Fluency Intervention Lesson Plan Template

Name: Kelsey Himes Grade Level: 6

Target Content/Lesson Topic: Date: 9/29/23

Planning
State Learning L.6.1 Demonstrate an understanding of how language functions in different cultures, contexts, and
Standards disciplines; apply this knowledge to comprehend more fully when reading and listening, and make
Identify relevant grade level effective choices when composing, creating, and speaking.
standards and Learning
Outcomes from the State
Content Learning Standards, 1. Maintain consistency in style and tone.
Common Core Standards, and
school learning outcomes.
Learning Students should already have an understanding of reading out load. After this instruction, students will be able to
Targets/Objectives understand the importance of expression and how and when to apply it to punctuation. Students will also acquire skills
What should the students of phrasing by practicing reading sentences without unnecessary pauses. These skills acquired by this lesson will
know or be able to do after the overall help their understanding of fluency and how to apply it to their readings.
instruction? Use a common
format with a measurable verb
that matches the cognitive
domain standard. This should
be a small piece of the
standard stated in measurable
terms.
Grouping Push With Your Eyes-
Describe how and why Small group with the same level of phrasing needs
students will be divided into Students will be assigned to small groups and will partner off within those groups. This be a partner activity so
groups, if applicable students will be more comfortable to give more feedback to others phrasing skills. Each level will have a different
(homogeneous, heterogenous, passage to read (higher levels will have longer ones, lower ones will have shorter ones). Students will rotate with
random / based on ability, people within their small groups but with always be working in 2s.
interest, social purposes, etc.)
Grouping Key:
Group 1 = students with a 1 score in phrasing (based on previous Fluency Rubric scores)
Group 2 = students with a 2 score in phrasing (based on previous Fluency Rubric scores)
Group 3 = students with a 3 score in phrasing (based on previous Fluency Rubric scores)
Group 4 = students with a 4 score in phrasing (based on previous Fluency Rubric scores)

Punctuation at the end of a sentence –

With a small group of students in the same level of expression/volume needs

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 This is a small group activity so students can get a better idea of how punctuation should be expressed. Students will be
able to hear multiple different ways to hear expression and be able to reflect it on their own application of expression.
(Lower level groups will have longer ones, lower levels with have shorter ones).
Grouping Key:
Group 1 = students with a 1 score in expression (based on previous Fluency Rubric scores)
Group 2 = students with a 2 score in expression (based on previous Fluency Rubric scores)
Group 3 = students with a 3 score in expression (based on previous Fluency Rubric scores)
Group 4 = students with a 4 score in expression (based on previous Fluency Rubric scores)

Differentiation n/a
If either or both lessons are
whole class, how is the
lesson(s) differentiated for the
focal student?
Assessment
Assessment Students will read the passage Natural Selection to the teacher. The teacher will take notes of how and what the
How will students student reads, followed by completing the fluency assessment rubric. This will be used to measure their growth
demonstrate that the focal between assessments.
student is making progress in
toward their fluency goals? (Reading and Rubric attached in Material section)

Instruction
Minilesson One - I will gather students’ attentions and write the sentence “One day I drank - a can of Dr. Pepper. - It gave me lots
1. Introduction (including of energy - and I couldn’t sleep at night.” Within four different lines (- represents end of line)
setting expectations and - Tell students that I am writing the sentences in multiple lines to represent how it would look in book
establishing procedures - I will read the sentence aloud but with lots of unnecessary pauses (ex: One day I drank…. A can of dr. pepper…)
and instructions) - Ask students if they think I read the sentences fluently and have them explain their reasoning
2. Activate/Connect To Prior
o Point out that just because the line end
Knowledge
3. Fluency Activity (including - I will then read the sentence correctly and ask students if I read it fluently
modeled, guided, and - Ask students what was different/why was the second time was fluent and the first was not
independent practice, as o Make sure students note that it was because of the added pauses
needed) - Ask students why we want to avoid pausing in between sentences (possible answers: it doesn’t sound right, its
distracting, it is not smooth, sentence is too broken up etc)
o Point out to students – in order to be fluent, we only want to pause at punctuation
- Ask students what punctuation we want to pause at (Answers: periods, commas, etc)
- I will then write “my favorite colors are orange and white. These are my favorite because they are the same
colors as Nemo. ” on the board
- I will explain that I will be demonstrating how to do our next activity of Push your Eyes
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 o I will follow my finger through each line without pausing, pausing after the sentence
- Explain to students that I pre-assigned groups and they will be partnering with one other person in that group
to complete the activity
- I will list them off and hand out corresponding papers – they are to get with the partners and read each
example to each other, giving each other feedback/suggestions
- They are then to switch partners as many times as they can
- I will go around the room as students are in the groups and make sure students are reading appropriately

