Decodable Passages to Build Fluency | Episode 90

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TD Flenaugh discusses the importance of decodable passages and repeated readings to build reading fluency in children. Decodable passages contain spelling patterns children have learned, such as "cr" and "fr." Flenaugh emphasizes the need for multiple reads to help children recognize and sound out words. She suggests marking up the text with different colors or symbols to highlight patterns. Flenaugh also mentions the importance of reading like speaking and modeling expression. Additionally, she plans to explore the health risks of synthetic hair and its impact on children, highlighting the broader goal of education for liberation.

Transcript

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Recording. Okay, so here we go. Welcome to Falling for Learning Podcast episode 90. Um, so today we're going to be talking about decoddable passages and how to do repeated readings so that your child is gaining fluency. So stick around if you don't know about this, or you haven't heard about it, or whatever that may be, but we're going to give you some tips and strategies to make sure you can get your kids together with their reading. Hi. Thank you so much for joining the Fallinging for Learning Podcast. I am TD Flenaugh, we have this podcast to help parents and caregivers with having the resources, strategies and tools needed to make sure that their children are on track for learning and to stay on track for success. Okay, so here we go. So this is a decodable passage, and when I mean a decodable passage, what I mean by that is that it's a passage that has spelling patterns that they have been taught often when they pick up a book, just any book from the library, it's not considered a decodable passage, because it's unpredictable the words and sentences and phrases and all the things that are there they may or may not have seen before. Decodable passages are specific to what they have learned. So if you have been teaching them, you know consonant, consonant, vow consonant words, meaning in the front of it, there is a blend. So you will notice there's like a TR in front, the CR is in front, right? You'll see f, R, F, R. But we've been learning short vowels, and they've been learning the blends, and so it is a decodable text for the child. So does that mean because they've learned all of this before, in the passage, in the other passages, passages you have read, or the list that you have read, the words you've blended or worked on the dictation with? Does that mean that they will read this fluently? Not necessarily. This is why we do what's called repeated readings. Okay, so they may not at first, because it's all the passage in a big block of text. They may not recognize all the words right at first. They may even be intimidated by a longer passage. But reassure them that they've had these words before, and they've blended these words. They've sounded out the words with you, they've written the words with you, and now you're going to be reading a passage or story with these same types of, you know, spelling patterns and all of that with them. Okay, so let's go ahead and read the passage. Now, let me be clear, when I am teaching a child or student this I am not reading the passage first. No, because it's decodable, they have the ability and the skills to read it by themselves. So you are there with them. You help them through, you help them sound out, you help them recognize but do not read it for them first. Okay, so the kid will come up and read this to passage, a fun trip to the crab pit. They may stumble over these words, but remember, you remind them. Fr, fr, Fran and Fred run to the crab pit. A big crab hops up. Fran grabs a rock. Fred taps the crab. The crab runs. Fred grins that crab is fast. Fran spots a frog. The frog hops in, plop. Frog in the pit. Fran yells. Fred runs to the frog. The frog slips out the PAL sit as the crabs and frogs zip and hop. So I just read it for them. We just read it for you, right? But when you have the kid read it, it may take them a long time to get through a passage this long, even though they can sound out these words and again, you give them a lot of encouragement, but the goal with fluency is for them to read like they're talking. Some people misinterpret it and think, Oh, this is where you start reading really fast, and it's not, it's reading like you're talking. And I remind kids that when they watch TV, often the people that they're watching TV are reading a script and but you don't know because they read like they're talking. They are fluent readers. So I remind them of this after they read through it themselves. I then will do a fluent read for them. I model what it sounds like, you know, adding expression frog in the pit, right? So you find those places where there is expression, where they're supposed to pause at the periods and all of that, and you are modeling that for them. So after you do that, very important, you go to the next phase, where you want them to start recognizing those patterns that they have read before, that they've sounded out before and all of that, so you help them to mark up the text. Now I have not said annotate, because annotate is a different thing. Annotation is both noting, making notes and marking up the text. But they don't have to note what's on the text. They just need to mark it up. Okay, so we may I adopt different ways that you mark up the text. So for example, I might say you're going to underline all the words that have the CR blend to it. So we start at the title and we're underlining the CR words. I usually have them underline the whole word. So there's crab, and they'll see it several times. But if you know what, you're struggling readers, they may see crab, and every time they see crab, in the first time that they read it, they may be stumbling over that word, so helping them go back and recognize crab, crab, because they may go crab, and then when they get here, a big crab. And I know we have to have patience when we're teaching our young readers, our struggling readers, because, you know, like, if it's up here and it's here and it's here, but again, they're new, so they don't see all of these patterns. So us going back to mark up the text helps them to see these patterns, recognize these patterns. And the more they do this, they will be better at recognizing the patterns. So when they get to crab, the second or third time, they're going to say, the crab. Okay, here it is. The crab runs Fred