Fluency Through Poetry Handout

Betsy Miguez
Associate Professor/Reference Librarian
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
bbmiguez@louisiana.edu, bbmiguez@gmail.com

Southeast IRA Regional Conference

New Orleans, LA December 1, 2009

Introduction: “December Leaves” by Kaye Starbird from Don't Ever Cross a Crocodile.

Definitions of Fluency and Poetry

Supporting Research

Strategies to Promote Fluency using Poetry:

1. Read Alouds
Model and discuss expression
“The Worm” by Ralph Bergengren from The Random House Book of Poetry for Children
edited by Jack Prelutsky.

“Who Has Seen the Wind?” by Christina Rossetti from The Complete Poems of
Christina Rossetti.

2. Repeated Readings
Helps students recognize high frequency words and encourages expression.
A. Display the poem on a transparency, and/or provide a copy for each student.
Read the poem aloud several times, with students following along.

B. Discuss your phrasing, pacing and expression.

C. Ask students to echo.

D. Read the poem together as a choral reading.

Bubble Gum Poem by Rick Kilcup

Lip smackin’
teeth chompin’
gums flappin’
Bubble gum!

Strawberry,
watermelon,
gooy grape,
Bubble gum!
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Juicy chewy
bubbles growin’
whoppin’ poppin’
Bubble gum!

Nose grabbin’
chin stickin’
cheek huggin’
Bubble gum!

Reprinted with permission from his self-published book Slugs, Bugs and Bubblegum,
1995. Email: rickkilcup@aol.com. Slugs, Bugs and Bubble Gum [poems and ideas for
classroom use] = $28.00, Hamburger Hands [additional poems] = $25.00. Prices
include postage.

Vary the Repeated Readings

(Ideas from Rick Kilcup & Betsy Miguez)
ALL FOR ONE! Read with students until they are.
familiar with the words. Drop out, listen and critique.
HALF AND HALF Divide the class. One half reads the first.
line, other half reads the 2nd line. Alternate. Halves can also alternate stanzas.
PINK AND BLUE Assign parts, dividing boys and girls.
SOFT/LOUD Vary the volume.
FOUR PART HARMONY Divide the room into 4 parts.
PING PONG Divide the class in half and have them alternate each word.
CLAP, SNAP, TAP ALONG
ADD SOME MOTION

“Alligator Pie” by Dennis Lee from Alligator Pie or Dinosaur Dinner.

“Boa Constrictor” by Shel Silverstein from Where the Sidewalk Ends.

3. Phrase Reading
A. Write the lines of a poem on sentence strips to demonstrate how good readers
cluster words.
“Dreams” by Langston Hughes from The Dream Keeper and Other Poems.

“Something Told the Wild Geese” by Rachel Field from The 20th Century Children's
Poetry Treasury, selected by Jack Prelutsky.

B. Use a transparency to show arrangement of words on a page that contributes

to phrasing.
“Deer Mouse” by Marilyn Singer from Turtle in July.

C. Find poems that lend themselves to phrase reading.

“Old Noah’s Ark” from An Arkful of Animals selected by William Cole.
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4. Early Reading Experiences
Rely on chants and nursery rhymes the children already know.
“I Can Read Colors,” Author unknown
“Scat the Cat,” Author unknown

Some books on the bibliography offer short rhymes that focus on one phoneme.
See Resources: Pinnell & Fountas, Sing a Song …; Rasinski, Phonics Poetry…; and
Wilson, Plum Gum ….

Mother Goose Block

State Library of Louisiana Resource

NURSERY RHYME PRINTABLE MINI BOOKS [rhymes and songs] @
http://www.state.lib.la.us/la_dyn_templ.cfm?doc_id=826

5. Small Groups Prepare and Present the Same Poem

“Pancake Song” by Christina Rossetti from The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti.

6. Audio-visuals
A. Let children listen to recorded poetry books.

B. Let students listen to audio recordings of their own performances.

C. Make a videotape/DVD of student presentations. Provide multiple copies for

students to borrow and share at home.

