Rationale: 
In order for students to better comprehend text it is essential for them to be fluent readers. To gain effortless, automatic readings students must practice expression, pace, and comprehension through repeated readings. Students can better reflect and comprehend what they are reading about when they can automatically read words. Through reading, decoding, crosschecking, mental marking, and then rereading students will improve their reading rate and become fluent readers. Students will use the crosschecking and mental marking strategy with decodable texts and repeated readings to gain fluency and independence.
Materials:

• Pencils

• Stopwatch for each group

• Class Set of I, Crocodile

• Sample sentences to model and practice

• Peer Fluency Sheet (one for each student)

• Reading Rate forms for teacher

• Teacher Fluency Check (one for each student) with attached comprehension questions

• WPM graph cut out one for each student

Procedures:

1. Introduce the lesson by saying, “Alright class, we will begin today by working on becoming great fluent readers! We all want to become fluent readers, but what does that mean and how will we do that? What do you guys think?” Wait for responses. “Well fluent readers are able to read smoothly with expression at a steady quick pace because they can recognize words automatically. Becoming a fluent reader will also help us understand what we are reading because we will not have to stop and break down each word. The story will be more fun and interesting for us!”

2. Say: Ok now we will look at a sentence from the story written on the board: “Even crocodiles can get seasick.” Now everyone listen closely to me read and tell me if you think I am a fluent reader when I read the sentence aloud. “/e/-/v/-/e/-/e/-/n/, /k/-/r/-/o/-/k/-/o/-/d/-/I/-/l/-/s/ crocodiles, /k/-/a/-/a/-/n/ can, /g/-/e/-/e/-/t/ get, /s/-/E/-/s/-/i/-/k/ seasick! Evan crocodiles can get seasick? Hm, that doesn’t make sense. Oh, the ‘e’ must be a long E in that sentence for Even. Even crocodiles can get seasick! Yes!” Did you notice how I read the sentence and got stuck on the word even? To figure out what the word was I reread the sentence from the beginning and tried ‘Evan’ and realized it did not make sense, right? So, I went back and reread to figure out which word should be there, ‘even’. This is a strategy called crosschecking. It is very helpful and important to use when becoming a fluent reader. So, raise your hand if you think I read that sentence like a fluent reader would. You’re right, I did not! I had to go slow and decode words and figure out some hard ones. Now this is how a fluent reader would have read it: “Even crocodiles can get seasick.” See how I read the sentence effortlessly and it was much easier to understand? Now your turn! Turn to a partner and practice reading the other sentence from the story on the board: “Now what’s for dessert?” Read it aloud to one another until you think you sound like a fluent reader should sound.

3. Say: “Now let’s think back to when I read the first sentence and I had trouble with the word ‘even’. To figure out what that word was, I reread the sentence from the beginning and tried what I thought the word said, ‘Evan’. That did not make sense, did it? So, then I went back to the text to reread and figure out what the word should say to make sense. This strategy is called crosschecking, and it is very important to use when we are learning to become fluent readers. I want to see and hear all of you using crosschecking when you come across a hard word as you read to your partner.

4. Assign partners for each student and pass out books. Say: “Now we are going to practice being a fluent reader by reading I, Crocodile. Wouldn’t it be crazy to have a pet crocodile? How do you think Napoleon got a pet crocodile? Do you think when Napoleon takes the crocodile to Paris that it will be happy? Let’s read and find out what this crocodile does when he is taken from his homeland” Students should read the first three pages silently to themselves and then take turns reading 2 pages aloud to their partner. “While your partner is reading their pages it is important to not stop them or help them during their turn.”

5. Pass out recording sheets, progress wpm graph, and stopwatches to each pair. Say: “Now we are going to play the fluency game with our partners.  Reader 1 is going to start off by reading the first three pages and reader 2 will be in control of the stopwatch. Reader 2 will time Reader 1 as he reads the first three pages and then record his time on the sheet I have given you.” Explain how they must count WPM with the formula given total wordsx60/seconds read and have them record it by keeping progress on the WPM graph. “As you listen to your partner read aloud make sure to listen for how their reading is changing. Are they becoming more fluent, are they reading faster and smoother, or are they reading with expression? Mark these changes on your recording sheets.”

6. After each pair has read through the pages three times call back one student at a time for assessment. Have them read a page aloud to you from the first two pages. Ask them to bring their record sheet and WPM graph so you can attach it to the back of their assessment sheet. You will time them on the paragraph read aloud and use the WPM formula to record their final WPM number. Use a list of comprehension questions to assess how their fluency has improved their comprehension.

References:
Abagail Rickerson, Something Smells like Fluency!
https://acr0040.wixsite.com/abbyrickerson/growing-independence-and-literacy
I, Crocodile by Fred Marcellino

 

Peer Fluency Check

Name of Reader: ____________________
Date: _________________
1st Time: ________
2nd Time: ________
3rd Time: ________
I noticed that my partner…
            After which read?       2nd       3rd
Remembered more words  
Read faster
Read smoother
Read with expression
 
Teacher Fluency Check

Name of Reader: _______________
Date: _________________ 
Time: ________
Words x 60/time in seconds: _______WPM
Comprehension:
1. Why do you think Napoleon wanted a crocodile?
2. Why was the ocean voyage so hard for the crocodile?
3. Where did Napoleon put the crocodile once they got to Paris?
4. How did the crocodile get out of the cage?

Answers:
1. He wanted to impress his friends in Paris about his travels.
2. He got seasick and he couldn’t eat.
3. In a fountain.
4. The cook got distracted when he opened the cage and the crocodile slipped away.

 References: 
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/cultivations.html
​Reading Genie: ​http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/horizons.html

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http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/applications/

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