We all know that students need to practice fluency to become better readers. Now, as teaching has gone digital, we need to think of creative ways to hear our students read. Here’s a list of ways you may want to try with your students to get some extra fluency practice in:
1. Readers' Theater - Yep! While this is a fun fluency activity in the classroom, it can definitely be done remotely! Most teachers have a way to interact with their students live, either via Zoom, Google Meets, or a variety of other platforms. Divide your students up into small groups (based on the number of parts in your script) and meet up! If you can get scripts to your students ahead of time, that’s perfect, but if you can’t, have the script up on your screen and SHARE YOUR SCREEN. It’s that easy. Your students will love the chance to read through the play together. (Check out the link below for a free Aesop's fable readers theater script!)
2. Voice Mail – If you have a school voicemail set up where you’re able to retrieve your messages via your email, this is a PERFECT way to listen to your students read. Have them call your school phone number and read to you in a voice mail message. The time allowed in a message is short, so you’ll get a small window of their reading. I would rotate students on a weekly basis so you’re not sitting listening to all 30 kids in one day. But this can be a doable (and fun) option for you!
3. Phone/Devise recording – Most phones and devices have recording options. Students can record themselves reading and send you an attachment. Students can upload their file and send it to you in Google Classroom or another platform that you may be using. Also, many of the parent communication apps that are used (we use ClassDoJo) have a student portfolio section, which would be a great place to upload these files!
4. Fluency Timers – Timers always make a task more fun! Give them a passage with a timer. Tell them to read at a normal speed until the timer runs out. I have a bunch of hourglass timers in my classroom. If you are using digital timers, have them set the timer and read until time is up. Students can read to parents and/or other family members, babysitters, pets, stuffed animals, a favorite plant or object outside… the sky is the limit!
5. Fluency Charts – No matter how you have your students practice, have a chart for them to fill out each time they do. Keep it simple – have them fill in the date, the title of the text they read, and how many words they read during their time. You may wish to number the words before giving students their passages so they don’t have to count.
Grab your FREE Aesop's Fables Readers' Theater Script from The Owl Spot! (Grades 3-5)
Here's your FREE Aesop's Fables Readers' Theater Script for primary grades!