grins again as they're going through this. This is like their second read. They are definitely using the time to read the words. So sometimes we get this twisted and we just have them scan when they should be reading. Fred, friend and friend run to the crab. It a big crab hops up. Fran grabs a rock. Fred taps the crab. Underline, the crab. Underline runs. Fred grins that crab. Underline is fast friends. Spots a frog. The frog hops in, plop. Frog in the pit. Fran yells. Fred runs to the frog. The frog sleeps out the cow, sit as the crabs. Here it is again, and frog zip and hop. So we have a second read. We were looking for the CR words. Now I may do another way to mark up the text, because we obviously have the FR blend many times now, just to stop for a moment and pause and tell you more about what a blend is. A blend is two consonants, in this case, that both keep their same sounds. And I feel like that's a little debatable, but let me tell you why. So for the words, brand, for the FR, the F sound, the R sound, right? You just it's easier to sound it out by saying for putting it together, instead of it's easier to say for put a little schwa on there. Have to watch that. Okay, so this time, we're going to put, like a squiggly line underneath Fran and Fred, and here we are getting a third read. Now, right? We're looking for squiggly lines for the words. That was our blend, Fran and Fred run to the crab. Oh, I know that word, right. I just marked it in pit. A big crab hops at a Fran, squiggly line, grabs a rock. Fred, top, sorry, taps the crab. The crab runs. Fred grins, that oop, I missed it. I gotta go back for red grin, that crab is fast. Fran, spots of frog, ooh, Frog, that's one. Did I miss frog other times. No, okay, the frog pops in, plop. Frog in the pit. Fran yells, Fred runs to the frog. Do? The frog slips out. The PAL said as the crabs and frogs zip and hop. Okay, so we have done this now. Another way I want to know you may highlight these with different colors, using a crayon, using an actual highlighter of different colors to help them mark up the text. To notice these blends, these spelling patterns, these ways of sounding out words in an easier way and noticing those patterns. Okay, so we have that here. So now let me tell you why I feel like there is some debate into whether or not both letters keep their own sound in a blend. This one I'm going to circle. So the trip to the crab pit. And I didn't have a lot of TR blends, but the way I pronounce trip, it's not really, it's two different trip, trip that's not like, but they say it is. But you know, it's kind of debatable. The big thing is, do they see it say, TD and keep moving, right? So I just think it's debatable. The same thing with drum, which we don't have any I said drum. Dr, to me, makes a whole different sound. Dr, instead of not to me, but again, it's okay, as long as the kids know what it means, know how to sound it out, know how to spell it right. So it's kind of debatable for me, but notice I didn't have a bunch of trip words in here. So I can do another decodable with blends, and just have more TR words and even the DR words, because those are more difficult to me and your child will, most likely, a lot of kids associate the DR, Drew, dr, drip, drum, drop, with J. That's what they see. They hear J, and they'll just put Dr, and it's like, dr, there's a r there, right? So to me, the sound has changed. The D and the R both do not keep their sound is more of a diagraph where they both have a new sound. So I think it depends on how you think about it, or you pronounce words, or whatever. But now they have read it. So again, there's no more TR words in here, but I would, if I had more, we would go through in circle are all the TR word so again, by the time they get to, like, the fourth read, and that's and really important, give them a purpose for reading it. When you tell kids were just going to read it over and over again. They're like, why, but you do tell them why. But also, when they're reading again, give them a purpose. Now we're looking for the FR blends. Now we're looking for the CR blends, right? And then you also can do this together. I'll read a sentence, you read a sentence, or if there's paragraphs, you read a paragraph, I read a paragraph. And so we'll take turns, but there's different ways that you do it. Rather than I'm going to read it once, I'm going to read again and I'm going to read again. We are looking for something very specific every time that we read Okay, starting again and again. I will even time kids for a minute to see how long it takes them to read this. Tell them the goal is to get to the end by the minute and make sure that you're reading it and make sure that you're helping them. You know, with multiple reads, okay, you read it five times, looking, you know, the first time we're looking, just reading it for the first time. That's the first read, reading it by ourselves. The first time, the second read. I will read it to you, so I get model for you, and you're going to follow along as I read. The third read, we're looking for C, R blends. The fourth read, we're looking for fr blends. Then you also could do even like a fifth read for the for the sight words. So for the sight words, I'm going to use a whole different color, words like and I'm going to circle and the so make maybe we were working on and, and the and two, right? And that's what we're going to go through looking at it. So there's two. Fran and OOP two in the here too. So again, they're reading. It a fun trip to the crab pit. Fran and Fran run to the crab pit. A big crab hops up. Fran grabs a rock. Fred taps the oh, there it is. Oh, there's the with capital letter, the and don't be surprised. Sometimes kids don't recognize it, like, Oh, now I don't know what this word is, and I'm going to start sounding it out right. Like, no, this is the just has a capital letter. So don't be surprised. It happened. That crab is fast. Fran spots a frog. The frog hops in, plop frog in the frannies. Fran Fred runs to the frog, the frog, did I miss two? I didn't miss two? Notice two in the right by each other. Sometimes the frog slips out the house. It as the crabs and frogs you're working on and as well, and frogs zip and pop. Did I miss any more? And gotta go back? I don't think so. I think about them all. So yeah, so this is how you can, you know, multiple reads. Every time you read, you're looking for another purpose. This is what's done in fluency practice. It's also done when you're reading for something, reading for