Fluency Bags

At the NM Reads to Lead workshop that I recently attended, the wonderful presenters just kept giving us idea after idea!  This next idea that I'm sharing is for making class sets of fluency bags.  To do this each child needs:

• 1 gallon sized zip lock bag
• Reading passage with word count at the end of each row
• High-frequency word bank
• Leveled readers at students' instructional and independent levels
• Fluency graph 
• Decodable passage or book
• Timer

After you have constructed each fluency bag to meet the reading levels of each student distribute them to the class.  Here are some suggested scenarios to tell your students when using them:

• "Partner up, and you'll play One Minute, Please!, reading from the passage in you fluency bag."  (Each week, give a new passage to each student at his or her instructional level.)
• "When I say go, Partner One will read for 1 minute."
• "Ready, go!"  (Begin timing for 1 minute.)
• "Now it's time for Partner Two to read; ready, go."  (Begin timing for 1 minute.)
• "Count the number of words read correctly in 1 minute for your partners, then record the number on your fluency graphs."

Variations to the fluency bags can include subject matter; reading passages can be added to the fluency bag (e.g., science, social studies, literature stories).  Vocabulary cards or lists for science, social studies, or other subjects can be included in the fluency bags too.

What a great way to have your students practice their fluency!