TC Name: Marissa Carney

RICA Domain: Fluency

RICA Competency: Fluency Instruction and Assessment

Grade Level: 2nd

INSTRUCTION:

I observed Mrs. W. teaching fluency while the students were sitting at the carpet in large group (as a whole class). After reviewing the definition of fluency ("I can read accurately with expression and understand what I read"), she reminded them that fluency is an important skill in reading that involves more than just getting through each page quickly. She then had one student come up to read with her in front of the class. She demonstrated choral reading with him and, while they both read, she used proper intonation. After she modeled it, she had the student practice on his own. He read through it without any effect in his tone but read through the words that he fumbled over before. She had him read it a second time but offered suggestions for how he could improve his fluency (i.e. pausing after a period, raising or lowering his voice depending on the punctuation, etc.). He read it a second time and read it faster pausing after the periods. She asked the class if they heard a difference in his reading and they all responded positively. She then asked him to read it a third time, practicing another fluency technique. The third time he read the passage, it was like he was a completely different reader! He used intonation, correct pausing, and read through every word fluently. The class was very impressed!

After this demonstration, she gave instruction that the students would Read to Someone and practice fluency. They were to read the story out of their Reader twice and work on improving their fluency each time. The first time they read through, they worked on pronunciation of the words they were not completely familiar with and then, the second time through, they were able to focus on their intonation. It was amazing how much they improved just in this simple exercise!

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING
In Mrs. W.'s class, she has a CAFE wall which is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary. Every time a new aspect of one of these categories is taught and practiced, a flashcard is placed in the appropriate column to help the students remember. This quick reference guide helps students remember their goals in reading.