Minilesson Two - Ask students what we use punctuation for (possible answers: to end senteces, pauses, to represent tone, etc)
1. Introduction (including - Tell students that, while punctuation can represent pauses it also tells us how to read a sentence
setting expectations and o Make sure to use the word expression
establishing procedures - I will say the sentences “I own a cat.” And “I own a cat!” and have students explain the differences between how
and instructions) I said the sentences
2. Activate/Connect To Prior
o Makes sure students note the different punctuation used
Knowledge
3. Fluency Activity (including - I will write the sentence “Think fast!” On the board and ask a student to read it with the correct expression
modeled, guided, and - I will write the sentence “Are you good?” on the board and ask a student to read it with the correct expression
independent practice, as - Explain to students that we will be spending the next few minutes working in groups to practice our expression
needed) skills
- List out the small groups and hand out corresponding papers
- Students may not get through every one since there are larger groups

Instructional Materials, Link to Group Handouts for Push your Eyes (groups as separate pages):
Equipment and https://docs.google.com/document/d/1faRqylIsz6sVGf0lnBcgbIs1uk5emFU_OkjaqmFbi9s/edit?usp=sharing
Technology
List equipment or technology Link to Group Handouts for Punctuation at the end of Sentences (groups as separate pages):
that needs to be available. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HNBYiLdvnap_n8jTiWxni9whxvKLSp7QajE-Rh2H0Lg/edit?usp=sharing
Attach a copy of ALL materials
the teacher and students will Link to Assessment reading:
use during the lesson; e.g.,
https://mrswarnerarlington.weebly.com/uploads/6/9/0/0/6900648/g5u5_natural_protection_student_passage_1.pdf
handouts, questions to answer,
overheads, PowerPoint slides,
worksheets. Link to Assessment Rubric:
https://uwpks.instructure.com/courses/596701/assignments/6757346?module_item_id=20587783

3
Group 1

She caught a fish !

I want to go home.

Watch out!

How are you?

I went to the park.

What is that?

That is so cool!

Where are you?

I slept in late.
Group 2

Where did you go ?

I went to the park yesterday .
There is no way !
How are you doing ?
That was wicked !
I had a sandwich earlier .
Will you get me one ?
!
I like that too
Group 3

Do you hate running too ?

I like to drink coffee in the morning .
!
I just want to go to sleep

Will you hold this for me?

Have you seen the time!

First period is almost over.

Do you know where she went ?

Will someone just make me a piece of toast!
I have soccer practice after school .
Group 4

I can’t wait to see the Barbie movie !

Why don’t you like Bosco sticks from the cafeteria ?
I wish I packed an extra Rebull .
Will you just leave me alone!
I wanted Santa to bring me an Xbox for christmas .
Have you ever read Romeo and Juliet ?
Will you zip up my bag for me ?
I just love having a long weekend !
My mom made stuffed peppers for dinner last night .
Group 1

One day Mr. Popper

Went to the store.

He wanted to buy

A new penguin

I saw a movie

At the mall yesterday.

It was really funny

And I laughed a lot.

Group 2

I had a cold last week

And I was very sick.

I had to take pills

To help me get better.

I read a four books

Over summer vacation.

They mostly were science fiction

Because its my favorite genre.

Group 3

I drink lots of water,

It helps me stay hydrated.

I don’t like to drink soda

Because there is too much sugar.

If I were to drink a can of soda,

I would probably drink a can of Diet Coke.

I helped my mom with dishes

Because I have to do weekly chores.

I do not like this weekly obligation

Because I do not like touching wet food.

I would probably prefer not to do chores at all

But i like the extra cash it provides me with.

Group 4

I ran three miles in gym class yesterday

While my girlfriend played soccer.

I got a good workout in and all she did

Was talk with her friends while kicking a ball.

I hope the gym teacher recognizes my dedication to

fitness

And gives me a better grade than she gives my

girlfriend.

This is why I am a dedicated tri-sport athlete

And my girlfriend is a dedicated honor roll student.

