2006, p. 705). Scripts can be used that are specifically written for the Readers’ Theatre format, or student writing can
be modified for the performance. The use of Readers’ Theatre has the potential to result in improved reading
achievement (Young & Rasinski, 2009). An excellent source for scripting, directing, and teaching Reader’s Theatre to
children of all ages is Aaron Shepard’s, Readers on Stage. This resource can be found on his website
(www.aaronshep.com/rt/).
Poetry Performances
In poetry performances, students practice and then perform oral readings of poetry pieces selected by the
teacher for their rhythmical, rhetorical, or interactive texts. Poems work well for oral reading with expression and
meaning, and thus are the perfect choice for fluency instruction and repeated readings (Rasinski, 2006). Students can
practice reading and interpreting the poems with a parent, teacher, or volunteer. The flexibility of poetry
performances lends itself to being conducted with individuals, small groups, or whole class. This strategy is easily
implemented in the regular reading program with as few as 30 minutes per week. Wilfong (2008) asserts that, “All
students can benefit from fun texts and the intrinsic rewards that result from confident, fluent reading” (p. 12).
Fluency Coaches
Using coaches or partners to build reading fluency is another targeted method of assisting students in the
development of reading fluency. In this repeated reading model, struggling readers are paired up with more
proficient reading partners. The fluency coaches assist the struggling readers by modeling fluent reading, giving
feedback, and charting progress (Marr & Dugan, 2007). The reading material used in this model consists of brief
passages, leveled by difficulty. Passages can be created by using stories pre-leveled in difficulty by experts or teacheredited stories down to 120-150 words. Once the passages are selected, the fluency coach model can be implemented
in the classroom with some basic steps. First, target students and coaches are identified. Next, clear directions are
provided for coaches. Then, the fluency coach strategy is modeled. Finally, the activities and performance are
monitored. The fluency coach technique is quite manageable as it only requires 10-15 minutes to complete each day
and students exhibit a great deal of enthusiasm for the activities. According to Marr and Dugan (2007), this fluency
model includes specific features that help make it an effective approach to reading fluency instruction:
Modeling fluent reading for the student, providing support or feedback with difficult words, providing
opportunities for students to read a text more than once to gain comfort and control over the reading,
charting student progress, and identifying a benchmark or target the student needs to achieve with each
reading. (p. 52)
Rhythm Walks
Incorporating movement through rhythm walks is another entertaining, motivating repeated reading
strategy. “The purpose of rhythm walks is to draw attention to the natural breaks and phrasing of text through
purposeful ‘steps’ or movements, while the repetition through the rhythm walk helps build both fluency and
comprehension” (Peebles, 2007, p. 579). This strategy may be utilized with individuals, in small groups, or as a whole
class. Peebles (2007) describes the process for implementing rhythm walks with an entire class. In order to set up for
the rhythm walk a brief poem, story, or song is selected. First, the text is analyzed, with natural breaks and
appropriate chunks identified. Next, each chunk of text is written on a sentence strip or large piece of card stock.
Then, the strips are placed, in order, in a pathway on the floor around the classroom, making sure that each strip is
about one step away from the next. When the rhythm walk is ready, students line up in a straight line at the first
strip. The first student in line reads the words on this strip aloud and then moves toward the next strip in line (one
step) and reads that one. As the student in front of them completes the first three strips, the other students begin.
Students proceed to walk and read, making their way through the rhythm walk, and completing the text. Once
students get to the end of the rhythm walk, they line up at the start and repeat. Teachers may determine how many
times they want students to travel through the rhythm walk. Classical music may be played during the rhythm walk in
order to encourage students to move and read rhythmically and at an appropriate pace. When students have
completed the rhythm walk, they are asked to return to the original passage for independent practice so that they
have the opportunity to transfer new reading skills to the connected text. The activity may be concluded through the
use of a response journal or discussion of meaning interpretation.
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