Do you do weekly fluency reads? I do! This last year I decided to start implementing them on a weekly basis as well as having my students graph their data. My students love to try to beat their words per minute (wpm). I love seeing their fluency get better as well as their vocabulary. I saw a night and day difference in both their motivation as well as their reading fluency.
Why does how many wpm matter? Parents ask me this all the time. The reason it matters is because once a child is reading at a certain pace (not too slow and not too fast), they can stop focusing on the words and what they mean and start focusing on the overall comprehension, analyzing the text, and countless other strategies. If they are struggling with fluency, they are focusing so much on the words that they come away with little in the way of comprehension. I also have those who read too fast and miss important concepts. It isn't about reading incredibly quickly. It is about comprehending what you read. As you develop your fluency, the comprehension will get better naturally.
Every week after their final test of that passage, I will ask the students some comprehension questions. Each week the students themselves notice that the text gets easier to comprehend. I ask them why they think that is. I get an array of different answers all of which are great discussion points.
I am forever changed in my thoughts on fluency. Even at a 5th grade level, my students still benefit from practicing their fluency. The data pages I have created help them track their progress and try to improve using intrinsic motivation. It is really exciting to watch! I can't wait to try it again this year. I made fluency books with these graphing pages in the front.
Click on this link for the graphs.
I hope your students will love to watch their progress as much as my students do! Keep working on simplifying your life!
Simply Essential Teaching on TpT
Why does how many wpm matter? Parents ask me this all the time. The reason it matters is because once a child is reading at a certain pace (not too slow and not too fast), they can stop focusing on the words and what they mean and start focusing on the overall comprehension, analyzing the text, and countless other strategies. If they are struggling with fluency, they are focusing so much on the words that they come away with little in the way of comprehension. I also have those who read too fast and miss important concepts. It isn't about reading incredibly quickly. It is about comprehending what you read. As you develop your fluency, the comprehension will get better naturally.
Every week after their final test of that passage, I will ask the students some comprehension questions. Each week the students themselves notice that the text gets easier to comprehend. I ask them why they think that is. I get an array of different answers all of which are great discussion points.
I am forever changed in my thoughts on fluency. Even at a 5th grade level, my students still benefit from practicing their fluency. The data pages I have created help them track their progress and try to improve using intrinsic motivation. It is really exciting to watch! I can't wait to try it again this year. I made fluency books with these graphing pages in the front.
I hope your students will love to watch their progress as much as my students do! Keep working on simplifying your life!
Simply Essential Teaching on TpT
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