminder: If a decoding error is made
state the correct pronunciation for the word while pointing to it Ask the student to do the same Keep reading

Paired reading is not the time to begin a decoding lesson, this interrupts fluency and meaning

Paired Repeated Readings

(Koskinen and Blum, 1986)

A student reads a short passage 3 times to a partner and gets feedback. The partners switch roles Pair an above-level reader with on-level reader Teach students to be excellent partners
Look. Look at your partner Lean. Lean toward your partner Whisper. Use your 12-inch voice
(Feldman, 2001)

Benefits of Paired Reading

Research has shown extraordinarily positive results
A study of paired reading over a period of 6-10 weeks, students made gins of at least 6 months in reading
(Limbrick, McNaughton, & Cameron, 1985)

Topping 1989, students made at least 3 month gain for every 1 month of paired reading Topping reports that students who worked as teachers or tutors for other students also make substantial gains in reading

Recorded Reading
If you think Paired Reading is a good idea but dont have assistants, volunteers or adequate support from home, try Recorded Reading Marie Carbo calls this approach talking books and demonstrated that struggling readers who read aloud a book while listening to it on tape make strong gains in reading (1978, 1981) In a New Zealand study, students who listened repeatedly to stories on tape until they felt they could read them successfully on their own made an average gain of 2.2 years in reading achievement after 27 weeks.
(Reported in Smith & Elley, 1997)

Choral Reading Method

Principals for selecting stories or poems
Make the selection relatively short Keep it simple: Choose material that the child can read Select a poem or story with a catch title or will come alive when read aloud

To Prepare
Once can read it aloud with the other person following along silently Then the readers read the piece together A few repetitions are necessary to fix the piece in the childs mind.

Choral Reading
Groups of students read the same text aloud Maximizes the amount of reading done per child Types of Choral Reading
Unison Refrain Line-a-Child Dialogue Antiphonal Reading Call and Response Cumulative Choral Reading Choral Singing Impromptu Choral Reading

Lets Practice!

Echo Reading
The teacher reads one sentence or phrase at a time and the student echoes back the same sentence or phrase The student follows the words with a finger to insure he/she is actually reading and not mimicking the teacher Alternative- The student takes the lead on text that he/she can read fluently
This builds confidence in the struggling reader as he/she models good reading while monitoring your reading

Steps for Echo Reading

1. Choose a text at the students instructional level or allow the student to select the text. 2. Read the title while pointing to the words as you read. 3. Have your student read the title while pointing to the words. 4. Turn to the first page. Read the first line (or a couple of lines) while pointing to the words and modeling good expression. When you are finished, have your student read (echo) what you just read. Be sure he/she points to the words while reading. 5. Repeat step four until the story is completed.

Echo Reading Research

A multi-step intervention program that included echo reading for 1st graders called Peer-assisted Literacy Strategies (PALS) found that low-achieving students receiving the PALS interventions (including the echo reading component) over 16 weeks made significant and substantial gains in reading achievement over first graders receiving more typical grade level instruction.
(Mathes, Torgesen, & Allor, 2001)

Shared Reading
Interactive reading that occurs when children join in the reading of a BIG BOOK or other ENLARGED TEXT guided by the teacher
BIG BOOK or Enlarged Text at students instructional level
If not the experience changes to a Read Aloud

1. Select text at students instructional level 2. Introduce story discuss title, cover page, topic and ask about prior knowledge to the topic 3. Lead a picture walk through the book (for emergent readers) 4. Read the story aloud; pointing out each word; students follow along with their eyes and/or encourage students to join in as they are able 5. Pause to ask students to predict a word, phase or what is happening in the story 6. Reread with the students taking turns reading the story and/or choral reading 7. Ask comprehension questions connecting to students background knowledge/experiences

Shared Reading Lesson

Shared Reading Practice

The Fluent Reader by Timothy V. Rasinski; pg., 74

Shared Reading
Multiple shared readings will reinforce concepts and provide a closer examinations of characters, setting and global understanding. Use Shared Reading as a time to teach
Letter-sound relationships Key Vocabulary Locating and identifying
Initial letters Punctuation Commonly used words

