Fluency Mini Lesson Reflection

Justin Ball

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For my fluency mini lesson, I based around the same student that I completely my

word study mini lesson with. Since his PAL scores were so low, and he struggles with

multiple areas of reading and literacy, I took it upon myself to help him individually with

these mini lessons. I decided to do a bingo activity with, but I did two different boards.

The first board has common sight words that should be know by the time a student is in

the fourth grade. The second board had the same list of words that I used for his word

study mini lesson activity. The reason I used the same list of words is because he

struggled with them during that week, and I wanted to see if he had gotten faster at

recognition of those words, and speaking them clearly and confidently. He is on the shy

side, and if hes unsure or hesitant at all you can hear it in his voice, and it will sound

shaky or very short. By using the same words, I want to help break that hesitation barrier

he has and increase his fluency with this set of words. My goal with him overall, was to

increase expression by decreasing hesitation, getting him to read words faster, and to

recognize words faster.

After conducing the lesson with this one student, I think that he responded really

well to the one-on-one attention in general, and also the specific fluency goals of the

lesson. In the beginning, the first board of words I could tell he knew well. For each game

I would: pull words out of the bag and have them read them out loud, have him mark the

word on his board, and once he got a Bingo read all the words that made up the five in
a row. We did this a few times for each board, and I started hearing a difference in his use

of the words like where the stresses are on each word, the specific sounds of the syllables

and overall confidence. Then, I had him reread each board without the markers for speed.

The first board was a breeze, and the second board with his actual spelling words went

better than expected. I later informed my corresponding teacher that his previous troubles

during the word study mini lesson were not as severe as this fluency mini lesson. Before,

during word study, he was having trouble with most of the -oa- words especially if they

were controlled by a r or a th-. As an English Language Learner, he struggles a little

more with blend sounds in general especially if they are not common or present at all in

first language of Spanish. For example, the th sound is very rare or completely

unfamiliar, and thats probably why he struggles the most with those words. He started

recognizing that the -oa- words made a long o sound about half way through the

game, and I believed that helped me with then rereading the words later on.

If I were to do this in small groups or as a whole class later on in my future as an

educator, I would do something that was more tailored towards smaller groups because I

believe in the power of having students on a similar level work together. I would also

have this topic stressed about every two weeks, because I think that getting the students

to a level where they are free from word identification problem can greatly influence

comprehension, and their overall oral confidence. Once again, I saw great improvements

in his abilities in just one small session, and I hope that he continues this growth as the

year progresses. Lastly, I have attached an image of him playing, the blank boards, and

the list of words I cut out.

 SIGHT WORD
BINGO
They Home Would Year Birthday

How Left There Month You

Day When Free What Them

Space

Family Because Should Friend Could

Right Week Where School Why

 -OA, -AI, -EE, -EA
BINGO
Wait Three Leak Team Roar

Paint Neat Throat Coast Wheel

Squea Aid Free Roast Sheep

k Space

Sheets Weak Need Trail Toast

Float Train Cream Stain Seed

 They Home
Would Year
Birthday How
Left There
Month You
Day When
What Them
Family Becaus
e
Should Friend
Could Right
 Week Where
School Why
Wait Three
Leak Team
Roar Neat
Throat Coast
Wheel Squeak
Aid Roast
Sheep Sheets
Weak Need
Trail Toast
 Float Train
Cream Stain
Seed Paint