D. Use Internet Sites that offer poetry read aloud.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/jack_my_poem.htm
(one Prelutsky poem w/ sound effects)
http://www.kristinegeorge.com/poetry_aloud.html
(Kristine George O’Connell George – (no text, just a images of the book jackets)
http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2007/04/poetry-in-audio-form.html
(Sylvia Vardell’s audio sources of poetry books and Internet suggestions)

7. Family Involvement
See “The Great Poetry Race” by Sharon Pitcher and Fluency in the Classroom by Kuhn
and Schwanenflugel.

8. Poetry Performances
“The Fight at Little Recess” by Brod Bagert from If Only I Could Fly.

Poetry Party – students present poetry they have previously selected and practiced.

Poetry Zoom – as a reward for good behavior or good thinking, a student or group gets
to choose a previously practiced poem for the class to read chorally.

Poetry Alive – students select, practice, and present poems all in one block of time.

Radio Reading – students prepare to read aloud “on the air.”

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Reader’s Theater – a reading of a literary piece by two or more people after practicing.

Suggestions:
“Butterfly” by David L. Harrison
-- Harrison, David L. Farmer’s Garden: Rhymes for Two Voices. Wordsong, 2000.
“Buffalo in the Library” by Brod Bagert
-- Bagert, Brod. Giant Children. Penguin, 2002.
“Deliver Me” by Brian Cleary
-- Cleary, Brian P. Rainbow Soup. Carolrhoda Books, 2004.
“Eight-Oh-Three” by Carol Shields
-- Shields, Carol Diggory. Lunch Money and Other Poems about School. Dutton, 1995.
“English is a Pain! (Pane?) [part of the poem] by Shirlee Curlee Bingham
-- Katz, Bobbi. Pocket Poems. Dutton, 2004.
“Fog” by Carl Sandberg
-- Wolf, Allan. Something is Going to Happen. Poetry Alive, 1990.
“Grasshoppers” by Paul Fleischman
-- Fleischman, Paul. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. HarperCollins, 1988.
“Hurry” by Eve Merriam
-- Katz, Bobbi. Pocket Poems. Dutton, 2004.
“I Am Freezing” by Jack Prelutsky
-- Prelutsky, Jack. It’s Snowing! It’s Snowing! HarperCollins, 2006. [original pub. date: 1984].
“I Call First” by Ted Scheu
-- Lansky, Bruce, ed. If Kids Ruled the School. Meadowbrook, 2004.
“I Like” by Mary Ann Hoberman
-- Hoberman, Mary Ann. You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You. Little Brown, 2001.
“If I Were in Charge of the World” by Judith Viorst
-- Viorst, Judith. If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries. Simon & Schuster, 1981.
“Jack and Jill” by Mary Ann Hoberman
-- Hoberman, Mary Ann. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Mother Goose Tales to
Read Together. Little, Brown, 2005. [Hoberman – other books with similar titles]
“Learning” by Judith Viorst
-- Viorst, Judith. If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries. Simon & Schuster, 1981.
-- Bauer, Caroline. Presenting Reader’s Theater. Wilson, 1987.
“Lone Dog” by Irene Rutherford McLeod
-- Untermeyer, Louis. Modern British Poetry. Harcourt, 1920 and other editions.
Recommended as a favorite of students in Larrick, Let’s Do A Poem.
“Mommy Slept Late and Daddy Fixed Breakfast” by John Ciardi
-- Ciardi, John. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You. [Audio, several print editions available]
In 2006, Sylvia Vardell reported that this was the #1 kids’ favorite in previous studies.
“Pick Up Your Room” by Mary Ann Hoberman
-- Hoberman, Mary Ann. Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers. Little Brown, 2009. [original pub.
date: 1991].
“Song for a Banjo” by Langston Hughes
-- Hughes, Langston. The Dream Keeper and Other Poems. Random, 1962.
“Today is Very Boring” by Jack Prelutsky
-- Prelutsky, Jack. New Kid on the Block. HarperCollins, 1984.
“Toothpaste” by Stan Lee Werlin
-- Katz, Bobbi. Pocket Poems. Dutton, 2004.
-- Lansky, Bruce. A Bad Case of the Giggles. Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Lansky is the author of several collections of humorous poetry.
“Weather is Full of the Nicest Sounds” by Aileen Fisher
-- Larrick, Nancy. Let’s Do a Poem: Introducing Poetry to Children. Delacorte, 1991.
“What Is Purple?” by Mary O’Neill
--O’Neill, Mary. Hailstones and Halibut Bones. Random, 1999. [pub. date: 1961].
-- Bauer, Caroline. Presenting Reader’s Theater. Wilson, 1987.
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“The Wozzit” by Jack Prelutsky
-- Prelutsky, Jack. The Snopp on the Sidewalk, and Other Poems. HarperCollins, 1977.
-- Bauer, Caroline. Presenting Reader’s Theater. Wilson, 1987.
For advanced students: Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices by Paul Fleischman.
Candlewick, 2000. (also: Joyful Noise and I Am Phoenix, poems for 2 voices.)

