The document discusses a study that aims to improve the reading fluency of a Year 7 student named Simon through repeated reading of poetry. It outlines Simon's difficulties with reading fluency and comprehension. The proposed intervention involves modeling fluent reading of poems, repeated reading activities, and formative feedback. Data on Simon's reading rate, accuracy and prosody will be collected before and after through assessments and compared to measure the effectiveness of the intervention.

1. Repeated reading of poetry as a strategy for improving reading fluency in a Year 7 boy
Aithne Dell
Master of Teaching (Primary) –University of Western Australia

3. Statement of Issue
Child in Year 7 at an Independent Public School in the Mid-West region of Western Australia
‘Simon’ (a pseudonym)
Experiences significant difficulties with reading
Reads with
little fluency
minimal expression
often needs help to decode words
Causing difficulties in other academic areas

4. Research Question
How effective is the use of repeated readingof poetryin improving the reading fluency of a Year 7child?

5. Proposed Intervention
Small selection of entertaining poems at an appropriate reading level
Modelled fluent reading
(Kuhn & Stahl, 2003; Dowhower, 1991)
‘Listening-while-reading’
(Dowhower, 1987; Schrauben, 2010)
Independent reading, with continued formative feedback
(Rasinski, 2003)
Comprehension still addressed –questioning and summarising

6. Data Collection and Analysis
Pre-test
Interview with classroom teacher
Two unfamiliar texts (Samuels, 2002)
Conduct running record and miscue analysis to identify words correct per minute
Multidimensional Fluency Scale (Zutell& Rasinski, 1991)
Student self-assessment
Post-test
Repeat of fluency assessments
Comparison of data from pre and post-tests to identify individual progress

7. Diagnostic results
Two passages –3-Minute reading assessments (Rasinski& Padak, 2005)
Passage 1
Passage 2
WPM
45
47
WCPM
38
34
Accuracy (%)
83
72

8. Diagnostic results
Multidimensional Fluency Scale (MDFS) (Zutell& Rasinski, 1991)
Four aspects –each marked on a scale from 1-4
Total scores that are under 8 indicate the need for fluency work (ref-reading book)
Text 1
Text 2
Expression and volume
1
1
Phrasing
1
1
Smoothness
1
1
Pace
1.5
2
Total
4.5
5

9. Intervention

10. Intervention

11. Intervention

12. Intervention

13. Intervention

14. Intervention

15. Intervention

16. Intervention

17. Intervention

18. Intervention

19. Results
42
27
64
4
55
47
86
7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
WPM
WCPM
Accuracy (%)
MDFS"The Milker" -Initial and final readings
Initial
Final
53
41
77
4.5
97
97
99
10
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
WPM
WCPM
Accuracy (%)
MDFS"My dog chewed up my homework" -Initial and final readings
37
28
74
8
110
110
100
11.5
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
WCPM
Accuracy (%)
What to do about grandma" -Initial and final readings
Initial
Final

20. Results
45
47
49
49
38
34
38
41
83
72
77
83
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Before - Text 1
Before - Text 2
After - Text 3
After - Text 4Reading Assessment -Word recognition and accuracy
WPM
WCPM
Accuracy (%)
1
1
2
1.5
1
1
2
2
1
1
2
2
1.5
2
2.5
2
4.5
5
8.5
7.5
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Before - Text 1
Before - Text 2
After - Text 3
After - Text 4Reading Assessment -Multidimensional Fluency Scale (Zutell & Rasinski, 2005)
Expression and volume
Phrasing
Smoothness
Pace
Total

21. Interpretation of results
Demonstrated fluent reading when working with familiar, repeated texts
Having difficulty transferring skills to unknown texts
Trying to incorporate elements of expression and phrasing into reading

22. Literature Review -Fluency
Accurate word recognition
Automatic word recognition
Appropriate prosody
(Dowhower, 1991; Fellowes & Oakley, 2012; Kuhn & Stahl, 2003; McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009; Miccinati, 1985; Schrauben, 2010; Staudt, 2009)

23. Literature Review -Fluency
Initial focus on reading rate
(Samuels, 1997; Staudt, 2009)
Overemphasis on speed diminishes focus on comprehension and prosody
(Fellowes & Oakley, 2012; Marcell& Ferraro, 2013; Rasinski, 2012)
Incorporating prosody discourages emphasis on ‘race reading’, encourages expression and appropriate pacing (Marcell& Ferraro, 2013)
Fluency is needed for comprehension of text
(Faver, 2008; Hudson, LaBerge& Samuels, 1974; Lane & Pullen, 2005; Whalley& Hansen, 2006)
Fluency occurs as a result of the reader “simultaneously perform[ing] many literacy processes, including lower-level decoding and higher-order comprehension processes”
(Fellowes & Oakley, 2012, p.302)

