How will implementing expressive reading strategies impact the reading fluency of second grade students?

Seminar Title

How will implementing expressive reading strategies impact the reading fluency of second grade students?

Reading Fluency

2nd Grade

2nd Grade

Reading

Reading

Have you ever almost fell asleep because you were listening to a student read in a monotone voice with no expression? How many times have you as a teacher helped a child read a single sentence and it took over a minute? Have you ever heard a student say “Do I really have to read?” As a result of hearing and experiencing these same situations I was driven to find the “recipe” to help my second grade students improve their reading fluency and expressive reading. My main concept is geared towards primary grades up to third grade. Through my action research I have worked on building a new mindset of reading for children, introduced new fluency building activities, and worked on teaching young children what expressive reading is all about. So if you want to learn more about how to enhance your students reading fluency and expression I have created a special recipe for you to try in your classroom!

Action Research Abstract Emily Loso St. Cloud Blended 3 Learning Community exloso16@smumn.edu Title: How will implementing expressive reading strategies impact the reading fluency of second grade students? Intro to AR: In order to answer the question to my action research, “How will implementing expressive reading strategies impact the reading fluency of second grades students?” I needed to conduct a lot of research to find the best methods for increasing reading fluency and expressive reading. Through my research I discovered that comprehension, fluency, confidence, and accuracy are four main concepts that impact a young child’s reading success in school. In order to create a change in my students reading fluency and expression I implemented four strategies in my practice: 1) teacher modeling 2) repeated reading 3) authentic reading experiences 4) incorporating new strategies to read difficult words. Method and data: Through this combination of these strategies I transformed my reading time into a new mindset of thinking. As a class we did a daily “campfire” reading experience to build excitement of reading. I implemented a lot of one on one interventions to help my lowest readers enhance their reading accuracy. Throughout the week students participated in a poetry academy intervention that supported sight word recognition through repeated readings and playing with the different methods of expressions. Lastly, my students participated in a lot of readers theaters and performances through this process. Conclusion: As a result of implementing a wide variety of fluency building activities up to this point I was able to see an overall increase in my students overall reading fluency by measuring the amount of words that they can read a minute. Some of my students really were able to adopt a “storyteller's” voice through my implementation period while other students are still working on identifying some basic sight words. The most positive trend that I was able to witness through this process is the fact that my student’s overall attitude towards reading increased and my students are much more eager to partake in reading opportunities.