Repeated Readings with Poetry
An Impact on Rate and Prosody
Why Read Poetry?
Reading fluency, an integral part of the reading process, is characterized by reading rate and prosody. Children who find reading difficult struggle to read with fluency and need opportunities to read with expression and at a reasonable rate. Doing so helps them become better at reading comprehension. Reading poetry is one way that helps students become more fluent and expressive readers.
Action Research Empowering Teachers
As a graduate student at East Carolina University, I learned the importance of action research in education. In action research, teachers need to identify a problem or an area that needs improvement. In my case, fluency was an area in a second grade classroom that needed to be improved with one particular student.
I devised a research based plan of action to impact reading rate and prosody that included repeated readings with poetry. I used a fluency development framework similar to the one used in Marcell & Ferraro's So Long, Robot Reader! A Superhero Intervention Plan for Improving Fluency (2013).
I implemented the intervention for thirteen 45 minute sessions with one second grade student. My observation log detailed increased reading awareness, motivation, and parental involvement.
Reflecting on my project has helped me to understand the importance of research based practices and learning new methods to help students become life long readers.
I devised a research based plan of action to impact reading rate and prosody that included repeated readings with poetry. I used a fluency development framework similar to the one used in Marcell & Ferraro's So Long, Robot Reader! A Superhero Intervention Plan for Improving Fluency (2013).
I implemented the intervention for thirteen 45 minute sessions with one second grade student. My observation log detailed increased reading awareness, motivation, and parental involvement.
Reflecting on my project has helped me to understand the importance of research based practices and learning new methods to help students become life long readers.
Each Student Has A Reading Puzzle
Each student will have different reading improvement needs that are like puzzle pieces. Repeated reading is one piece of the puzzle that helps to incorporate much needed opportunities for struggling readers to become better readers.
As my action research project progressed, I discovered that my participant needed more opportunities to "battle" choppy reading. Modeling fluent reading and demonstrating "scooping" words and phrases with Marcell & Ferraro's (2013) super hero Super Scooper impacted the participant's reading rate after repeated readings with poetry. The participant's prosody was impacted positively with modeled fluent reading in addition to echo and choral reading.
What works for one child may not work for another. That's okay. Just open your tool box of reading strategies and try them out!
As my action research project progressed, I discovered that my participant needed more opportunities to "battle" choppy reading. Modeling fluent reading and demonstrating "scooping" words and phrases with Marcell & Ferraro's (2013) super hero Super Scooper impacted the participant's reading rate after repeated readings with poetry. The participant's prosody was impacted positively with modeled fluent reading in addition to echo and choral reading.
What works for one child may not work for another. That's okay. Just open your tool box of reading strategies and try them out!
Super Hero Readers!
Who doesn't want to be a super hero? Opening a book can be a frightening battle for struggling readers. Let's help them become Super Hero Readers and win the battle with improved reading rate and prosody.
Reading Rate Results
The participant in this single subject action research project demonstrated improvement in her reading rate using repeated readings with poetry.
Prosody Results
Prosody is reading with expression and with appropriate phrasing. Modeling and repeated readings with poetry improved the participant's prosody.
April is National Poetry Month
Poetry has been used to boost reading rate with positive results (Rasinski & Padak, 2001). Additionally, all students can benefit from reading fun and humorous texts such as poetry!
Teacher and Parent Resources
Click the following links to find more information
Poetry activities
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/april-national-poetry-month-20478.htmhttp://www.ideasbyjivey.com/2014/01/sparking-student-motivation-two-voice.html
Research about repeated reading
http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/researchbytopic/4905
How to assess reading rate (wpm)
https://www.readinga-z.com/guided/fluency.html
Additional reading research and activities
http://www.fcrr.org/
Common Core Standards
http://www.corestandards.org/
Tammy Oberdorf
Email: oberdorft11@students.ecu.edu
Website: http://mrsoberdorf.weebly.com
Location: Raleigh, NC, United States