Fluency Rubric [How I Helped Struggling Readers Gain Confidence & Become Fluent Readers!]

There are three aspects of a reading program that struggling readers need: comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. Integrating those three ingredients proved difficult as I faced junior high struggling readers who lacked confidence, motivation, and a positive outlook. As a result, their temperament in all of their classes was not constructive or positive. They were not successful students because of their inability to read assignments or textbooks. That frustration carried over to all aspects of their school day and homework experience.

At first I was at a loss as to how to help them without causing further frustration. I began with read-alouds showing them how to think as they read, but also providing opportunities for them to see success with elementary principles without being elementary in the presentation and activities. That's when I introduced the fluency rubric and self evaluation.

The rubric principle is a simple one, but it's objective is amazing: to give clear guidelines. I quickly realized that even after practicing and practicing and practicing a poem to be read aloud (for example), the students needed to understand the expectations more clearly - hence this rubric. We went through this rubric multiple times - checking and rechecking for understanding. Modeling expectations over and over and over again. And it took quite a few run through's before they were ready to implement this assessment with their own presentations, and when they were ready (they literally knew the expectations like the back of their hand) - the results were amazing. The more they read (and saw success reading) the more they wanted to read! I took it up a notch with Poetry Performance Parties - complete with snacks, presentations, and games if time.

Visit my TeachersPayTeachers or TeachersNotebook stores to purchase the rubric and self-evaluation along with a detailed explanation of exactly how I implemented it for $2.

Weekly Writing Prompt [The day we lost the championship...]

The first thing that comes to mind with this prompt is a YouTube video I found super motivating,

When I combine the two, my response looks like this,

"The day we lost the championship was the day I became more motivated than I have ever been. I never, ever want to feel this way again. I let myself and my team down. I didn't use my time wisely. I slacked conditioning drills. I could go on, but when I reflect on our loss as a team I realized that we lost the championship because I was out of shape, I didn't take practice seriously, I didn't work with my teammates and now all I feel is disappointment. As the captain of the team, my attitude transferred to my teammates; therefore, we were out of shape, we didn't take practice seriously, we didn't work together, as a result we are all disappointed. We were so close! But we were outworked and as I watched their captain, I learned something invaluable: the cost of leadership. I will never, ever allow myself stupid excuses again. If I'm going to lose at something - even after giving it all I got - fine, but I will not lose because of my failings in practice, in the off season, and because I failed as a leader. If we lose again (the key word being if) these words will never come out of my mouth again, I wish I would've given it all I had, all the time, and encouraged my teammates to do the same. Words are important, but my actions spoke volumes and I am so glad I have a second chance to apply what I learned. I am beyond pumped."

Weekly Writing Prompt [Cast one longing lingering look behind?]

This week's writing prompt is a question prose: Cast one longing lingering look behind? I took the phrase from a book of poetry. It's an excellent question to ponder, and it's one we do ponder without really thinking about it. In every situation humans are notorious for looking back when one says good-bye, we look back and rehash mistakes, regret, and the like, we look back at people or things we miss or think we miss. We cast longing looks behind, but should we? This particular questions makes me think of that quote, "One cannot drive into the future looking in the rear view mirror." With that, should we ask this question: cast one longing lingering look behind?

That is one way to write about this prompt. Another way a student could run with this is by writing a  narrative, which is the route I chose for my example,

Example 1: 
"She sat in the passenger seat, clinging tightly to her husband's hand. She did not want to leave the comfortable life they had led for the last ten years. She loved their home, their friends, their church family, their community and yet, her husband had a goal, a goal he'd been working toward for a decade. A goal she'd been working alongside him in order for this day to happen. The day they'd leave to pursue the unknown. She couldn't help but cast one longing look behind her as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away not wanting her husband to see it, knowing that this decision was for the best. Best for him and best for her children. Despite knowing it was best, her heart ached and longed for the life they just left behind. With one longing glance, she took a deep breath and set her gaze forward. She set her mind on courage, determination, perseverance, and hard work. She was bound to make this dream come true and cast no more longing looks behind!"

