100 Activities for Developing Fluent Readers: Patterns and Applications for Word Recognition, Fluency, and Comprehension - Tapa blanda

This book offers readers a plethora of activities for teaching the five components of a good reading program: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Unlike other books that describe a series of activities without any clear point, each chapter in this book explains how activities contribute to fluent reading. New and practicing teachers will find an overview of what each component looks like from a classroom perspective with suggestions for informal assessment. Also included are best practices for teaching each of the five components, best practices for teaching English language learners, and best practices for working with struggling readers. The book is full of citations from professional literature, which makes it appropriate for teachers who are expected to make instructional choices based on research evidence. FEATURES: Describes how phonemic awareness, phonics and vocabulary contribute to fluency, and how automatic word recognition and fluency contribute to comprehension-Gives the reader a clear conceptual framework for implementing classroom practices. Offers a plethora of easy-to-implement teaching appropriate for children in classrooms from kindergarten through fifth grade-The wide range of activities makes this book a useful resource for preservice teachers who do not know the grade they will teach and inservice teachers in graduate courses or in the classroom, as well as for coaches (or mentors) in the elementary school. Boxed features describing best practices for teaching (1) the major components of reading, (2) English language learners and (3) struggling readers-Best practices give the reader guidance for improving classroom practices specifically tailored to teaching each component, English learners and struggling readers. Informal assessments in each chapter-Suggestions for informal assessments provide classroom-appropriate methods that can be used for formative and summative evaluations of student learning. Activities give the reader advice on grouping, provide a list of material, and include step-by-step directions-Clear, reader friendly explanations give the reader all the information needed to implement activities, thereby making it easier for the reader to use activities in the classroom.

100 Activities for Developing Fluent Readers will help you through the important decisions of what, why, when and how to teach all children as they develop their reading and writing skills in grades K-6.  This text serves as a resource for the busy teacher by minimizing time spent searching for research-based activities that represent best practice.  This text is designed for teachers in their efforts to help every child reach his or her full potential and become confident readers, instilled with a love of reading. 

 

You will find that this text:

• presents more than a list of activities--simple explanations in this text show how each chapter's activities propel students toward literacy development.
• provides chapter-specific information highlighting specific reading components and their roles in proficient reading.  It then identifies a view of each component in the classroom environment, numerous teaching activities, informal assessment strategies, and a chart with best teaching practices.
• is organized to maximize utility:  the activities offer grouping options, a materials list, step-by-step directions, and options for differentiating individual student needs--including English language learners and children at risk.

 

One of the main reasons that I used Fox's text was because activities are grounded within the necessary literacy theory for preservice teachers and teachers to make professional decisions regarding their students' literacy learning.

            Dr. Merry Boggs, Tarleton State University

 

(referring to ch. 8):  These are excellent, clear-cut examples of what to do.  So often, teachers are not well-schooled in these methods.  Characteristics of each stage help teachers to observe informally and adjust their instruction.  [Chapter 5] is a real gem...Structural analysis can be a complex and dry subject to teach...The author presents a lot of info in a systematic format and supports each area of the concept with tables and clear examples.  I will use this in my own practice.

            Dr. Jane F. Rudden, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

 

The author begins the chapter [7] very well with the description of the four levels of fluency and guidelines for developing reading fluency.  I believe that this is a great way of bringing all the information in this text together.  It provides the reader with an understanding of why we teach and model these skills and strategies in an elementary classroom.

            Dr. Ann A. Wolf, Gonzaga University