comprehension as well. And this time, we're not talking about comprehension, we're just talking about reading it like you're talking and the way to achieve that is getting multiple reads, And I recommend at least five readings, but it's important for you to look at that passage and find different reasons for them to return to the passage. Okay, okay, hold. We have a word from my sponsors. So the rewrite method and the rewrite method workbook are your go to resource for helping kids to learn to fall in love with writing. It has the tips, tools, resources, strategies and skill building activities to help kids fall out of writing heat and into loving to write, get your book set today. You okay, that was a word from our sponsors. Okay, now I'm just sitting down because we just did our decodable practice. So again, just some review about that. Make sure you help your kids with the Decodable passages, to help them read fluently. Decodable, again, is directly related to words and phrases. Sentiment sent. I'm saying words and phrases. It's really just the spelling patterns, diagrams, letter sounds that they worked on, right? So this is early, advanced, right? Kind of it's pretty early. It's still early, but the the blends, the FR and all that, give it a little bit more of a level of complexity. Um, but yes. So the passages get longer as they get older, and of course, there's more and more variety, because they've learned more and more sound spelling correspondences, okay? So very important. So I hope everyone is doing good out there today. I was a little bit late joining because, you know, I use something called ECAM to do my podcast, the video portion and the audio portion, obviously. And there was something that popped up on the screen that would not let me click it off when I got into the app that's on my computer. So I'm not sure why it did that. It hadn't done that before, I guess it had some kind of update or whatever. But I was very upset about that, because it pushed me back. I usually just press, you know, go and I'm ready to go and I couldn't go. So very upsetting. So, you know, shout out to Ecamm. I will be contacting you about messing up my stuff. Thank you. I'm just like recovering. Had a day of arrest yesterday because I was going under the weather and just trying to get back into it today and hope everything is okay with everyone out there. I do want to say that, you know, we're in the month of March right now, and there's Women's History Month, and I don't really talk about all the different holidays and types of months or whatever, but one of the things that I have been thinking about, and think it's really important for us to Think about, is, like, synthetic hair. Isn't that something? So I'm going to do another podcast episode and just let you know what's coming up on research. So I need to research like the synthetic care there. I know if you have been following a little bit on social media, as well as some reports. And research out there, but there have been toxic chemicals, even carcinogens, which means that they're linked to is linked to cancer. Carcinogen is something that is causes cancer. So obviously I use, like braids with extensions, and so I need to look into that. I'm going to be doing some research, and that is really something that I am going to talk to you guys about and do a series on research. Because obviously our education is not just for education sake. Education is for liberation. Education is for us to live a healthier, more enjoyable life, and they have options. And so now finding out, new research, new information. I need to do my own research and find out what path I'm going to take, because I need to make some changes to take care of myself. Obviously, if something that I'm using is harmful to me, and I also want you to know, because you might be out there using the same thing that are harmful, not just for yourself, because, of course, I've been wearing, like braids extensions since I was a little kid, and I'm sure many kids wear them, so it's something that we need to look out for and pay attention to. So I'll be sharing some of my research techniques, because this is the research that you know. It's it's also what you need to be doing. When are you're teaching your kid to learn, for them to do their own research, for them to find out about things, because when they do that, of course, they are able to control what's going on with their lives and how they're able to help others and find out more about what they want to do, and what they're interested in, and so that's something I really want you to to stick around for. You know, it's coming up. Next week, I'll be having an episode on research and the techniques that I use, the search engines that I use, and then how you could do the same with your kids, as you're teaching them to use their education for liberation. So as I'm moving forward, I want you to know we are on, you know, remind you I said at the very beginning, we're on episode 90 of the folly for learning podcast. And that is so exciting. I really started this podcast 90 weeks ago, and I have not missed any weeks. Every week for 90 weeks, we've put out a new podcast, and today, or a couple of times, I feel like I was thinking about like doing a repeat episode or something like that, but I haven't done that. I just put out new episodes every time, and it ranges from solo podcast episodes, and we have lots of wonderful guests. We're in our second year of the podcast, and coming up in season three, which starts in July. The podcast started July 1, 2023 I'm exploring some options now, maybe taking it out of my dining room. Possibly, I don't know, or maybe we'll stick around in the dining room, I don't know, but yeah, so if you have any comments about any topics that we you want us to cover on the following for learning podcast. Any guests that you can recommend, maybe you want to be a guest, let us know. Reach out to us, put it in the comments. You know you always can email me at TD, at Rider tie.com and we'll be really glad to hear from you. Thanks again for joining us and do something today that gives your kids and the kids that you serve a competitive advantage. Thanks again for supporting the falling for learning. Podcast, new episodes go live every Saturday at 5pm you can watch us on youtube.com at falling for learning, or listen on all major podcast platforms such as Apple, Google, Audible, Spotify and much more for more resources, visit falling in love with learning.com we really appreciate you. Have a wonderful week. You.