Oral Reading Fluency: Practice and Progress Monitoring - Grade 5

Common Core Reading Standards: Foundational Skills - 4.

Fluent reading is an important part of reading well. Fluent reading is made up of three main parts: accurate word reading, the speed at which words are read accurately, and expression, also known as prosody. With Oral Reading Fluency: Practice and Progress Monitoring - Grade 5 students will practice oral reading of texts and be monitored for progress on a weekly basis. The practice will help improve fluency, especially for English Language Learners. The monitoring will help provide teachers, students, and parents with information that can be used to determine instructional strategies to help improve fluency.

Each grade level product has 30 passages at that grade level, 30 passages at the next lower grade level, and 30 passages at the next higher grade level. For example, the grade 5 product has 30 passages at grade 5, 30 passages at grade 4, and 30 passages at grade 6. The passages are at or near the middle of their grade in reading difficulty. For example, the grade five passages are at or near the middle of grade five. The grade four passages are at or near the middle of grade four. The grade six passages are at or near the middle of grade six. Once each student's instructional level has been determined, the teacher will use the first three passages at that grade level to assess the student's correct words per minute (cwpm), word accuracy, and expression. The teacher takes the median of the three scores (accuracy, cwpm, and expression rubric) to use as initial baseline data for accuracy, cwpm, and expression. The student will read and practice one passage each week throughout the school year. The next twenty-four passages will be used to progress monitor the students. A passage will be read on the first day of a week. It will be practiced throughout the week through fluency strategies such as choral reading, taped reading, partner reading, echo reading, and repeated reading. The teacher or student can graph the fluency scores for the first "cold" reading of the passage for the week. The student will read the passage again at the end of the week. The fluency scores for the "hot" reading will be recorded on the graph as well by either the teacher or student. Accuracy, cwpm, and an expression score using an expression fluency rubric will be recorded on separate graphs. Blank graphs for these results are included.

Included with each passage is a set of four multiple-choice comprehension questions. The questions are on a separate sheet from the passage. The teacher can decide to have the student answer the questions after the first reading, any of the readings during the week, or after the last reading of the week. These questions help determine if the students are comprehending the passage. If the students are able to read the passage fluently with the proper accuracy, cwpm, and expression, but struggles with comprehending, the teacher will need to direct instruction to help improve comprehension skills.

The last three passages at each grade level can be used as an assessment at the end of the year to show progress. They also can be used as three more weeks of progress monitoring and just the last passage can be used to show the end-of-the-year progress.

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy include fluency as a component. Students are expected to "Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding; b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings; c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary." (Grade 5 - Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy - Reading Standards: Foundational Skills (K-5) - Fluency)

Readers need to be able to read fluently out loud. They need to be able to read words accurately, at a smooth rate, and with expression. They must be able to recognize many words automatically. Students also need to be able to have skills necessary to decode and pronounce words as they are reading. Readers that are able to do this are able to direct more of their attention to the meaning of the text. Fluent readers are able to spend most of their time making connections to and with the text and understanding what they are reading. Readers struggling with fluency are less able to do this.

Fluent reading is important. Students that read on their instructional level, at the rate appropriate to their grade level, and with adequate or better expression are well on their way to use reading as a lifelong skill that will enable them to learn about and enjoy the world around them. Fluent reading can be instructed and practiced. It can be monitored for progress. Students can learn to have confidence in how they read and continue to improve their oral reading skills. Oral Reading Fluency: Practice and Progress Monitoring - Grade 5 can help students become more fluent readers.

Fluent reading is an important part of reading well. Fluent reading is made up of three main parts: accurate word reading, the speed at which words are read accurately, and expression, also known as prosody. With Oral Reading Fluency: Practice and Progress Monitoring - Grade 5 students will practice oral reading of texts and be monitored for progress on a weekly basis. The practice will help improve fluency, especially for English Language Learners. The monitoring will help provide teachers, students, and parents with information that can be used to determine instructional strategies to help improve fluency.