Fluency Mini Lesson Reflection
Justin Ball
READ 436-1
For my fluency mini lesson, I based around the same student that I completely my
word study mini lesson with. Since his PAL scores were so low, and he struggles with
multiple areas of reading and literacy, I took it upon myself to help him individually with
these mini lessons. I decided to do a bingo activity with, but I did two different boards.
The first board has common sight words that should be know by the time a student is in
the fourth grade. The second board had the same list of words that I used for his word
study mini lesson activity. The reason I used the same list of words is because he
struggled with them during that week, and I wanted to see if he had gotten faster at
recognition of those words, and speaking them clearly and confidently. He is on the shy
side, and if hes unsure or hesitant at all you can hear it in his voice, and it will sound
shaky or very short. By using the same words, I want to help break that hesitation barrier
he has and increase his fluency with this set of words. My goal with him overall, was to
increase expression by decreasing hesitation, getting him to read words faster, and to
recognize words faster.
After conducing the lesson with this one student, I think that he responded really
well to the one-on-one attention in general, and also the specific fluency goals of the
lesson. In the beginning, the first board of words I could tell he knew well. For each game
I would: pull words out of the bag and have them read them out loud, have him mark the
word on his board, and once he got a Bingo read all the words that made up the five in
a row. We did this a few times for each board, and I started hearing a difference in his use
of the words like where the stresses are on each word, the specific sounds of the syllables
and overall confidence. Then, I had him reread each board without the markers for speed.
The first board was a breeze, and the second board with his actual spelling words went
better than expected. I later informed my corresponding teacher that his previous troubles
during the word study mini lesson were not as severe as this fluency mini lesson. Before,
during word study, he was having trouble with most of the -oa- words especially if they
were controlled by a r or a th-. As an English Language Learner, he struggles a little
more with blend sounds in general especially if they are not common or present at all in
first language of Spanish. For example, the th sound is very rare or completely
unfamiliar, and thats probably why he struggles the most with those words. He started
recognizing that the -oa- words made a long o sound about half way through the
game, and I believed that helped me with then rereading the words later on.
If I were to do this in small groups or as a whole class later on in my future as an
educator, I would do something that was more tailored towards smaller groups because I
believe in the power of having students on a similar level work together. I would also
have this topic stressed about every two weeks, because I think that getting the students
to a level where they are free from word identification problem can greatly influence
comprehension, and their overall oral confidence. Once again, I saw great improvements
in his abilities in just one small session, and I hope that he continues this growth as the
year progresses. Lastly, I have attached an image of him playing, the blank boards, and
the list of words I cut out.
SIGHT WORD
BINGO
They Home Would Year Birthday
How Left There Month You
Day When Free What Them
Space
Family Because Should Friend Could
Right Week Where School Why
-OA, -AI, -EE, -EA
BINGO
Wait Three Leak Team Roar
Paint Neat Throat Coast Wheel
Squea Aid Free Roast Sheep
k Space
Sheets Weak Need Trail Toast
Float Train Cream Stain Seed
They Home
Would Year
Birthday How
Left There
Month You
Day When
What Them
Family Becaus
e
Should Friend
Could Right
Week Where
School Why
Wait Three
Leak Team
Roar Neat
Throat Coast
Wheel Squeak
Aid Roast
Sheep Sheets
Weak Need
Trail Toast
Float Train
Cream Stain
Seed Paint