Repeated Reading Guidelines

Choose a passage at the students instructional level
Instructional level = 85-95% word recognition accuracy upon 1st oral reading of the passage If a student reads with excessive slowness (<50 words per minute)
Offer oral reading support such as reading along with the student in the initial repeated readings Choose an easier passage

The student orally practice the passage until he has achieved the criterion reading rate (refer to ORF Norms 2005) or reads the passage a total of 4x). To motivate students and keep data
Time the students reading for 1 minute Have students chart or graph their progress (3 data sheets included)

Timed Repeated Reading

Time the student 1st reading for 1 minute Mark the stopping point on your copy of the selection Provide feedback to the student on the number of words he/she read correctly per minute and discuss word recognition errors. Record on chart or graph the WCPM Student then practice reading their selection independently or with a partner Time the student again after 4x read or student feels they are ready to meet their WCPM Goal

90/ Total 60 150 145 140 135 130 125 120 115 110 105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5

Words Read Correctly in One Minute

date

Words Correct Per Minute

150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

READING FLUENCY CHART

DAY

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Cooperative Repeated Reading

During guided reading or independent reading students work with a classmate(s) on a short passage form the basal text or other text on students instructional level One student reads passage to partner 3x
Partner
Listen & provide assistance Give feedback based on response sheet criteria

Have students reverse roles

Repeated Reading of High-Frequency Words & Phrases

Students practice high frequency words
Utah Core Curriculum uses Fry Instant Words list Recommended a limited amount of practice of high-frequency words in isolation, instead combine this with repeated reading of these words in phrases or context

Repeated reading of a few phrases per week is key to developing fluency

5-10 phrases on whiteboard or chart Student practice reading them chorally several times a day Read them once or twice each day, (only takes seconds)

The young man the jungle gym.

The principal said the teacher is the best

in the school district.

Fluency Through Phrasing

Fluent readers chunk or parse test into syntactically appropriate units- mainly phrases (Rasinski, 1990) Meaning often lies in a texts phrases (chunking)- not individual words In oral reading the phrasing is marked by the speakers intonation In silent reading it tends to be marked by punctuation. Disfluent reader reads word by word

Speed Drills
1. Distribute copies of the speed drill to students 2. Students have 2 minutes to underline the target syllable or spelling pattern
Example: Students underline vowel teams /ea/ /ee/

3. When finished, student read the marked words. Help students pronounce the words as necessary. Student practice the speed drill sheet until they are ready to be timed 4. Students are then timed for 1 minute on speed drill words 5. Set individual goals and record their score

Creating Speed Drills

Select skills students need to develop automaticity Select 50 word or 100 word speed drill Select 20-25 words written in random order multiple times
For some skills you may not want to repeat words or syllables especially if the drill covers review or multiple skills

Allow time for students to practice the underlined speed drills independently

Words Correct Per Minute

150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Speed Drill

DAY

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Readers Theater

Select or write a script to be performed

Make 2 copies for each member of the group

Monday
Introduce or review purpose and procedures for readers theater with the class Assign students to individual parts
Can be group of students Can rotate parts form one performance to another

Tuesday-Thursday
Student practice their parts, individually, groups, with assistance and/or at home

Friday
Students perform their scripts

Readers Theater
http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/ http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm http://www.readers-theathre.com http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Towe r/3235 http://www.storycart.com http://loiswalker.com/catalog/guidesamples.html http://readinglady.com http://www.lisablau.com http://home.sprynet.com/-palermo/radiokit.htm

Measuring learning is

Using the data to improve instruction is

Graphing Progress Monitoring Data

To monitor progress formatively (i.e., over time) you need to be able to graph or chart that progress
Step 1: plot baseline data Step 2: draw intervention line Step 3: plot the long range goal Step 4: draw the goal (or aim) line Step 5: collect and plot data (weekly, monthly, or quarterly) Step 6: when 4 consecutive scores fall below the goal line, make an instructional change

Weekly growth rates for ORF

Grade 1 2 3 4 5 6 Realistic Growth Rates 2 1.5 1 .85 .5 .3 Ambitious Growth Rate 3 2 1.5 1.1 .8 .65

Fuchs, Fuchs, Hamlett, Walz, & Germann (1993)

100 95 90 85 80 75 70

Words Read Correct

65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3

X X X

100 95 90 85 80 75 70

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Words Read Correct

65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 0

1 1

1 2

1 3