Help with fluency? Phonics Pathways?

[4maybabies]

My DD7 has some trouble with reading. She just ended her 1st grade year at the ps. She seems to me to be very 'choppy' when reading. She doesn't pause in the correct places and just seems to mesh all the sentences together. She does read chapter books, however, I just think that she would enjoy them more if she could be a little more fluent. Her comprehension is fine.

 

What are my choices to help her with fluency?

[Hillary in KS]

Phonics Pathways would help with decoding, but it doesn't sound like that's what she's struggling with.

 

Reading aloud is a skill, and it sounds like she just needs modeling and practice. Start with books that are WAAAAY too easy for her. Have her read aloud to you a short time every day. You read aloud as well, and model for her.

 

With my boys, we frequently read aloud together. I

would read all the left-hand pages, and they would read all the right-hand pages. The back-and-forth and modeling really helps smooth out their reading aloud and increases inflection.

[abbeyej]

I agree with Hillary, *but* I think you might find Reading Pathways (by the author of Phonics Pathways) a helpful tool as you work on fluency. It sounds like your dd already has the decoding skills that PP would cover, but RP works back through those same phonics skills, but uses them in steadily progressing sentences.

[4maybabies]

That's EXACTLY what we do...I start with the first page, then we take turns from there. I would say we have been doing that for about 4-5 months now. If she hasn't picked it up yet, would it be maturity?? Or something we need to work on in a different way? She just turned 7 last month.

 

Thank you!

[4maybabies]

oops! Sorry! That's what I meant! I have both PP and RP...and of course wrote the wrong one:)

[abbeyej]

Then I would just keep doing what you're doing. Read with her and take turns. Spend 5-10 minutes daily on Reading Pathways. Encourage her to read on her own. Allow her to re-read favorite books over and over. Have her read a book while listening to the audio-book (she'll get a better ear for the pauses, etc).

 

And give her time. Fluency takes time, but if she has the phonetic skills and she's getting quality practice, she'll get there. :)

[Hillary in KS]

Then I would just keep doing what you're doing. Read with her and take turns. Spend 5-10 minutes daily on Reading Pathways. Encourage her to read on her own. Allow her to re-read favorite books over and over. Have her read a book while listening to the audio-book (she'll get a better ear for the pauses, etc).

 

And give her time. Fluency takes time, but if she has the phonetic skills and she's getting quality practice, she'll get there. :)

 

:iagree:

 

And thanks for the Reading Pathways link, Abbey! I bought my copy of Phonics Pathways when my oldest was in preschool (so, 1999 - ish) and have used the same copy with all the boys. I never knew the author had other materials out there!

[abbeyej]

:iagree:

 

And thanks for the Reading Pathways link, Abbey! I bought my copy of Phonics Pathways when my oldest was in preschool (so, 1999 - ish) and have used the same copy with all the boys. I never knew the author had other materials out there!

 

I think it used to have another name... Phonics Pyramid? Pyramid? There are a handful of similar exercises in Phonics Pathways -- the ones where there's a triangle and it goes:

Bob

Bob sat.

Bob sat on a mat.

Bob sat on a mat with a cat.

Bob sat on a red mat with a fat cat.

etc.

Okay, theirs are better than that, but that's the idea. ;)

 

Anyway, I think it's a useful supplement for kids who're making progress with the phonics but need a little extra push toward fluency.

 

Ha! I was right:

http://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-Dolores-G-Hiskes/dp/1884580300

Of course, I'd go for the newer Reading Pathways edition if I were buying now. I'm sure there've been many improvements...

[EmilyGF]

I think Ruth Beechick says fluency takes about 2 years from beginning to learn to read in earnest. As long as you are practicing (and being careful to let her read things that are really easy for her, too - that is what SWB says is really important), I wouldn't worry.

 

BTW, my son can read chapter books, but he often goes off with a pile of 20 board books which he reads aloud to himself. I think those are what build speed and confidence.

 

Emily

[jenbrdsly]

Studies have shown that the more words on a page your child is exposed to and tries to read herself, the better her reading level abilities will be. High word count and practice is a better predictor of reading success than even teaching phonics or reading aloud to a child. So maybe you could try setting the timer for Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) time each day, and slowly build up to an hour a day all summer. I have some more ideas for summer activites on my blog here: http://teachingmybabytoread.blog.com/2011/06/17/kindergarten-to-1st-grade-summer-bridge/

 

Good luck! It sounds like your daughter is on the right track.

Good luck! It

[ElizabethB]

I have found that over-learning the phonics and working on syllable division is helpful.

 

You can get in some extra practice blending with my phonics concentration game, the nonsense words are very helpful for my remedial students.

 

The syllable division rules and exercises are linked at the end of my how to tutor page, #6 and #7.

 

I also like having my students read through the 1879 McGuffey Readers. The difficult words are listed up front so you sound them out first and then can relax and enjoy the reading passages. They also gradually increase in difficulty, so it is a nice, gentle way to build up your reading skills. Most libraries have a copy of the set, and you can try some free online at Project Gutenburg to see if they will work for you, you need the pdf copies. Type in "McGuffey Readers" in their search box and they will pop up.