Reading Logs

Reading Logs : To be signed and returned daily.

Your child will start bringing home a reading log the first week of school.  It is an expectation that this reading log be signed and returned DAILY.... no excuses! If the reading log is not signed DAILY, it is just like having a missing homework assignment.

Most kids this age are transitioning from short picture books or simple chapter books to longer and more indepth chapter books. As your child makes this transition, it is of great importance that focus be placed on fluency. Being a fluent reader will help them move from what they have been doing as a reader, which is 'learning to read', to what the true meaning of reading is, which is 'reading to learn'. Choppy, expressionless reading hinders comprehension. In order to help your child become a more fluent silent reader, we will work a great deal on becoming a more fluent aloud reader. This will be worked on at home as well as in small groups here at school.

TIP: If your child struggles to read a certain section of their book with fluency, voice fluctuation, expression, etc. , have them reread the page. I call this "Read it and Repeat it". By simply rereading the same paragraph several times, your child will see the difference it makes, and you will hear it too as a listener. If you want to get real creative, have them read the same paragraph in a tape recorder three-four times. :-)

Thank you for your support in this daily reading requirement!

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What are the characteristics of fluent readers?

Fluent Readers:

• Recognize words automatically
• Read aloud effortlessly and with expression
• Do not have to concentrate on decoding
• Can focus on comprehension

Why is fluency important?

“Fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.”

Fluency doesn’t ensure comprehension, but comprehension is difficult without fluency.  If a reader is constantly stopping to decode and figure out unknown words, most likely meaning will be disrupted and the process of reading becomes long and laborious.

When students make gains in reading fluency, they are able to put their energies into comprehension and are able to analyze, interpret, draw conclusions, and infer meaning from texts.  

The 3 Components of Fluency

• Accuracy: Also known as automaticity, it refers to the person's ability to read words in a text.
• Rate: The speed a person reads.
• Prosody: Refers to stress, intonation, and pauses. Commonly known as "reading with feeling".

borrowed from www.busyteachers.com for educational purposes