Fluency Homework

Wow, I cannot believe it is already the spring semester! We are going to begin working very hard to get your child ready for second grade. One of the areas we will be putting a major focus on is fluency in reading. Studies have shown that fluent readers have a higher potential for strong comprehension and thus find more success in reading.

Throughout the month of January your child will have extra homework each night to help them improve their fluency. In their folder today you will get a letter explaining in detail what is expected. We will also be going over the assignment in class to practice so your child will already know what to do. This fluency homework must be completed every single night, but should take no more than 5 minutes. Homework will be sent home on Monday and is due back to school the following Monday. Over the course of the week you should see an improvement in your child's fluency. They will begin to read more quickly and with more expression.

This assignment is extremely important for your child's success in reading. We begin administering the DRA for the second time next week, and this added practice will help your child greatly with this assessment. If you still have questions about how to complete the homework after reading the parent letter this evening, please contact me! It does not help your child to do the assignment incorrectly. I want every one of my students to find success in reading and this will benefit them greatly.

Thank you again for your continued support.

iRead with iPods!

Today was a VERY exciting day in our class because we were introduced to our classroom iPod's!

My dad works with Apple Computer in the educational technolgoy department, so he knows first hand what an important learning tool the iPod touch can be.  A few years ago he purchased 2 iPod touches for me to use in my classroom with the students.

Intially, we are using these tools to work on our reading fluency. Later, once the kids have demonstrated their responsibility using them, we will add in some education apps for them to work on as well.

The iPod can be a GREAT tool to aid in reading fluency.  Many first graders, when just learning to read, read books slowly and word by word. This lack of fluency can cause them to struggle with comprehension of the text read. Many first graders have no idea they are reading this way because it is so hard to hear yourself when you are so focused on decoding and reading the words. This is where the iPods come in.  We are using the voice memos app so the students can record themselves reading and listen to what it sounds like.  They are using a text that has been introduced in guided reading with me, and they take it into the hallway to record. After they have finished recording they listen to the recording, then record again to see if they can improve on their fluency.  It is amazing the first time they hear themselves read how many of them say something along the lines of "oh my gosh! I didn't know I read that slowly" or "I sound like a robot reading! yikes!". Hearing themselves read helps them to focus on what their reading sounds like. The second recording is always better than the first as a result.

This tool is also a great assessment for me. I am able to listen to them read and track their fluency by how many words they read per minute. There is research that shows that doing these recordings significantly improves student reading fluency over the course of the year!

About half our class had a chance to practice recording today and they all did GREAT! It amazes me that they know so much about technology at such an early age. Even just a few years ago it was much harder to teach the students how to use the iPods because many had never interacted with one. Now, most students, at some time or another, have had access to an iPod, iPhone, or iPad, which makes learning to use our classroom ones a breeze.

The students who did not get a chance to record themselves today will get a chance to do so tomorrow. I'm certain they will do just as well! Every student will get a chance to use this tool once or twice each week.  I am so excited about all the learning that will take place as a result of this technology!