IRAP Inquiry Project

Phase 2-Reading and Learning

Gina Boyd

Gosport Elementary School

Inquiry Question:

What would happen if I used “repeated reading” as a method of increasing fluency for my less than fluent readers?

Question Reflection:

Reading fluency is a multi-faceted concept. In order to be fluent, a reader should be proficient with a variety of skills, including word recognition skills, automaticity, phrasing, expression and prosody. The professional literature is replete with instructional methods designed to increase fluency, including repeated reading, modeling fluent reading and providing explicit feedback. 

After looking at my set of questions and thinking about what is going on in my classroom with my struggling readers, I’ve decided to complete my inquiry project with a focus on improving students' fluency.  Based on assessments and classroom observations, my most struggling readers need more explicit instruction in fluency. I think an inquiry project that focuses on research-based practices in this area would benefit them and my teaching the most.  To make the inquiry manageable, I narrowed my focus to one strategy, which will be repeated reading.  I made this decision because repeated reading came up time and again in my research as a method that has been successful in supporting students' efforts to become more fluent readers. Also, I like that the procedure is flexible and that repeated reading can be used in several formats.

Five Texts, Summaries, and Reflections:

1.  Rasinski, T. & Padak, N. (2004). Effective reading strategies: Teaching children who find reading difficult. (3^rd ed.) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/ Merrill Prentice Hall, pp. 109-130.

This text covers a broad range of teaching strategies for struggling readers. Chapter 6 is titled Nurturing Fluent Reading.  This is the text and chapter that I used at the onset to identify the teaching strategies I want to refine and introduce to my classroom practice.  The chapter describes in some detail the following methods:

• Modeling fluent reading. The authors make the point that modeling fluent reading is more than reading aloud. It includes reading aloud text before students read it themselves and explicit instruction of phrasing, intonation, and use of punctuation during read alouds.

• Repeated readings. Specifically, the text described repeated readings with a purpose as in paired repeated reading and recorded reading. In paired repeated reading, students read a passage with a partner several times while the partner provides feedback. Then the roles are reversed.

• Performance. This section focuses on incorporating Readers Theater into classroom routines. In Readers Theater, a text is adapted for performance much like a play. Students are assigned parts and practice reading their parts for a performance.

• Reading while listening. This section includes paired reading in which a stronger reader reads the same text with a less-fluent reader.

I chose this text to begin with because it succinctly summarized the strategies I want to try to improve fluency in my struggling readers. To make the inquiry project manageable, I decided to incorporate research-based strategies that can be used in whole group, small group, and individual settings. I already have some of the strategies in place, but I’m not sure I’m implementing them the most effective way. The strategy I’ve decided to focus on is repeated reading.

2.  Presseley, M., Gaskins, I., & Fingeret, L. (2006) Instruction and development of reading fluency in struggling readers. In S.J. Samuels & A.E. Farstrup (Eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction (4^th ed., pp.69). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

This text is a collection of essays about fluency instruction. Chapter Three specifically addresses reading fluency and struggling readers.  The authors suggest using systematic decoding instruction including word recognition. They also suggest oral reading with teacher or tutor feedback. The rest of the chapter discusses using increasing sight words and vocabulary and teaching comprehension strategies.

Several things in this chapter interested me. First of all, I read the section about word recognition and systematic phonics carefully because when I think about my struggling readers, I know word recognition is an issue. I began to think about adding a systematic phonics/word recognition element to this project, but dismissed it for two reasons: the students are already getting a systematic phonics-based program during interventions and I need to make the project manageable.

The next section described in detail research that supports using repeated reading with struggling readers. The research suggests repeated reading is most effective when adult feedback is provided and slightly challenging text is used. These are important points to keep in mind as I develop my inquiry project

3.  Crawley, S. & Merritt, K. (2000). Remediating reading difficulties. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, pp. 73-75.

This book discusses a wide-range of interventions for struggling readers.  Part IV is titled Oral Reading.  This chapter includes a description of fourteen teaching strategies that improve fluency. It includes some of the strategies I am interested in refining: repeated reading, and modeling. I am interesting in adding highlighting punctuation and taping oral reading.

I choose this text because I find its descriptions of teaching strategies succinct and easy to understand. This text helped me begin to formulize a plan by picking and choosing from the list of teaching strategies based on my student needs.

4.  Kuhn, M. (2005). Helping students become accurate, expressive readers: Fluency instruction for small groups. The Reading Teacher, 58, 338-344.

This is a description of an interesting study with four groups of struggling readers.  One group received a method called, “fluency-oriented oral reading strategy.” The method included modeling, feedback, and repeated reading.  The same text was used over a period of three sessions. The second group method utilized choral reading and echo reading of different texts at each meeting. A third group listened to the same texts read aloud by the teacher and a fourth control group did not receive any specific instruction.

The results indicate that both methods used in groups one and two increased fluency, but only group one increased in comprehension. The author suggested that group two made greater gains in comprehension over group one because comprehension wasn’t explicitly taught to the students in group one. I agree.

What I take away from this text is that repeated reading and direct instruction in a small group setting can increase student fluency.

5.  Therrien, W.J. & Kubina, R. M. (2006). Developing reading fluency with repeated reading. Intervention in School and Clinic, 41, 156-160.

This useful article described the components of effective repeated reading and suggested a framework for using it in the classroom.  The authors promote these “essential” elements in repeated reading:

• Passages should be read aloud to a competent tutor

• Corrective feedback should be provided

• Passages should be read until a performance criterion is reached.

They also describe a very specific, detailed program for implementing repeated reading with instructional level texts, timers, and record sheets.

Even though this article described a repeated reading procedure that utilized tutors and peers, I still found it helpful. I intend to use repeated reading in small groups and with students individually, not with teaching assistants or peers. The article’s format for repeated reading was clear and concise and definitely a technique to consider.

The repeated readings with recorded models wasn’t helpful because it discussed commercial programs that aren’t available to me.