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What Small Group Fluency Instruction
Does for Students
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Hewlett-Packard 1
What Small Group Fluency Instruction Does for Students

By
Jasmine Owens Killings

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

B.S. Early Childhood and Elementary Education

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What Small Group Fluency Instruction Does for Students

Introduction
How can small group fluency instruction help develop fluent readers? This question will
affect two, first grade students at a title one elementary school in Northwest AL. The school has
50% of its students receiving free and reduced lunches. The study will focus on two particular
students: the students are below reading level, miscomprehend the reading process and scoring
low on weekly fluency test. One of the students is a male and the other is female.
I developed this question after viewing the fluency standards for first grade. (Read with
sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension RF. 1.4) The majority of the students
read on or above grade level; however some students cannot read passages in a timely manner.
Also, some students tend to read but, lack the skills of a fluent reader. Initially, students were
requested to read stories three times a week with a parent. However, this was not being
accomplished and the students reading level was not increasing. Before I begin the small group
fluency instruction I will provide the students with Fluncy Test A as pre-test to see how many
words they can read in one minute. After the pre-test is completed, I will give the students extra
small group instruction for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks I will give a mid-fluency test.
The end of the third week the students will be given a final fluency test. This method will
provide the most efficient data. By implementing small group fluency instruction in two, fifteen
minute sessions, I chose two struggling readers who were eager to become fluent readers like
their peers.
Normally when grouping in small reading groups, the first grade students are divided into
three level groups: green for above level, blue for on-reading level and, orange for below level.
The two students involved in the action research began reading orange books. Once each of the
students has taken three fluency tests, I will then re-test them with Fluency Test A. This will
provide me with an evaluation of each students improvement through the small group
instruction. It is vitally important for students to become fluent readers.
Reading is implemented into everyday life. I want to challenge the students to become
successful in this endeavor. It is my responsibility, as the teacher, to challenge students and set
higher expectations for them then they do themselves. If this method is as effective as
anticipated, it will be beneficial and valuable to the students future. Learning and becoming
fluent readers will affect the students throughout their lives.
Literature Review
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What Small Group Fluency Instruction Does for Students

As I researched the teaching of fluency, I have found that it is the ability to read with
comprehension, accuracy, speed, and expression. Comprehension refers to the reader
understanding the text being read. Accuracy means that the reader recognizes most words
automatically with little effort. Speed refers to the rate in which a reader reads. Appropriate
expression refers to how the reader uses phrasing, tone, and pitch so that oral reading sounds
conversational. Throughout my study, I also learned that teachers observe accuracy by recording
the number of miscues the student makes while reading. To help struggling readers, it is
important that, the instructional program should be devoted to fluency. The building blocks for a
student to become a fluent reader are: exposure to read alouds, phonemic awareness, exposure to
sight words, and word identification. After learning the best ways to build fluent readers, I
researched small-group instruction reading instruction and how it helps students. Throughout my
research I found that small-group reading instruction:

brings together many complex reading strategies,

groups of students are given quality reading instruction and tasks that are
worthwhile, valuable, and matched to students instructional level,

takes into consideration the individual characteristics of the students, capitalizes

on the strengths they have, and expands and challenges their abilities (Beverly
Tyner 2004).

After learning these things, I decided that I would do my action research on fluency in smallgroup instruction. Methodology
This study was conducted in a classroom of 18 first-grade students ranging in age from 6-7
years old. At the beginning of the study of fluency, a pre-test was given to the entire class.
Based on the results of this pre-test, I identified two students who appeared to be at-risk and
struggling with the concept of reading fluently. I then took these two students, and over the
course of the next three weeks, taught them five lessons during small-group reading time. The
lessons were concentrated on the building blocks for fluency, hands-on lessons that in most cases
goes beyond what a classroom teacher can do when focusing on more students, and the demands
of an entire classroom. Lesson 1 focused on exposing the students to read alouds. I read stories
aloud that were on the students grade level. As I read, I held the book so the students could see
the illustrations. I also made sure to use my voice to convey the emotions suggested by the text.
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What Small Group Fluency Instruction Does for Students

