5 Fluency Practice Ideas for the Digital Classroom

 

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!

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I love AudioBooks!

I guess I wouldn't be a good (or great) reading teacher if I didn't love reading, right? The problem is, I find it hard to read for enjoyment during the school year. If I actually find time to read, I'm so tired that I fall asleep while trying to get through a book.

Enter the discovery of audiobooks.

I never thought I'd love listening to an audiobook, because it's "just not the same" as reading it for myself. It took a change in schools and a long drive to get me to try them out, and now I'm hooked. The danger now is getting so lost in the story that I forget to get off at the right exit on the highway. Thankfully, that hasn't happened (yet). 

There's so many options for audiobooks. I think my first exposure was using Cracker Barrel's CD book rental on a long distance drive. (Did you know they have that? You can pick out a book on CD at the counter, listen on the road, and return at any other Cracker Barrel. It's wonderful!)

Listening on the drive to and from work has allowed me to get my fix of new YA books, historical fiction, and a plethora of other ones that I probably wouldn't have gotten a chance to read. 

Another AMAZING use of audiobooks is using them in your classroom. Yep! I made this connection last year (I swear, sometimes it takes me a while to figure things out). To read about how I used the audio version of Refugee by Alan Gratz, read here... In a nutshell.. my students were HOOKED on this book, even though they were struggling readers. Having the audio playing while they read their own copy of the book let them "hear" the characters, understand so much more of the story, and gain valuable listening skills that are needed for life.

So, where do you start?

There's a couple options. I tend to stick with the first two in the list, but I included a few others that you may want to consider.

1. Audible through Amazon - (I have no kickback by mentioning this here, by the way.) They give a couple options for when and how many books you can access. While I was still teaching in person, I got a new credit every month, which usually lasted for my long drives. Now that I'm teaching from home, I've backed off and only get a new credit every other month. Saves money.

Plus Side: Once you purchase the book, it's yours. If you start reading and decide you don't like it, you can return it and get your credit back. So, when I use my purchased version of Refugee, I can use it every year in school when I teach this novel.

Down Side: Cost

2. Hoopla - You access the app through your library system. They offer free audiobooks (they also have ebooks, music, and movies) on a rental agreement, just like the library. You have the book for 30 days, and then it automatically returns. 

Plus Side: Free access and you don't have to remember to return the books! It's automatic.

Down Side: You don't keep the books. Also, there isn't the large variety to choose from as you would on other sites.

Other apps that are out there, but I haven't tried. I am an Audible fan, and I tend to stick with what works for me. But you may find one of these to be a good match!

3. Google Play - similar to Audible. Purchase as needed. I don't think they have a subscription base platform.

4. LibriVox - access free classic audiobooks. They also have paid audiobooks if you live in the US.

5. Libby - another library-based site for renting audiobooks. Libby was created by OverDrive.

6. Audio Books - seems like a similar set up to Audible.

7. Kobo - similar to Audible and Google Play Books. You can choose the $10/month subscription. This is a little cheaper than Audible. I might need to look into this one!

8. Kindle - I have used this one, as well! While Kindle is more known for their ebooks, they also have audiobooks. Instead of having to choose one or the other, though, you can purchase the ebook and add the audio for a fraction of the cost. Kindle allows you to switch between the ebook and the audio while keeping your place. This is great if you want the best of both worlds!