24. Literature Review –Repeated reading and poetry to improve fluency
Repeated reading assists students to develop reading fluency
Particularly appropriate in cases of poor decoding skills or limited sight word knowledge
(Faver, 2008; Fellowes & Oakley, 2012; Meyer & Felton, 1999; Rasinski, 2003; Staudt, 2009)
Rich language experience through poetry
Gain a stronger understanding of the need for phrasing
“rich and playful language” (Faver, 2008, p.351)
“hear and enjoy a more mature-sounding syntax not found in the simple books they were reading independently” (Staudt, 2009, p.145)

25. Limitations
Time constraints
Texts used for pre-and post-testing
Environment in which intervention took place

26. Ethical Considerations
Research was explained to all participants and parents and written consent obtained
Participants were informed that involvement is voluntary, and that participants could withdraw at any stage
Additional consent was sought before taking photographs, audio recordings or obtaining work samples which were kept
All ethical requirements of the University of Western Australia were followed

27. References
Dowhower, S. L. (1987). Effects of repeated reading on second-grade transitional readers’ fluency and comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, 22(4), 389–406. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/747699.
Dowhower, S. L. (1991). Speaking of prosody: Fluency’s unattended bedfellow. Theory Into Practice, 30(3), 165-175. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1080/00405849109543497.
Faver, S. (2008). Repeated reading of poetry can enhance reading fluency. The Reading Teacher, 62(4), 350-352. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9b260640- 23a2-48e5-a168-ee5ef6631c17%40sessionmgr4004&vid=1&hid=4109.
Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2012). Language, literacy and early childhood education.South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Hudson, R.F., Lane, H.B. & Pullen, P.C. (2005). Reading fluency assessment and instruction: What, why and, how? The Reading Teacher, 58(8), 702-714. Retrieved from http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/northernadelaide/files/links/hudson_lane_pullen_reading.pdf.
Kuhn, M. R., & Stahl, S. A. (2003). Fluency: A review of developmental and remedial practices. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(1), 3–21. DOI: 10.1037/0022-0663.95.1.3
LaBerge, D., & Samuels, S. J. (1974). Towards a theory of automatic information processing in reading. Cognitive Psychology, 6, 293–323. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/science/article/pii/0010028574900152.
Marcell, B.& Ferraro, C. (2013). So long, Robot Reader! A superhero intervention plan for improving fluency. The Reading Teaching, 66(8), 607-614. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/doi/10.1002/trtr.1165/pdf.
McKenna, M.C. & Dougherty Stahl, K.A. (2009). Assessment for reading instruction. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Meyer, M.S., & Felton, R.H. (1999). Repeated reading to enhance fluency: Old approaches and new directions. Annals of Dyslexia, 49(1), 283–306. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/docview/225385892?accountid=14681.
Miccinati, J.L. (1985). Using prosodic cues to teach oral reading fluency. The Reading Teacher, 39(2), 206-212. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/stable/20199045.
Rasinski, T.V. (2003). Reading first: Fluency is fundamental. Scholastic Instructor Magazine, 113(4), 15–20. Retrieved from http://stage30.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3764.
Rasinski, T.V. (2012). Why reading fluencyshould be hot! The Reading Teacher,65(8), 516–522. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f6c7c6d8-3415-419a-9930- 9b26bbb3cd09%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4109.
Samuels, S.J. (1997). The method of repeated readings. The Reading Teacher, 50(5), 376–382. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=07fe7e1f-a725-48d7-832d- bae67d3f9316%40sessionmgr4005&vid=1&hid=4109.
Samuels, S.J. (2002). Reading fluency: Its development and assessment. In A.E. Farstrup& S.J. Samuels (eds), What research has to say about reading instruction (3rdedn, pp.166-183). Neward, Delaware: International Reading Association.
Schrauben, J.E. (2010). Prosody’s contribution to fluency: An examination of the theory of automatic information processing. Reading Psychology, 31(1), 82-92. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1080/02702710902753996.
Schreiber, P.A. (1991). Understanding prosody’s role in reading acquisition. Theory Into Practice, 30(3), 158–164. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/stable/1476877.
Staudt, D.H. (2009). Intensive word study and repeated reading improves reading skills for two students with learning disabilities.The Reading Teacher, 63(2), 142-151. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/stable/40347664.
Whalley, K. & Hansen, J. (2006). The role of prosodic sensitivity in children’s reading development. Journal of Research in Reading, 29(3), 288-303. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3dfaa1e3-1306-4f54-97a2-1ff589102e3c%40sessionmgr4003&vid=1&hid=4109.
Wilfong, L.G. (2008). Building fluency, word-recognition ability, and confidence in struggling readers: The Poetry Academy. The Reading Teacher, 62(1), 4-13. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/stable/20204654.
Zutell, J. & Rasinski, T.V. (1991). Training teachers to attend to their students’ oral reading fluency. Theory into Practice, 30(3), 211-217. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/stable/1476883?seq=1.