Using Poetry to Build Reading Fluency

I love using poetry to work with my students on fluency skills.  You can quickly address phrasing, observation of punctuation, decoding skills (which impacts fluency), pace, and expression through modeling and repeated practice.  Words that may initially be challenging to decode are worked out with repeated reading, but unlike the pages of a book, children do not seem to mind rereading poetry. 

With all poetry I use, students work with it multiple times.  We use highlighters to mark phrases and pencils to box vocabulary and underline sightwords. With repeated reading, you will observe increased pace and better observation of punctuation.  In fact, one way to finish working with a piece is to do a recorded reading periodically.  What a fun keepsake that is for the end of the year!

Poems can be used in multiple ways to keep it fresh. Students can partner up for a paired reading followed by a discussion of how to make the year extra special. It can also be projected on a smartboard for choral reading and group work with the text. Teachers may also have students create their own couplets about the fun things they did this year as a reflection.    

This poem is a sampler from the Poetry for Your Pockets bundle I have in my store.  There are poems in both black and white (for printing and student coloring) and color (for projecting on your Smartboard).  The full bundle includes 37 original poems (88 pages)-not including the freebie, and over the summer, I have plans to add activities to go with them.  You can purchase this bundle for $12.00 (one season free).  

For other hands on activities and ideas, be sure to check out the Show and Tell posts.  So many ideas, so little time. :-)  

Now, have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday!

Poetry Books for Fluency

Hello, everyone!  It's Andrea from Reading Toward the Stars to show off something I do every year with my students.

All year I work with my students to help with fluency and vocabulary.  Since the students I work with are typically struggling readers, these are perfect for helping them become better readers.

Each week, I find a poem that goes with what we are reading, the time of year, or a skill they need.  We read the poem all week and do different activities with it.  We choral read it, partner read it, find various words in the poem, and illustrate it.  I save them throughout the year and send it home during the last week of school.  They love these books because they can read everything in it.

Here are some examples of the finished books.

This is such an easy thing to do with your students.  Every year they will look forward to the memories and poems.

Enjoy the rest of your year!