Wednesday, July 11, 2012

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!

7 comments:

  1. We do a "Program" called Six Minute Solution. It sounds exactly like this....partners read for one minute, using a dry erase marker (paper is in a page protector so we can write right on it.) then they switch and listen to the other person. They only mark the charts on Monday and Friday. They read the same passage for a week.
    Patty

    Second In Line

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    1. Thanks Patty! I'll have to check into Six Minute Solution too. It sounds like a great way to build fluency.
      Becky

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  2. Sounds like a great workshop! I love it when I go to the ones that give me ideas I can use immediately! We do something similar, but this sounds very beneficial.

    I'd love to pass on some bloggy awards to you--stop by my blog! :)

    -Gayla
    http://teach-on.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Gayla!
      I recently received the Versatile Blogger award and have received it again from a few other bloggers in the last month.
      :)
      Becky

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  3. WONDERFUL! I LOVE THIS!!! Did you make your own fluency graph or did the presenter give you one? What will you be using for your reading passage?
    Please check out my Blog! I am always looking for Blog Followers :)

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    1. We have used AIMS Charts that I believe were created from DIBELS.
      Becky

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  4. This is a great idea! I'd like to do something like this with my students 1-2 times a week. Thanks for sharing!
    Lisa
    Learning Is Something to Treasure

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