Agryga's List: EDET 636

Grabe, W. (2010). Fluency in Reading--Thirty-Five Years Later. Reading in a foreign language, 22(1), 71-83.

Reading fluency can be a complex issue because it involves automatic processing. To be fluent one is reading with expression, phrasing and with speed. However being a fluent reader is linked to being a skilled reader with good comprehension. Many agree that there is a correlation between reading fluency skills and reading comprehension skills.

Spear-Swerling, L. (2006). Preventing and remediating difficulties with reading fluency. WETA. Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/spearswerling/Preventing_and_Remediating_Difficulties_with_Reading_Fluency

Online article that defines what reading fluency is, why it's important for students to be fluent and what educators can do to help their students become fluent readers. The article mentions why struggling readers may be struggling i.e. the lack of exposure to text. Students need to be assessed individual to really understand where the student's skills are lacking. Giving student appropriate leveled text and having them read and reread text will help increase fluency for struggling readers.

Goodwin, W. (2011, March 30). Oral reading fluency self assessment. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOxUqBn8zx4

Video of a third grade classroom using iPods to record and listen to their reading for fluency. The video goes through four days each day there is a flip chart for the students to refer to, so they know what the expectations are during that time. Day 1 and Day 3 are very similar and Day 2 and Day 4 are similar. The teacher has the students record their reading and use a rubric to rate how they feel they did while listening to their recording. The following day students listen to a partner's recording and they use the rubric to score their partner's reading. The students are given time to discuss what they think they need to work on and why and what they did well at and why, with their partner.

Fox, J. (2012, January 17). Voice memo app for fluency and comprehension development. [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.appeducation.com/2012/01/17/voice-memo-app/

Online article describes how to use Voice Memo on an iPod/iPad to record students reading to work on reading fluency and comprehension. The articles author discusses the importance of having students record, listen and reflect on their reading to increase fluency. Attached to the article is a Prezi that shares an example of a student rubric to allow students to reflect on their reading fluency. The article also discusses and shares a rubric for student's to reflect on their reading comprehension.

Oakley, G. (2003). Improving oral reading fluency (and comprehension) through the creation of talking books. Reading Online, 6(7), n7. Retrieved from http://www.readingonline.org/articles/Oakley/

Electronic talking books project used to improve reading fluency. Throughout the project the teacher used formative assessments and noticed student fluency was increasing. The students paid more attention to punctuation, read with meaningful chunks, improved their reading rate and expression. The researchers of this project noted that because of the naturalistic design the study, it was not possible to find that the outcomes observed were caused by the interventions.

Mason, H. I. (2010). Integrating Technology for Academic Achievement in Phonics and Fluency. Online Submission.

Report looked at the impact of technology on reading fluency. Four students were given a pre-assessment and a post assessment of reading fluency skills after using Study Island for four weeks. Researchers noticed the use of technology cut down on negative behaviors, but did not eliminate them

Rasinski, T. (2004). Creating fluent readers. Educational Leadership, 61(6), 46-51. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar04/vol61/num06/Creating-Fluent-Readers.aspx

Article shares a reading rubric that can be used to assess a student's reading fluency in the areas of expression and volume, phrasing, smoothness, and pace. Reading fluency needs to be taught in elementary and middle school years. It should be part of a comprehensive reading program, if we want young readers to be expressive and comprehend what is being read. Reading fluency needs to taught as expressive reading, not focusing on speed-reading. If teachers focus on speed rather than meaningful reading, we will end up with fast readers who comprehend very little.

Chen, C. (2011, July 5). Using italk recorder for reading fluency – teacher directions. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPFO5NPDMgI

UsingVideo discusses using the iTalk app on iPods or iPads to increase reading fluency. The video explains how to get started and materials needed to use iTalk in the classroom. Includes step-by-step directions on how to transfer the student recordings from the device to a teacher's laptop.

Sklar, D. (2009). Legendary local: Saddleback teacher issues ipod touch to students. News-n-Views. Retrieved from http://www.news-n-views.com/asp/articlenews.asp?art_id=3676&internal=1&issue_date=10/11/2009&place=0648256&edent=8853059

Aliso Elementary School in Lake Forest implemented a technology program called iEngage. 5th grade students in the pilot program were given an iPod Touch. Aliso School focused on using the iPod Touches to increase student's reading fluency. Students use the iTalk app to record themselves reading. The teacher and students interviewed f in the online article descript how student engagement increased as a result of being able to use the iPad Touch in the classroom.

Rasinski, T.V. (1990). Effects of repeated reading and listening-while-reading on reading fluency. Journal of Educational Research, 83, 147-150. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/researchbytopic/4905

Research report studied the effects of third graders reading fluency after reading and listening to a reading passage. 20 third graders from a variety of schools in a community in Southeastern United States. Students were given an 100 word fourth grade passage. A teacher read students the passage, then the students read the passage themselves, and then the students listened to a recoding of the passage. The purpose of the student was to notice the differences in fluency related to repeated readings versus repeated listening while reading.

Blau, L. (5). Surefire strategies for developing reading fluency. Instructor Magazine, 110(7), 28-30. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/5-surefire-strategies-developing-reading-fluency

Online article outlines five strategies to increase reading fluency: model fluent reading, repeated readings in class, promote phrased reading in class, tutors to help, and reader's theater. These strategies are geared for 2nd - 5th grade students. Students should be assessed prior to using the strategies to see which strategy would be best for which students. For students to build their fluency they need fluent reading modeled to them, this is done best by exposing students to a wide variety of text genres, including poetry, folk tales, etc. Repeated readings help students recognize high frequency words.