Example 2:
I found myself aching to cast one longing, lingering look behind me. Should I look? Would I linger? Would I long for what could have been? What might have been? This question ebbing back and forth at my soul would not leave my mind as I continued to walk away. If I looked, would it show weakness? Would it show a change of mind? If I didn't look, would I regret it? Would it show my resolve? The debate within stung my eyes and made my head pound. I felt like I needed time to weigh the pros and cons of this simple question until finally a quote I remember him telling me rang loud and clear, "you cannot drive into the future looking into your rearview mirror." That statement was etched in my mind with every step I took forward. I would not look, nor linger in the past. That person is gone and I felt made new! My steps became lighter and more free as the heavy question faded away and my eyes fixed ahead - leaving the ache of the known behind. Instead of lingering around what I left behind, I began to long for the unknown. Hope grew within me. My tears continued to fall, but a smile slowly etched across my face. I would not cast a longing look behind.

I picked one of my wedding pictures to give more ideas. A bride looking back on her wedding day could pose allllllll kinds of problems or interesting ideas...

Picture taken by Beth James at Studio J Images.

Why the multiple pictures?
Hopefully one of the pictures gets brains rolling in a direction to help spur ideas. The first and last picture I took, and the wedding picture is of me on my wedding day, taken by Beth James at Studio J Images (which I have never looked back). I took the first picture because the ice build up on our vehicle was rather remarkable. Since the picture didn't really capture the effect I was seeing, I put it to use here.

The picture with the book is where this particular writing prompt idea originated: My life revolves around books. I read them constantly. I teach struggling readers. I teach the value of life-long literacy. (In my "free time" I even craft with them! Check out my work here: Rebecca's Recycled Readers) I value the written word and hope to pass on this love to others, even if it means saving work from the dumpster or recycling center's shredder (which is where the owner of this quote was doomed). As I was tearing apart pages for my book art, I couldn't help contemplating this question. I hope it gets your brain rolling as it did mine.

-ang, -ing, -ong, -ung Endings

My kindergartener had a hard time mastering the -ng endings. Due to her struggle I created this activity to help her master the -ang, -ing, -ong, and -ung endings.

The overall objective of this mini-lesson is for students to master these endings while practicing basic fluency, comprehension, new vocabulary, and being introduced to present and past tense.

I was trying to think through a way to have one story revolving around all these endings and decided to create one little story in the past and present tense to help my kindergartner master those ending sounds while also introducing the tense concept. It was a big success! I'm excited to share it with you because it helped her master these endings.

If your student was introduced to the -ng endings and is struggling as well, I recommend using this supplementary tool.

Follow either one of these links to purchase the product:
Teachers Pay Teachers
Teachers Notebook 

Weekly Writing Prompt [The Day I Met My Hero.]

Today's writing prompt could either be a sentence starter or a title, or both. It could be something that really happened or a day the student has only dreamed about. With this one there's a few options.

My example:
The day I met my hero was my last day on earth. The day I met my hero was the day I took my last breath. The day I met my hero was the day I said good-bye to this life and entered the next. It was the day my faith became sight. The day I met my hero was not a sad day, but was a day of rejoicing, because the day I met my hero was the day I witnessed first hand what I had only read about - that to be absent from the body is to present with Christ!

Weekly Writing Prompt [The Day I Was Jack Frost.]

ELA teachers have a plethora of writing materials out there to help students get their brains rolling. I love thinking of new and innovative ways to get a student's brain ready to write. One way I do this is through simple phrases. Simple phrases help clear the cob webs. Sometimes the hardest part is just starting, so when that first piece is written for you, I find it easier to run with it, fabricating an entire story or poem just because I took the time to let my brain fashion something out of another something.

Today's prompt was one of those ideas that came to me when I saw the simple phrase: "The day I was..." You could insert any number of possibilities into this blank, "The day I was __________." Jack Frost came to me on a blustery day, but many others came to my mind like,
"The day I was Mickey Mouse."
"The day I was Mother Earth."
"The day I was a millionaire."
"The day I was married and widowed."
"The day I was an astronaut."
"The day I was the teacher."
And I'm sure you could come up with many, many more.

My example:
"The day I was Jack Frost I was in a dangerous mood. My heart was cold as ice and my very breath was brutal. I could freeze a heart with just my scowl and my stare was brutal. My inner turmoil was so intense that icy vehemence encompassed me, radiating to all who walked in the same room. I was cold down to my core and I couldn't stop shaking. A cloud hung over me. I was right on the verge of blowing at any time, to let the cold pour out of each and every pore and fiber in me. To besiege and attack, I was not satisfied with a gentle fall. I wanted to harass from all sides, making others has cold as I felt."