Teaching Literacy II Final Exam
Components of Fluency are:
Rate, Prosody, Accuracy, and Decoding
Rate is:
How quickly and accurately a student reads.
Prosody is:
The use of expression, pitch, and rhythm during reading; reflects the reader's ability to convey meaning.
Accuracy is:
Correctly reading words without errors.
Decoding is:
Translating text into speech using knowledge of letter-sound relationships.
Importance of Fluency:
1. Fluent reading allows congitive resources to focus on comprehension rather than decoding.
2. Poor fluency can directly impact comprehension by consuming mental energy needed for understanding the text.
Appropiate Text Accuracy Levels:
Independent Reading Level
95% accuracy or above. Texts at this level are suitable for independent reading without assistance.
Appropiate Text Accuracy Levels:
Instructional Reading Level
90-94% accuracy. Suitable for guided reading with teacher support.
Appropiate Text Accuracy Level:
Frustration Reading Level
Below 90% accuracy. Texts are too difficult and may hinder reading development.
Strategies for Improving Fluency are:
Repeated Reading with Feedback, Guided Repeated Reading Practice, Use of Running Records, Prosody Enhancement Activities, and Addressing Decoding Errors.
Strategies for Improving Fluency:
Repeated Reading with Feedback
Students read the same passage multiple times to improve speed, accuracy, and expression.
Strategies for Improving Fluency:
Guided Repeated Reading Practice
Especially for students with low WCPM scores.
Strategies for Improving Fluency:
Use of Running Records
To assess and monitor reading progress over time.
Strategies for Improving Fluency:
Prosody Enhancement Activities
Choral Reading : Reading together as a group to model fluent reading.
Reader's Theater: Performing scripts to practice expressive reading.
Strategies for Improving Fluency:
Addressing Decoding Errors
Phonics Instruction: Reinforce letter-sound relationships.
Sight Word Practice: Improve recognition of high-frequency words.
Assessment Techniques:
WCPM (words correct per minute), running records, and observation of prosody.
Assessment Technique:
WCPM (Words correct per minute)
Measures reading fluency rate.
Assessment Technique:
Running Records
Assess accuracy, error patterns, and self-corrections
Assessment Technique:
Observation of Prosody
Note expression, phrasing, and attention to punctuation during oral reading.
Instructional Approaches:
Model Fluent Reading, Echo Reading, Partner Reading, and Phrase-Cued Reading
Instructional Approach:
Model Fluent Reading
Teacher reads aloud to demonstrate fluent reading behaviors.
Instructional Approach:
Echo Reading
Teacher reads a sentence or passage; students repeat.
Instructional Approach:
Partner Reading
Students read aloud to each other, providing mutual support.
Instructional Approach:
Phrase-Cued Reading
Text is marked to highlight natural phrasing.
Common Issues and Solutions:
Hesitation and Word-by-word reading, Monotone Reading (Lack of Prosody), Reading too quickly and skipping words, and Frequent Decoding Errors.
Issue: Indicates difficulty with fluency and decoding.
Solution: Provide guided practice and repeated reading; reinforce decoding strategies.
Hesitation and Word-by-Word Reading
Issue: Reading without expression affects comprehension and engagement.
Solution: Use expressive reading activities like reader's theater; provide feedback on expression.
Monotone Reading (Lack of Prosody)
Issue: Leads to misunderstanding the text.
Solution: Encourage reading at a controlled pace; emphasize accuracy over speed.
Reading Too Quickly and Skipping Words
Issue: Affects accuracy and overall fluency.
Solution: Focus on phonics instruction and decoding strategies.
Frequent Decoding Errors
Basic, everyday words commonly used in conversation (e.g., run, jump).
Tier I
High-frequency words used across various contexts by mature language users (e.g. , analyze, predict). Ideal for explicit instruction.
Tier II
Domain-specific terms related to particular subjects (e.g. , ecosystem, photosynthesis).
Tier III
Effective Vocabulary Instruction:
Teach Vocabulary in Context, Use Visuals and Real-World Examples, Incorporate Active Learning Strategies, Semantic Mapping, and Games and Interactive Activities.
Effective Vocabulary Instruction:
Teach Vocabulary in Context
Enhances understanding and application of words and helps students see how words function within sentences.
Effective Vocabulary Instruction:
Use Visuals and Real-World Examples
Especially beneficial for English Language Learners (ELLs) and incorporate images, gestures, and real objects.
Effective Vocabulary Instruction:
Incorporate Active Learning Strategies
Semantic mapping (visual representations showing relationships among words) and games and interactive activities (engage students and reinforce learning).
Effective Vocabulary Instruction:
Multiple Exposures in Varied Contexts
Encounter words in reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities.
Effective Vocabulary Instruction:
Teach Abstract Vocabulary Using Contextulized Examples
Use stories or scenarios to illustrate meanings.
Assessment Techniques:
Semantic maps, vocabulary quizzes, and contextual usage.
Assessment Technique:
Semantic Maps:
Assess understanding of word relationships.
Assessment Techniques:
Vocabulary Quizzes
Test knowledge of definitions and usage.
Assessment Techniques:
Contextual Usage
Have students use new vocabulary in sentences or discussions.
Instructional Approaches:
Pre-Teach Vocabulary, possible sentences, concept picture sort, and word-learning strategies
Instructional Approaches:
Pre-Teach Vocabulary
Introduce key words before reading to aid comprenhension.
Instruction Approahces:
Possible Sentences
Students create sentences using new words to predict content.
Instructional Approaches:
Concept Picture Sort
Categorize words based on shared characteristics
Instructional Approaches:
Word-Learning Strategies
Teach use of context clues, word parts (prefixes, suffixes), and dictionaries.
