Module+7+Questions

OKAY! I'm officially freaked out! I had this page completely finished with my comments added, I hit the backspace button, or so I think, and the WHOLE page disappeared! There isn't an undo button so I have no way of reconstructing this module's information.

Dr. Swanson had checked it already, so I hope she wrote that down somewhere!

I AM SO SORRY GROUP 2!

Hazardous PJ I am going back to my emails of wiki notifications to reconstruct as much as I can.

1. What does the research say about this topic?

AC - The most interesting piece of research I found was about how the brain processes information. When students are able to decode quickly, then there is more processing room in the brain for comprehension. I also liked the definiton of fluency as "freedom from word recognition problems that might hinder comprehension."

LJ - I agree with AC that I love reading on how the brain processes information. This chapter emphasized the importance of repeated readings. Over 100 studies have been done over two decades that show the importance of repeated readings and how they help readers.

AB - Research says flency is unconscious, automatic word recognition and comprehension occurring concurrently. The fluency definition has been expanded to include the comprehension process. Fluency incorporates several components at the same time. I was particulary interested in the research about repeated readings.

PJ--The research said fluency is important in the reading process but little is done in the classroom to develop the skill. In the last two decades, the concept of fluency has been enlarged to include comprehension processes as well as word recognition processes. Beginning readers do not have the ability to direct attention to decoding and comprehension, two processes that happen simultaneously. Fluent readers can do both at the same time. Word recognition happens in three stages: non accurate stage, accurate but not automatic stage, and automatic and accurate stage (fluency). Finally, repeated readings was presented by the NRP report as a technique for improving fluency, which was put forth by Samuels in 1979.

2. Rank order the following: fluency, comprehension and vocabulary in order of importance in the reading process. Give reasons for the ranking.

AC - My ranking would be 1st - fluency, 2nd - comprehension, and 3rd - vocabulary. Fluency involves word recognition which students need to have to even begin to have comprehension. If students are truly fluent (read at an appropriate rate with accuracy and expression) then they will also have comprehension. To read with expression, the student needs to understand what is happening in the text. Therefore, I put comprehension at number two because the end goal of reading is to comprehend and learn from texts. Finally, vocabulary is 3rd. Students need to know the meanings of words which are helpful to know beforehand, but if a child has comprehension down he can probably figure out vocabulary from context clues.

LJ - My ranking would be 1- comprehension 2 - vocabulary and 3 fluency. A student can comprehend even if he can't read yet. Some students can use pictures or listening to the teachers or another's reading. Vocabulary would be second because it helps students be more successful in reading when they understand what they are reading about. And I placed fluency last because I don't feel that you can be fluent and be good at comprehension and vocabulary. Therefore Fluency wouldn't be the most important. Don't get me wrong I know fluency is important but I have know kids that are very fluent in their reading but do not comprehend anything.

AB - Vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension should be ranked in importance as listed. According to the definiion of fluency as listed in The Literacy Dictionary: The Vocabulary of Reading and Writing, fluency is the "freedom from word identification problems that might hinder comprehension" (Samuels, 2002, p. 167). A reader must first learn the words before the word can be put together. A reader must then be able to read the words with a rhythm and speed that allow the reader to then draw meaning from the words Liken the relationship of vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension to that of basic arithmetic, algebra, and calculus. In mathematics, the basic functions must first be mastered before all the variables can form an algebraic expression and before deep meaning can be fostered through a calculus derivitive.

PJ--I agree with AB on the ranking of vocabulary, fluency, and then comprehension. In chapter 7, we learned teaching vocabulary before reading texts can aid in the comprehension of the texts. In chapter 8, we have learned fluency is directly linked to comprehension. If students can learn the vocabulary they are going to encounter and then read with an amount of fluency due to recognizable words, comprehension is the likely result of the reading experience.

3. The NPR is different from the textbook in the fluency matter. Why? Which position do you like better and why?

AC -I agree with the ideas in the research on SSR and I even set aside time for it in my own classroom. However, I'm concerned about the amount of time that students actually spend reading. I know that some of my students really read and some pretend to read during this time (those are the students who usually get to read to me individually). SSR is tricky, because there is no way to measure how much effort a student is putting into this activity. The book discusses how Sustained Silent Reading can increase fluency. The NPR does not necessarily disagree with this, but it seems that there wasn't enough research (in particular, experimental research) to warrant a recommendation of Sustained Silent Reading in reading instruction. However, Samuels did mention research (probably correlational) that supports the use of this strategy in the classroom.

LJ - Following up with AC I don't think SSR is important for fluency unless it is used the correct way. I did something called MIRP in my classroom which is Monitored Independent Reading Program. This is where I can check and see how students are doing and making sure they are reading things that are appropriate for them. MS: HAVE YOU USED SCAFFOLDED SILENT READING. I THINK IT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET RESULTS FROM SILENT READING AND HAVE ALL STUDENTS READ AND SHARE.

AB - The National Reading Panel differs from the article in one crucial point, role of comprehension. The NRP proffers fluency as a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. S. Jay Samuels asserts fluency includes the comprehension process. As to why the diffrence, S. Jay Samuels' article has a later publication date. I can only surmise, S. Jay Samuels was able to utilize more recent research which caused a modificaction of the definition put forth by the NRP (considering S. Jay Samuels served on the NRP). I actually agree with the NRP. I have had several students who were very fluent readers but had no idea what they just read. I agree comprehension can not happen without fluency but fluency can happen without comprehension. I have not had success with SSR and find it VERY problematc. I would much prefer to d read alouds.

