Assessing Students

To get a better idea on how my students are doing I like to assess my students individually. Every morning when the students have SSR, I choose a different student daily to work with and listen to their reading and that helps me to have a better idea how they're reading rates are and their accuracy in their reading. I also check to see if they are using expression while they are reading. I then work with these students and give them suggestions on how they could improve. The students enjoy reading outloud and they like that they get to have individualized attention. I also use their journals and writing assignment to check for understanding and growth. The comprehension test which includes multiple choice, short and long answer questions ultimately determine whether they can go back to their regular class, but I have a better idea on how my students reading levels and comprehension by working with them closely and examining their work.

Student motivation and fluency

How are students motivated to use reading fluency strategies? I find that using the ones they like increase their motivation to use these strategies. I found a stategy online called shared paired reading; the students like this strategy the best because they get to work with partners. The first partner reads aloud a passage as the second partner reads the same passage along silently and gives support as needed until the passage is read. Then they swith roles and the second partner reads aloud while the first partner reads silently and helping when needed. The shared paired reading fluency strategy has the benefit of the repeated reading strategy while working with partners. The students in my class enjoy using this startegy the best because they get to work with partners. I like to pair up a lower reader with a higher one because the higher reader can help the lower reader as needed. Students also like to read aloud to hear themselves and this gives them an opportunity to do it.

Reading Fluency Strategies

The FAST TRACK program uses three key fluency strategies to help struggling readers: guided, practice, repeated reading, and independent reading. Guided practice or assisted reading is usually done by the teacher in class. The teacher reads aloud and models fluent reading using proper phrasing, intonation, expressions, and rates of reading. Parents and peers may be models of fluent reading as well. Guided practice also gives students feedback as they are reading. According to the Nation Reading Panel, repeated oral reading procedures that includes guidance from teachers, or good reader has a positive impact on word recognition, fluency, and comprehension across a variety of grades. Repeated reading is another strategy that is effective in developing automaticity. Repeated reading helps students read the text fluently so that they may concentrate on the meaning of the text. Repeated reading may first begin with reading a text silently and following along as a teacher reads aloud and models fluency. Then the student might read the text again whether it be reading silently, reading with a partner, to a partner, or outloud. The repeated reading strategy has helped my students as they are able to take part in discussions and share their thoughts because they understand what they have read. Independent reading is helps students' fluency if books that are provided that are interesting and are at their reading levels. Independent reading should be monitored and done daily for about 20-45 minutes. When students first start in the FT program they resist reading, but they soon realize that it is a part of their daily routine and I am there to support their reading and they feel less intimidated. Having free choice for reading motivates the students to find books that they think are interesting. FT mentions uses these three main strategies, but there are other effective strategies available as well.