Common Issues and Solutions:
Low vocabulary retention, struggles with abstract vocabulary, and disengagement during vocabulary lessons
Issue: Students forget new words quickly.
Solution: Use post-reading discussions, repeated exposure, and engaging activities like games.
Low Vocabulary Retention
Issue: Difficulty understanding non-concrete terms.
Solution: Provide contextualized discussions and real-life examples.
Struggles with Abstract Vocabulary
Issue: Lack of student interest.
Solution: Incorporate active, group-based activities and make learning interactive.
Disengagement During Vocabulary Lessons
The process of understanding and interpreting the meaning of text.
Comprehension
Strategies for Comprehension:
Pre-Teach Vocabulary and Background Knowledge, Use Think-Alouds, Practice Inferencing, Teach Summarizing, Graphic Organizers, and Teach Text Structures.
Strategies for Comprehension:
Pre-Teach Vocabulary and Background Knowledge
Activate prior knowledge to prepare for new content.
Strategies for Comprehension:
Use Think-Alouds
Teacher models thought processes during reading to demonstrate comprehension strategies.
Strategies for Comprehension:
Practice Inferencing
Teach students to make logical guesses based on evidence and prior knowledge.
Strategies for Comprehension:
Teach Summarizing
Help students identify main ideas and key details.
Strategies for Comprehension:
Graphic Organizers
Use tools like story maps and cause-effect charts to organize information.
Strategies for Comprehension:
Teach Text Structures
Explicitly instruct on organizational patterns of texts (e.g., sequence, compare/contrast).
Assessment Techniques for Comprehension:
Comprehension questions, retellings and summaries, think-aloud assessments, and guided partner reading with prompts.
Assessment Technique for Comprehension:
Comprehension Questions
Include literal, inferential, and evaluative questions.
Assessment Technique for Comprehension:
Retellings and Summaries
Students recount the text in their own words.
Assessment Technique for Comprehension:
Think-Aloud Assessments
Observe students' verbalized thought processes.
Assessment Technique for Comprehension:
Guided Partner Reading with Prompts
Students read together and discuss using guided questions.
Instructional Approaches for Comprehension:
Activate Prior Knowledge, Modeling and Guided Practice, and Explicit Instruction of Comprehension Strategies.
Instructional Approach:
Activate Prior Knowledge
Use KWL charts (Know, Want to Know, Learned).
Instructional Approach:
Modeling and Guided Practice
Gradual release of responsibility from teacher to student.
Instructional Approach:
Explicit Instruction of Comprehension Strategies
Teach specific strategies like questioning, visualizing, and predicting.
Common Issues and Solutions:
Difficulty with Complex Sentences, Struggles with Main Ideas and Details, Challenges with inferencing, and Poor Comprehension Despite Fluent Reading.
Issue: Struggle to understand advanced sentence structures.
Solution: Teach sentence structure explicitly; practice paraphrasing.
Difficulty with Complex Sentences
Issue: Cannot identify key points.
Solution: Teach how to distinguish main ideas from supporting details.
Struggles with Main Ideas and Details
Issue: Difficulty making logical conclusions.
Solution: Provide sentence starters and model using textual evidence.
Challenges with Inferencing
Issue: Good decoding but low understanding.
Solution: Focus on vocabulary instruction and building background knowledge.
Poor Comprehension Despite Fluent Reading
WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute):
A measure of reading fluency rate.
Semantic Mapping:
A visual representation of word relationships to enhance vocabulary understanding.
Think-Alouds:
A strategy where the teacher verbalizes thoughts during reading to model comprehension processes.
Inferential Questions:
Questions that require readers to make inferences or draw conclusions beyond the explicit text.
Text Structures:
The ways in which information is organized in writing (e.g., cause-effect, problem-solution).
Be familiar with the components of fluency and their impact on reading.
The components of fluency are rate, accuracy, prosody, and decoding. They all impact a reader's ability to understand and engage with the text. It allows students to focus on comprehension instead of decoding individual words.
Know the difference between vocabulary tiers and which are appropiate individual words.
Tier I: Basic, everyday words commonly used in conversation (e.g., run, jump). Tier II: High-frequency words used across various contexts by mature language users (e.g., analyze, predict). Ideal for explicit instruction. Tier III: Domain-specific related to particular subjects (e.g., ecosystem, photosynthesis). Tier II and Tier III are appropiate for explicit instruction due to its involvement directly and systematic teaching (Tier II). Meanwhile (Tier III) explicit instruction plays a crucial role, as it helps to build foundational skills and close knowledge gaps.
Grasp the purpose and methods of comprehension strategies:
The purpose of comprehension strategies is to improve reading comprehension and help readers become more active and strategic. These strategies helps readers understand the text more deeply, make connections, and become better learners. Methods include using a variety of techniques before, during, and after reading, such as activating prior knowledge, making predictions, asking questions, summarizing, visualizing, and making inferences.
Be prepared to suggest appropiate strategies for improving fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension based on specific student needs:
Appropiate Strategies for improving Fluency: Model fluent reading, repeated-readings of text, focusing on sight words, and using techniques like paired reading, choral reading, or echo reading. Additionally, techniques like timed readings, and reader's theater can help build fluency and confidence.
Appropiate Strategies for improving vocabulary: semantic mapping (visual representation showing relationships among words) and games and interactive activities (engage students and reinforce learning).
Appropiate Strategies for comprehension: Pre-Teach vocabulary and background knowledge, use think-alouds, practice inferencing, teach summarizing, graphic organizers, and teach text summaries.