We sat down with fellow Ohioan, researcher/author Dr. Timothy Rasinski and his brilliant partner teacher Melissa Cheesman-Smith to talk about the importance of repeated reading aloud for students working to increase their reading and speaking fluency.
We posed a series of questions to these experts and made 4 short videos of Tim and Melissa’s responses and a delightful guide (lead by Melissa) to introducing short, unfamiliar text. They are posted on the RWS YouTube channel (see links below). Below, please find links and quick summaries of each of the mini lessons from these fluency experts. Take these conversations in little bites or grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the series.
Part 1:
We know that repeated reading leads to fluency, why? And more importantly, how do we get students to reread the same text? https://youtu.be/ccParBXUK0A (6:14 min.)
Part 2:
Does the fluency that students gain from rereading and performing poetry transfer to their content area reading? https://youtu.be/8cxAW6WCEao (5:29 min.)
Part 3:
How does integrating reading, writing, and speaking (rather than teaching these in separate workshops) help students improve their overall communication skills, their ability to understand the world around them and express themselves so that they can be understood to an English-speaking audience? https://youtu.be/snCAFlahH-c (6:40 min.)
Part 4:
How does using short text help build confidence in students and help all kids find success in communicating? https://youtu.be/XhTLhv-FnbU (3.48 min.)
Part 5:
Watch as expert teacher Melissa Cheesman-Smith introduces a new piece of text to her son (recorded last spring in the age of covid-homeschooling), as he familiarizes himself with challenge words, he becomes more fluent through repeated reading. https://youtu.be/02KVbwoRJZ0 (7:26 min.)
For more from Tim and Melissa, check out Megabook of Fluency (Scholastic). For more information about our more in-depth writing strategies that offer all students an opportunity to find success by integrating reading, writing and speaking: From Striving to Thriving Writers, Strategies to Jump-start Writing, co-author Stephanie Harvey, (Scholastic).