I went to Mexico over summer vacation

And I got to bring my best friend, Isabell.

Isabell got food poisoning because she ate too

much

Raw fish and had to spend the day in our hotel

room.

While she was busing napping in our hotel room I

got

To go out and swim with dolphins in the ocean.

I can’t imagine having to spend the day in hotel

room
Instead of having a blast in the Pacific Ocean.
Name Date

Natural Protection
Most crabs have hard shells. Their shells protect them
like suits of armor. When a crab’s shell gets too tight, it pulls
itself out. Under the old shell, a new one has already grown.
A hermit crab has hard front claws, but it has a soft shell
in back. For protection, a hermit crab moves into another
creature’s shell. For example, after a sea snail dies, the empty
shell it leaves behind makes a perfect home for a hermit crab.
The crab squeezes right into the shape of the snail’s shell. The
crab’s head, legs, and pincers poke out of the opening. When it
grows too large in this borrowed shell, it finds a larger one.
Leaving the old shell behind, it moves into a new one.
A hermit crab’s shell may not always protect it. If an
octopus comes along, for instance, it can stick one of its eight
arms into the shell’s opening. Then it can pluck the crab out.
Some hermit crabs have extra protection. They have creatures
called sea anemones sticking to the outsides of their shells.
Anemones have many tentacles. Their tentacles have stinging
cells. An octopus may not even approach a hermit crab’s home
when a stinging watchdog guards it.

1. Why is a crab’s shell like a suit of armor?

2. What extra protection does a hermit crab have? © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

278 • Fluency Assessment • Grade 5

Fluency Assessment Report

Hello Parents,
I am writing this letter to follow up on the fluency assessment I gave your child on
September 28th, 2023. In class, I assessed Niko’s reading fluency as he read the passage The
Frozen North out load to me. This assessment was not for a grade and will not affect any of his
academic course, it was just a way for me to get an idea of how fluently he can read. While he
was reading, I took notes of how he read and any mistakes he had while reading. Niko has
scored 9 out of 16 on this assessment, with four categories of four possible points each. I have
attached the rubric to give you a better idea of my scorings. These notes and scorings gave me
a better understanding of what levels of expression and volume, phrasing, smoothness, and
pace Niko fall upon. After administering and scoring this assessment, I would like to share my
findings with you.
Expression and volume are a category that describes the use of tone and mood when
reading. It also involves varying pitch and stress on words to reflect meaning within text. Niko
scored a 2 in this category. He did a very good job speaking at an appropriate volume and
delivering the text in an auditable tone. Even though he did not read robotically, there was not
much emotion behind the words he was saying. When it came to punctuation such as
questions, exclamations, or even quotations, his tone did not change. It is important that
student recognize the use of punctuation because they are meant to be read with enthusiasm.
For example, when Niko read the sentence, “’Greetings from the Frozen North!’ He boomed,”
he read it in the same tone as the read the sentence, “They pulled into the parking lot.”
Phrasing is assessed within sentences and focuses on strategic pausing and uses
punctuation to cue reading. Niko scored a 2 in this category and did an excellent job of pausing
between clauses. For instance, he properly paused after the use of a colon. However, Niko did
display some frequent word-by-word reading, which meant his reading was used with frequent
pauses. For example, the sentence “It was another red-hot summer day,” was read as, “It
was…another… red…hot summer day.” Also, when Niko read the sentence, “The Frozen North,
Artic Amusement for All,” he paused for several seconds in between the phrases “The Frozen
North,” and “Amusement for All.”
Smoothness is assessed based on the whole text. It is based on how often readers reads
with breaks or self corrects their reading. Since Niko read at a consistent rhythm throughout his
whole assessment and had frequent problems with one specific word, he scored a 3 in this
category. For example, there were two instances were Niko had to attempt to say the word
“dozing” twice before he was able to move on. Niko displayed great accuracy but would take
breaks after long phrases. This is shown when he was able to get though the sentence,
“Moments later, they pulled into the parking lot and were hailed by a strange man,” with
complete accuracy but paused between the words “were” and “hailed.”
Pace is the appropriate speed that the text is read in. An appropriate speed is a
consistent and conversational throughout the reading. This assessment showed that Niko can
read at a slow pace consistently throughout his reading, which resulted in a score of a 2. Niko
was able to display no inconsistencies in his pace when he was able to read first line, “It was
another hot day,” at the same pace of the last line, “Greetings from the Frozen North!”
 One category I would like Niko to work on is phrasing. I believe it would be beneficial to
Nikos’s fluency if he is able to read more smoothly and is able to read words together instead of
separately. Niko scored lower in this area because instead of reading with the occasional run-on
sentences, he would read with choppiness because of his frequent pauses after reading few
words. I plan on working on improving his choppiness by using the activity Push Your Eyes in
class. This activity involves breaking up passages into short lines and reading each line all the
way through without unnecessary pauses or hesitations. At home, I encourage you to
participate in the activity Snap to the Next Line with Niko. For this activity you will need a
chapter book, or a page filled with a lot of lines. You will read the passage out loud and if the
line does not end in punctuation, you snap your fingers and quickly begin reading the next line.
The only time you want the reader to pause is they see punctuation. The purpose of this activity
to get the reader to read without pauses or breaks between lines. As your child’s teacher, I
know Niko enjoys good competition, which is why I believe he would benefit from activities like
these.
Another category I would like Niko to focus on is expression. If Niko were to work on his
expression, he would get a better understanding of the message the author is conveying and
better enjoy his readings. In class, Niko and I will be doing the activity Punctuation at the End of
a Sentence. In this activity, I will display multiple sentences with different ending punctuation.
Niko is to match his voice with the correct punctuation. This activity allows his to read ahead
and practice what expression is appropriate for the given punctuation. At home, I suggest you
participate in the Read Like a Storyteller activity. In this activity, you will take a story, or a
chapter book, and read it as if you were a storyteller. Since you will be following along with
Niko’s reading, you will be able to properly assess if he is reading in the correct tone and point
out any differences or growth in his reading. This activity allows for him to think about tone and
when it should vary.
Thank you for your time! I am so excited to work with Niko and I cannot wait to see his
progress!
- Miss Kelsey
Kelsey Himes
EDU 443 - 001
Assessing and Teaching Fluency Reflection