To check for understanding, I paused periodically to clarify any words or concepts and to
encourage students to predict what would happen next. From the responses I received the
students not only enjoyed the text but they understood. At the end of the story I encouraged
students to make connections to their own lives and discuss how their predictions changed as
they listened. Lesson 2 focused on repeated reading and oral repeated reading. Using the book I
read aloud, I had the students reread all week. I asked them to reread the book until they could
read it with little to no help from an adult. Then at the end of the week they were asked to read
the story to me. I added a small prize for the effort put into becoming a fluent reader. As most
first time readers, these students did not remember every word in the book and looked for
assistance. I demonstrated decoding words unknown (technique learned in kindergarten), and
encouraged them to continue reading the story. We then talked about parts in the story they
remembered and sight words (words they learn at the beginning of the week) they saw. In lesson
3, we continued with a review of phonological and phonemic awareness. I wanted the students to
notice, think about and work with the phonemes in spoken words. They responded well and
during verbal questioning could correctly answer the questions with about 90% accuracy. In
lesson 4, the concept of word identification was the focus. The lessons were focused on teaching
strategies for identifying words at sight. This was a mixed review of all the skills and concepts
that had been covered during kindergarten, and during our small group lessons. The students
were given the same test from the beginning of the unit, and I collected the data. This was to
assess whether the increased use of small group fluency instruction would impact the scores on
the test.
Data Analysis
At the completion of the pre-test, Fluency Test A, the scores were recorded for the two
students. These scores were then later compared to the mid-test and post-test scores to compile
my quantitative data. The difference between each of the three tests given: pre-test, mid-test and
post-test, were used as feedback for my action project.. This record provided an overview of
which students were still struggling and which were improving. Pictured below is a copy of the
Fluency Test A, mid-test, final fluency test, and the retake of Fluency Test A. On the first test the
students were given a passage with 60 words. They were given a minute before asked to stop.
Student A read a total of ten words and Student B read five words. . As symbolized by this
graph the test scores for Students One, Two and Six increased between all three tests. Test
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What Small Group Fluency Instruction Does for Students

scores for Student A and B increased by five words between the pre-test and mid-test, and
another five words by the mid-test and post-test. Students A began to use skills learned from
small group instruction. Student B showed signs of struggle at the beginning of the test, until I
encouraged him to use the skills from small group. As shown by the test below, both Students
test scores increased from Fluency Test A to the retake at the end. This second graph is a
quantitative analysis between the difference in the scores of the pre, mid and post tests. Overall,
the scores from this project shows an obvious increase in mastering of reading fluency due to the
implementation of small-group reading instruction.
Conclusion
It is vitally important for students to become fluent readers. Reading is implemented into
everyday life. A fluent reader has the ability to read with comprehension, accuracy, speed, and
expression. The success of small-group reading instruction is evidenced by the test results of the
pre-test, mid-test and post-test, Fluency Test A. The results of this Action Research Project
suggest that the implementation of small-group reading instruction into the reading curriculum
can be beneficial to the student success in becoming fluent readers. It is my belief that the scores
from this project would have increased even more if the small-group instruction were done
through the duration of the year. Once the students learned a new component of fluency, I
challenged them to use it as they read daily. It is my responsibility, as the teacher, to challenge
the students and set higher expectations for them than they do themselves. By teaching the
building blocks of fluency, students will begin to challenge themselves while reading. As seen
by the students, small-group instruction provided coverage of the strategies required to move
them to greater achievement. This extra instruction will create an increase in students reading
fluently. Not only have the students improved during small-group reading instruction, they
finished with a feeling of success and enjoyment towards reading because they succeeded.

What Small Group Fluency Instruction Does for Students

References
Barr, R. (2007). Reading diagnosis for teachers: An instructional approach (5th ed.). Boston:
Pearson Allyn and Bacon.
Diller, D. (2007). Making the most of small groups: Differentiation for all. Portland, Me.:
Stenhouse ;.
Fountas, I., & Pinnell, G. (1996). Guided reading: Good first teaching for all children.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Johns, J., & Berglund, R. (2006). Fluency: Strategies & assessments (3rd ed.). Dubuque,
Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Plonsker, L., & Osborne, C. (2007). Aspects of Normal Fluency: Conversational Speech and
Oral Reading. Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders, 20-22.
Rasinski, T., & Griffith, L. (n.d.). Building fluency through practice & performance.
Tyner, B. (2004). Small-group reading instruction: A differentiated teaching model for
beginning and struggling readers. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.