Tips for Reader’s Theater

Finding and preparing the scripts for Reader’s Theater takes time.

Highlight the text for each reader on a separate copy of the script.

Allow for plenty of practice time.

Coach students on pacing; slow enough to be understood by listeners.

Model, rather than explain, expression.

Fluent reading is more important than eye contact.

Classroom management is important for success.

You can improve Reader’s Theater over a period of time, as student gain
experience with this strategy and by using mini-lessons on the effect of
punctuation, projection, pacing, expression, and other related topics.

Selected Teacher Resources

Books
American Poetry & Literacy Project and Academy of American Poets. How to Eat a Poem: A
Smorgasbord of Tasty and Delicious Poems for Young Readers. Dover, 2006. Seventy
light-hearted poems, selected for both popularity and literary quality; appropriate for
middle and high school.

Bauer, Caroline Feller. The Poetry Break: An Annotated Anthology with Ideas for Introducing
Children to Poetry. Wilson, 1995. Fourteen poems about books and reading with
instructions for sharing them. Also explains how to implement poetry breaks.

Bauer, Caroline Feller. Presenting Reader’s Theater: Plays and Poems to Read Aloud. Wilson,
1987. Lots of poems, ready to use.

Bauer, Caroline Feller. This Way to Books. Wilson, 1983. Poems, complete with props,
explained with clear directions for presentation.

Brand, Max, and Gayle Brand. Practical Fluency. Stenhouse, 2006. Two teachers thoroughly
cover fluency instruction for grades 1-5.

Braun, Win, and Carl Braun. Readers Theater: Scripted Rhymes and Rhythms. Portage & Main,
1995. Thirty-four reproducible scripts, mostly for primary level.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Pass the Poetry, Please. 3rd ed. HarperCollins, 1998. A poet and
educator offers suggestions for incorporating poetry in many areas of the curriculum.
Biographies of 24 children’s poets; “poetry-pedia” recommends poetry books under ten
broad categories. Especially useful for upper elementary.

Johns, Jerry L., and Roberta L. Berglund. Fluency: Strategies & Assessments. 3rd ed.
Kendall/Hunt, 2006. Practical advice with reproducible forms; includes strategies,
activities, resources, and assessments, all documented with specific research. Detailed
explanation of paired reading.
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Kuhn, Melanie R., and Paula J. Schwanenflugel. Fluency in the Classroom. Guilford, 2008.
Describes FORI and Wide Reading Instruction approaches to fluency instruction.
Includes information on echo reading, choral reading, and family involvement.

Larrick, Nancy. Let’s Do a Poem: Introducing Poetry to Children. Delacorte, 1991. Contains the
full text of ninety-eight poems and explains classroom-tested techniques for getting
children involved in poetry.

Nile, Stanley. Creating Readers with Poetry. Maupin, 2004. Research-based, classroom tested
strategies for incorporating poetry in the reading program. Addresses fluency; especially
useful for working with minorities, ESL, and struggling readers.

Padak, Nancy D. Evidence-Based Instruction in Reading: A Professional Development Guide to

Fluency. Pearson, 2008. Covers research, strategies, assessment, resources; includes 9
Readers’ Theater scripts based on nursery rhymes, simple folktales, plus “Casey at the
Bat.”

Opitz, Michael F. and Timothy V. Rasinski. Good-Bye Round Robin: Twenty-Five Effective Oral
Reading Strategies. Heinemann, 1998. A chapter entitled “Understanding Oral Reading”
precedes teaching suggestions with bibliographies of useful materials.

