The New "F" Word.....Fluency :)

Where is our summer break going? How in the world is it already August!?!?

This week I want to share some of the exciting things we have found and developed to increase our students' fluency.  Until recent years, fluency has been a major focus in upper grades beginning in Third grade. However, with Common Core and the implementation of the MClass Reading Assessments here in NC....we feel that it is very important for first graders to practice fluency skills daily. No longer is it enough for students just to be able to "read words" but they are pushed to read the words fluently and with appropriate feeling.

This is an example of our Fry Instant Phrase Books.
Click HERE to purchase the Phrase books or Sight word books.

Sight Word Books and

 Fry Instant Phrase Books

To work on sight word fluency, our team developed Fry Sight Word Books. Each Fry Word list is divided into groups of 10

words per page. Students take the books home and study one page at a time. Once the student knows the entire page and the teacher checks the student's progress, he/she may move on to the next page. The book is easier to keep track of rather than 100 flashcards banded  together. The Fry Phrase books work similarly.

One Breath Boxes by Donna Coleman

Our Students LOVE Donna Coleman's One Breath Boxes. The idea is that using one breath, the students try to say each box without running out of air. Although this strategy does not work the expression side of fluency, the students have a great time challenging themselves to move to harder boxes using only one deep breath. Check these out on TPT!

Fluency Building Poems by Alissa Manning-Telisak

Once students have a good grasp on sight word knowledge and are doing well with short phrases, we like to challenge them with poetry. The rhythm and rhyme help develop students' expression and accuracy. Usually we spend about 1 week per poem. We do several repeated reading and encourage the students' to read with expression. Alissa has made several packs for each month and each pack has a wide variety of topics appropriate for that month. We highly suggest using poetry as a means for increasing fluency!