Action ResearchStudents K and MKindergarten

Steffani BaxterECE Block 2014

Action Research Question

How can students K and M increase their fluency skills while researching something that they do not know about?

Initial Meeting with Teacher

O Both students were chosen because of their reading level.

O The teacher wanted them to increase their fluency skills.

O Both students were two of the top fluent readers in the class.

O The teacher wanted them to be able to participate in an extra project. The students eventually would repot their findings to the class.

O Higher end studentsO Area of focus: Fluency

Best Practice Strategies

O Choral Reading: When the teacher and student read together.

- Chose age appropriate books- Both students got the chance to read with me. - Many types of choral reading as well. ( Paige 2014).

- Partner Reading:- Done by allowing struggling readers to read with another student.

- Students K &M took turn reading pages in the books chosen.

- Allowed the students to practice good expression and smoothness.

Best Practice Strategies

O Repeated Readings: When working with the student's, we read the same book more than once. This allowed the students to increase their pace and word recognition ( Manning 2014).

- This strategy also helped improve the students comprehension and oral performance while reading.

Baseline Data O Reading Interest Inventories: This assessment showed me what the students enjoyed reading. I found out that both students really enjoyed reading.

O Words Correct Per Minute(WCPM)- Student K: 81 at the beginning and at the end 82 WCPM.

- Student M: 78 at the beginning and at the end 81 WCPM.

Baseline Data Continued

O Multidimensional Fluency ScaleStudent K: At the beginning Student K scored a 13/20 on the Scale. On the Expression section of the scale she scored a 2. For smoothness section, this student scored a 3. Student M: At the beginning Student M scored a 12/20. On the expression part of the scale she scored a 1. For the smoothness section, the student scored a 3.

What We DidO Choral Readings- The students and I did choral readings of Caterpillar to Butterfly and Butterfly.

O Repeated Readings- The students and I did many readings of Caterpillar to Butterfly and Butterfly.

O Partner Readings- Students K and M took turns reading the books about butterflies.

Final Assessment Data

O Student M Final Assessment:- WCPM- 81- Multidimensional Fluency Scale- 17/20

O Student K Final Assessment: - WCPM- 82- Multidimensional Fluency Scale- 16/20.

Successes and Failures

O Engaging activitiesO Good modeling O Consistent

instructionO Best practice

strategies to increase fluency.

O Met with the students more frequently

O When teaching expression, I should have used sentence strips to model good expression.

Reflection O Both students increased on their expression

and smoothness while reading.O After looking at the data, it was clear to

see that both students increased their fluency skills.

O After finishing this project, both students should continue to practice their expression while reading.

O When the students work with their teacher, they should show her how they can read with good expression and smoothness.

O I also noticed that both students confidence increased as well.

References OManning, M., Lewis, M., & Lewis, M. (2010). Revisiting silent

sustained reading; An update of the research. In E.H. Hiebert & D.R. Reutzal (Eds.)., Silent reading revisited New directions for teachers and researchers (pp. 112-128). Newark, D.E:International Reading Association.

OPaige, D.D (2011). “That sounded good!” Using whole-class choral reading to improve fluency. The Reading Teacher, 64(6), 435-438

ORasinski, T.V. (2009). Essential readings on fluency. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

OReutzel, D., & Cooter, R. (2008). Teaching children to read: The teacher makes the difference (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.