PJ--I agree with the text book that SSR is beneficial to students. SSR allows children to interact with books in their own ways. We test them so much now with AR, OCCT, STAR, MAP, informal assessments, that children need to have something to do with reading that isn't "on the clock", so to speak. I allow choices of books in my classroom and I don't react negatively when a 3rd grade girl brings in //Twilight// to read, even though I know it is over her ability level. My objective with SSR is for children to sample text and enjoy spending time with books. Enjoyment of reading is my goal for SSR. I accomplished enjoyment of reading with my students last year with my relaxed attitude towards this activity. Allowing some untested space with books also increased my students' abilities to be risk takers in my class and in their regular education classes. So, even though you may not think children are engaged during SSR, they probably really are.

4. Your questions from your group. AC - 1. What are some strategies you use to teach prosody?* MS: READER'S THEATER

2. How much time do you devote to teaching fluency a day?

3. The text mentions that SSR may increase fluency. What recommendations do you have to ensure that students are actually reading during SSR?

MS. READER'S THEATER, CHORAL READING, AND TIMED READINGS ARE THREE OF THE BEST WAYS TO INCREASE FLUENCY. ONE ACTIVITY IS TO HAVE THE PLAYS READ ON MONDAY AND SENT HOME FOR PRACTICE. THEN ON SOME OF THE OTHER DAYS, PRACTICE TIMES ARE AVAILABLE. ON FRIDAY IS PERFORMANCE DAYS.
 * 3. What is a daily activity that can quickly be done to increase fluency?

AB - 1. I noticed an absence of a DIBELS mention. Was Dibels not around when this was written?

AC - Well, since this chapter mentions research from the late nineties I would say it was written in the last 10 to 12 years. Research on DIBELS has been going on since the 1980s according to the University of Oregon's website. This is just my opinion, but I think DIBELS only assesses how fast a kid can read rather than true fluency which includes expression and comprehension. That might be why the author of the chapter failed to mention it.

2. Was only repeated reading offered as a resarch-based viable fluency method because the author was involved in the creation of repeated reading as a fluency strategy?
 * 3. Did anyone notice the jump from 6th grade to college in the study by Samuels, LaBerge, and Bremmer in 1978? Why the jump? Is this due to the date of the study and the thinking of the time? Why were adolescents ommitted?

Although all of the above techniques can aid in the development of prosodic reading, there is much to be said regarding the use of Repeated Readings and timed readings in developing prosody and, ultimately, fluency in general. A repeated reading is when a reader reads the same passage over and over, learning where to stress certain aspects, where to pause, etc. Repeated reading is a necessary aspect of fluency building. In fact, many leading researchers argue that repeated reading is one of the most critical components to developing fluency (Snow, 1998). There is a broad array of studies that have been conducted to support the notion of repeated readings as a method for developing reading fluency in younger students and children with reading difficulties. S. Jay Samuels is often credited as the first person to conduct research on the validity of repeated readings to facilitate reading fluency, while Dick Allington at Albany was an early advocate of fluency instruction as part of developmental and remedial reading. “Others contributing significant research and methods papers on this topic include Sarah Dowhower and Timothy Rasinski. Working with second graders, Dowhower (1987) found that oral reading rate, accuracy, and comprehension improved significantly with repeated reading practice. Similar positive results have been found for first graders Young (1996), Turpie & Paratore (1994), and Simons (1992); for second and third graders by Stahl (1994); and for disabled readers by (Arya, Kutno, & Kibby, 1995; Homan, 1993), Koskinen & Blum (1986), Rashotte & Torgesen (1985), Weinstein & Cooke (1992), and Young, et al. (1996).”__**
 * __There are several strategies teachers can implement in order to help students move beyond slow, word-by-word reading toward more fluent oral reading. Modeling, Explicit Fluency Instruction, reading in Manageable Texts, and Readers Theater can all improve prosody in struggling readers.

Who did these questions? LJ? 2. Are poems good to use in kindergarten to increase fluency?

AC - Yes! My students always enjoyed reading poetry chorally.

MS. READER'S THEATER, CHORAL READING, AND TIMED READINGS ARE THREE OF THE BEST WAYS TO INCREASE FLUENCY. ONE ACTIVITY IS TO HAVE THE PLAYS READ ON MONDAY AND SENT HOME FOR PRACTICE. THEN ON SOME OF THE OTHER DAYS, PRACTICE TIMES ARE AVAILABLE. ON FRIDAY IS PERFORMANCE DAYS.
 * 3. What is a daily activity that can quickly be done to increase fluency?

PJ-- 2. Other than skill and drill on sight words, what are some other ways to teach them? (repeated exposure in authentic texts?)
 * 1. Does the study of word families significantly contribute to word recognition?

AC - This is where I love to use word walls and games. My students' favorite game was a game I made called SNAP!. Students would draw cards out of a bag and they had to say the sight word in order to keep the card. If they drew the SNAP card, they would have to put all of their cards back into the bag. The kid with the most cards won. My kids loved this game so much they asked to play it during inside recess. Of course, there are multitude of other games to be played with sight words to make learning them a lot more fun.

3. How do children become fluent without comprehending (good word callers)? How can that happen?

AC - Well, I think they know the process but do not understand the reason behind it. When I was taking chemistry, I could do the formulas, but I often didn't know why I was doing them. So when quiz time came around, I would get half credit for knowing how to do the formula, but then miss half because I was unable to interpret the solution of the formula. I think it is the same with reading. Phonics and decoding are like a formula. Students insert certain sounds to create words, but don't always understand the outcome of their efforts.

Step 6 - Case Study #5 is due. See Wiki Swansomf.