I have been tutoring on Tuesday and Thursday nights in order to keep my teacher mind active and challenged. My focus with this 3rd grade student has been fluency work: timed fluency passages, chunking text, Big Bubble Breath boxes, and a bit of comprehension work with novels. A few of the gems I have found:
- Bubble Breath Boxes to increase high frequency word fluency: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREEBIE-High-Frequency-Fluency-Intervention-Set-1-Fry-Words-1-25-Breath-Boxes-841363
- Leveled Fluency Passages for timed reads: http://www.meade.k12.sd.us/Curriculum/3rd%20Grade%20Fluency%20Passages/
I utilized these leveled fluency passages with my 6th graders reading well-below grade level during 6-minute solution time. It was perfect because everyone could work on fluency from on-level readers to students reading at the first grade level.
The Bubble Boxes are a tool I just found. While I bought the package of all 300 FRY words, you can sample the first 25 and practice with students needing repeated practice with high frequency words independently, with a partner, or in a center setting. The idea is that the student takes a breath and has to read the whole box of words before running out of breath. Cool tool for stamina! My 2nd grade son loves the Bubble Boxes because it is a challenge-competition is something he loves.
Pictured below are some of my 6th graders from last year working on the novel unit for Chocolate Fever. I have just taken some time to update this unit and make it aligned to CCSS. If you are looking for a fun book and middle grade unit about a boy with a “chocolate problem” that leads him on quite an adventure for a cure, this is a fun tool for you. A perfect book and unit to fit in between the Thanksgiving and Christmas break!
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I would love to hear about the tools you utilize to improve fluency in your middle grade classrooms, as I am always looking for more items to use with my students. Leave a comment below!
Shannon says
We JUST started working on fluency in my 6th grade classroom the week before we got out for Christmas-need I say anymore? 🙂
I already have tons of passages that have a word count(not that it matters to me). I made a sheet that they use to record the words they missed and need to practice.
They partner read-so 1 student reads while another student listens and marks. Then they practice throughout the week. I have them sign up to practice together in the hallway right outside our room because IT WAS TOO LOUD DURING READING WORKSHOP. Lol!
I still need to really set up some kind of system-I don't want to take too much time away from their independent reading.
Any ideas???
Shannon
http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com
Erin says
Thanks for your comment and sharing your ideas. I sent you a copy of Chocolate Fever! I hope you are able to use it!
Andrea L. says
I bought the breath boxes, too! My kids think they are a lot of fun. With older kids I usually do repeated readings on interesting passages, poems, and reader's theater scripts, as well as reading different ways to hear different phrasings and what sounds better.
andrea . m . lee84 @ gmail . com