Blog #8

The concept of fluency is a tough area to assess because there is more to it than simply reading without pausing or stopping. Granted this is part of fluency, knowing what one just read and being able to recall and comprehend the material is also a very important part of fluency. Another part of fluency that often goes overlooked is the tone and annunciation in which a passage is read by a student. Yes, the student may be able to read without stopping or pause to sound out a word, comprehend all that they just read, and be able to recall the information at a later time. However, we very frequently hear students read with little or no emotion when reading a story. If there is an exclamation point, a student should change the pitch or tone of their voice to match the excitement, displeasure, or attitude that is expressed through the text. If there is a question mark, there should be a change in the style of reading the sentence in such a way where it sounds like the student is asking a question for the narrator or character in the story. These, among other elements are ones that can change the meaning and tone of a story and completely alter the dynamics of a story.
My CT expressed this importance to me during a conversation I had with her about reading with expression and feeling. About once a week, a parent volunteers to come into the classroom and read to the students. Often times, they pick a story that they grew up with or pick a book that is popular among children. Knowing this, the CT says that this alone does not ensure that the students will be fully engaged in the story. She has had several occasions where a parent has come in and read in a very dull and boring voice. That said, the students were uninterested and the next day were unable to recall what was read to them or what the basic plot of the story was. She also said there have been parents who have read the exact opposite way and show tons of feeling and emotion in their reading. The CT says these are the most memorable parents for the kids and even has a lasting impression on the students where they have requested to have that parent back and even ask the CT to write a thank you note to that parent. I have seen it before because I was involved in proofreading the thank you notes to one parent in particular. The way this parent read the story and emphasized the aspect of fluency allowed each student to make a connection to the text and make it an experience they will remember. This should ultimately be the goal for all teachers to get their students to do. It may not be an easy task, but it is worth the effort seeing the benefits of being "fully" fluent as a literacy learner.