Because with a fresh cut from the barber anything can happen…even reading fluency.

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So there’s a formula to reading fluently. We need to read, reread, and make sure we’re doing it in a connected text (a.k.a a book) and not isolated words. When we read the book for the first time, we may come across words we don’t know. That’s when we stop, decode the word, crosscheck to make sure it makes sense, and mentally mark any irregular words in the text. Then we have to reread the sentence again, because the more we read the sentence the more we’ll be able to learn new words and store them in our sight vocabulary. Not only do we have to read the sentence over again but it’s helpful to reread the whole story again because when we do, not only can we become fluent in reading the text but we can also add expression to the text we are reading aloud since we understand it a little more. Think of it as if you’re an actor in a play. Actors have to practice their lines over and over again in their head and the more they do, the more they can bring the story to life and add expression to their lines. It’s important to read in a connected text, or a book, because crosschecking only happens within context not when isolated words are presented. In a connected text students can read more words, with greater interest (because there’s a plot), under a more natural time pressure for reading comprehension. In this lesson I will use the text Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut to show kids how to read, and reread a text in order to gain more fluency, expression, and reading comprehension.

 

Materials:

• A class set of Derrick Barnes’ book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

• Picture of a do-rag, waves, and the words per minute scale (at the bottom of lesson plan)

• Chart with this text: “The whole school will be seasick from the rows and rows of ripples. You will have more waves on your head than the Atlantic Ocean. (Shout out to my do-rag and patience.)”

• Timer or stopwatch

• Pencils and crayons or colored pencils

• Paper

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• Explain to students why we do repeated reading: “Boys and girls! When we read a book with lots of unfamiliar words in it, we don’t just read it one time. Rather, we read it multiple times until the words start to come alive to us, which means we know the meaning of the words and we can add our own twists to the story with expression and emotion when we read. From all the practice, words get a lot easier to say and when we start to say them faster, that leaves us some extra time to understand what is happening in the story and gives us time to think about how we say our words.

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• Let me show you what I mean with our book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut. [Display the Chart.]​​

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• Now I want you to read the page with me! I’ll take it a little slow but try to keep up with me. Ready on three. 1, 2…begin choral reading.

 

• I don’t know if you noticed when I first began reading but I had to crosscheck to make sure I was saying the right words. Crosschecking means that when I take my shot at decoding a word, I finish reading the sentence to make sure it makes sense. For example, when I said “The wwole school will be seasick from the rows and rows of ripples. As soon as I finished reading school, I immediately thought ‘whole school’. After I’ve got the word I should reread the sentence to make sure I understand it correctly.

 

• Now I want you to partner up with someone and take turns reading to one another. Let one person read the entire book first, and if while reading you come to a word you’re not quite sure about, then I want you to decode, finish the sentence, and crosscheck to make sure the word fits within the sentence.

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• Before we start reading to our partners, I want to tell you a little bit about this book. This book is a little different than most but it’s about a little boy whose getting ready to get a haircut. When it comes time for him to sit in the chair and get his haircut. He may have walked in feeling like “a blank canvas” but by the time the barber is done with him, he’ll feel like a masterpiece. And who knows what a good haircut will do for you? To the class: Ladies how do you think the fellas feel after they’ve gotten their haircut? Fellas how do you think the girls walk around after they’ve gotten their hair done? Well to see what all can happen when you get that fresh cut, we’re going to have to read the whole story!

 

• [Pass out copies of Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut] I want you to read with your partner, and when you’re both done reading to one another I would like you to raise your hand to let me know when you’re done. I’ll be walking around to see how you guys are doing! I will pull you and you’re partner one at a time and if you’re waiting on me to pull you take out a piece of paper. On the paper I want you to tell me why you liked the book or maybe why you didn’t, maybe you’re favorite sentence, or what you thought was funny. Or on you’re piece of paper you can draw yourself with your own nice hairdo!

 

• Each student will get a chance to come up to the teacher’s desk and read for the teacher. The teacher will time the student as they read, and note any miscues that the children make. After the student finishes reading the teacher will graph how many words the child was able to say per minute. The teacher will use this formula to calculate that: # of words x 60 / sec. If the student has not reached 85 words per minute yet encourage them to keep practicing at their desk!

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• ​After complimenting reader asks one of the following comprehension questions:

  1. What is the sting of approval from the barber?

  2. What are one of the ways that people will react when they see the boy with the fresh cut?

  3. What are one of the ways the little boy feels when he gets a haircut?

  4. When you go to the barber shop and he does a good job cutting your hair what do you do?

 

• Before the student goes back to their seat, have them reread any missed words, decode, and crosscheck. Provide any missed words, and have the student reread the sentence. Be sure to make a note of how many wpm the student had.

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• Allow multiple times for the student to read to you until they reach 85 words per minute. Each time the child comes back make sure to ask a different comprehension question!

 

 

 

 

Time Record Sheet

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1st Reading:

 

2nd Reading:

 

3rd Reading:

 

 

 

 

Checklist for the Student (for feedback):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fluency Scale/Chart:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

Barnes, Derrick. Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut. Chicago, Illinois. Agate Publishing: Bolden Books, 2017. Print.

 

Bussman, Sally. If you Teach a Mouse Fluency. https://szb0094.wixsite.com/lessondesigns2017/growing-independence-and-fluency

 

Example on AU Canvas files: Gliding Across Sunset Pond with Fluency.

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To return to the Applications Page: http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/applications/