| If you want your child to attain true mastery in a | | | | try is to have your child read a short passage and |
| subject area or skill, he needs to become fluent. | | | | answer questions in 3-5 minute timings. Thankfully |
| Attaining fluency is not hard, but it does involve a | | | | there is a timed reading comprehension series |
| systematic process to ensure results. The | | | | that has a reading range from 1st grade to post |
| advantage of fluency activities are that they can | | | | graduate levels. One source I know of is the |
| be done in any subject area to get great results. | | | | McCall-Crabbs Standard Test Lessons in Reading |
| In order to attain the fluency level of an expert, | | | | with a 1926 copyright date. |
| your child needs to perform a particular skill | | | | There are also a variety of fluency activities that |
| quickly and accurately in a certain period of time. | | | | can be done for other subject areas. There are |
| This will ensure that your child can do the skill | | | | many computer type games out there that use |
| automatically (without hesitation), and without the | | | | time and accuracy to rate how well a child is |
| need to practice it on an ongoing basis. | | | | doing. You see this a lot with math software such |
| So a fluency activity you can do that applies to | | | | as Quarter Mile Math, but it's also present in other |
| any subject area is to time yourself for one | | | | subject areas such as geography. For example, |
| minute doing a particular skill you've selected, and | | | | you can access the excellent online geography |
| have your child aim to reach your goal. In order | | | | game Seterra for free. |
| to reach your goal, your child should do a one | | | | The key in determining what could count as a |
| minute daily timing of this particular skill until they | | | | fluency activity is to check and see if the activity |
| reach the goal you've set. To keep track of the | | | | is timed. Remember that being fluent in a certain |
| daily scores, your child would graph them. Not only | | | | skill requires you to have accuracy, endurance, |
| would this provide instant feedback, but it would | | | | and speed. If your child gets 100 basic math |
| serve as a big motivational boost to see the | | | | problems 100% accurate but is very slow, then |
| scores getting better every day. | | | | your child has not yet attained fluency in math |
| One simple fluency activity you can do to | | | | computation. All three factors of accuracy, |
| increase your child's reading speed is to read out | | | | endurance, and speed have to be present in order |
| loud at the rate you'd like your child to attain (or | | | | for fluency to occur. |
| use books on tape), while your child reads along | | | | There are a variety of fluency activities in |
| with you. This is going to model for your child | | | | different subject areas that can give your child |
| what reading fluency looks like, and help him read | | | | the edge they need to attain mastery learning. |
| at a faster rate. Start out doing this with a grade | | | | Don't settle for just one way, try different |
| appropriate book, so that your child doesn't get | | | | approaches to give your child variety and |
| frustrated. | | | | exposure in many areas. |
| A reading comprehension fluency activity you can | | | | |