When choosing the student to assess, my mentor teacher did not have much knowledge
of where her students stood in terms of reading skills since she is a social studies teacher. She
has one class that is half special education students, but they are assisted by a different teacher
and frequently get pulled out of class. This resulted in my teacher selecting a student from a
different class. She also took into concern how well I know the student, which limited the
selection since it was only my second week in the classroom. She wanted to make sure the
student was comfortable with reading to me and that I was comfortable giving them the
assessment. To me, it was odd giving this reading assessment to a sixth grader during their
social studies hour since the reading had nothing to do with what they were learning in class. I
think the student was initially confused and/or intimidated by the fact that I was timing him and
taking note of how he read when I was only introduced to him the week prior. However, I think
this assessment was easy to administer. With only allowing short time for them to read, there
were not many notes to be taken. The short reading time also allowed to better remember how
and what they read since they did not have enough time to read the whole passage. Scoring
their reading on a numerical scale took me the most time because I found it hard to take my
assessment and put them under one level of fluency. It took a lot of reevaluating for me to
finally decide what to score their smoothness and phrasing. I finally came to the decision to
score smoothness higher than phrasing because I found that the student did not read with a
mixture of run-ons but did read with more occasional breaks and specific difficulties. I did
however enjoy finding activities to help the student in their areas of weakness. If I were to have
a better knowledge on the students interests and more information on where the student
stands in terms of their actual reading skills, I think I could have found better fitting activities.
But I do think my chosen activities fit very well with the student’s needs. I chose the areas of
expression and phrasing because they were the two areas I was most concerned about after
scoring their reading. If students are better able to control their phrasing, they will be able to
better assess their expression and when students are able to better understand expression, I
think their pace will improve. I wasn’t quite sure which standard to align it with since their
needs were already so specific. After finding a standard that I thought aligned, I was able to
better describe what to include in the procedures of each lesson.
I can see the value of assessing oral reading fluency because it shows what areas of
difficulty the students have and what they need support on. Personally, I would not have
thought that fluency is assessed in middle school or especially in high school. I am glad I was
able to learn this assessing and teaching skill because of all the ways it can benefit students.
Oral reading is a skill that will not go away, and I will only be more heavily stressed as students
get older. As students get older, they are expected to read more naturally and skillfully. By
giving students the assessments at an earlier age, teachers are able to grow their fluency skills
and better prepare for what will soon be expected from them.