Optiz, Michael F. Don’t Speed. Read! Scholastic, 2007. An overview of fluency, the role of
fluency in reading instruction, fluency assessment, and recommended activities.

Pinnell, Gay Su, and Irene C. Fountas. Sing a Song of Poetry: A Teaching Resource for
Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Fluency, Grade K. Heinemann, 2004. Many old
favorites – songs, fingerplays, games, chants, and verses on reproducible pages. Same
titles available for grades 1, 2, and 3 at www.phonicsminilessons.com.

Rasinski, Timothy V. The Fluent Reader: Oral Reading Strategies for Building Word
Recognition, Fluency, and Comprehension. Scholastic, 2003. A useful handbook on
fluency for classroom teachers. Covers a multitude of strategies for K-6.

Rasinski, Timothy V. Phonics Poetry: Teaching Word Families. Allyn & Bacon, 2001. Poems
written by Rasinski and others, designed to teach the 38 most common phonograms,
accompanied by follow-up activities. Based on research; practical and useful.

Rasinski, Timothy, Camille Blachowicz, and Kristin Lems, eds. Fluency Instruction: Research-
Based Best Practices. Guilford, 2006. Summarizes recent research, including the
National Reading Panel’s report. Describes techniques for explaining and promoting oral
reading fluency. Includes a detailed description of paired reading and procedures for
implementing Reader’s Theater across the curriculum.

Tiedt, Iris McClellan. Tiger Lilies, Toadstools, and Thunderbolts: Engaging K-8 Students with
Poetry. IRA, 2002. A beginning point for using poetry with children. Includes lots of old
favorites, some in full text. Covers multicultural themes and use of poetry to support
many areas of the curriculum.

Vardell, Sylvia M. Poetry Aloud Here! Sharing Poetry with Children in the Library. ALA, 2006.
Includes a chapter on children’s poetry preferences, information about children’s poets,
and ways to share poetry in the library/classroom.
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Wilson, Adele Tolley. Plum Gum and Other Chunk Poems: Teacher Tested Kid Approved
Poems for Building Fluency through Phonics. Authorhouse, 2004. Poems that repeat the
same phoneme. Written by a former teacher.

Wolf, Allan. Something is Going to Happen: Poetry Performance for the Classroom. A Teacher’s
Companion Book. Poetry Alive, 1990. 15 scripted poems for middle/high school. It’s
Show Time by Wolf has 26 scripted poems for elementary level. Geared for
performance; easily adaptable for Reader’s Theater.

Websites
Back to School Poems and Activities. http://www.kinderkorner.com/back2.html. “I Can Read
Colors” is posted here with other school poems.

“Improving Fluency in Young Readers.” Busy Teacher’s Café.

http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/teacher_resources/literacy_pages/fluency.htm. An
accessible website that offers links to fluency articles and resources, including poems.

KidzPage! <http://gardenofsong.com/kidzpage/>. Some traditional poems and some by young

people.

“Nine Books of Poetry I'd Want in My Classroom.” Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site.
<http://www.carolhurst.com/profsubjects/poetrybooks.html >. Advice from a former
classroom teacher/school librarian, now a language arts consultant.

"Poetry & Rhymes" Kidspace@The Internet Public Library.

<http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/browse/rzn4000/>. Links to a variety of poetry websites.

“Poetry for Kids.” 42explore. http://www.42explore.com/poetry.htm. Links to other poetry sites.

PoetryTeacher.com. <http://www.poetryteachers.com/index.html>. School poems, poetry

theater and more.

“Poetry – Poets.”Yahoo Kids! Directory. < http://kids.yahoo.com/directory/School-

Bell/Language-Arts/Poetry/Poets />. Links to fifty-three poetry sites for children.

“Poetry Theater.” PoetryTeacher.com.

http://www.poetryteachers.com/poetrytheater/theater.html. Humorous scripts with notes
and sources.

“Poets.org.” The Academy of American Poets. <http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41>.

Poetry information for those who work with older students.

“Readers Theatre K-3.” Early Literacy Project, Telus Learning Connection Project Centre.
http://www.readerstheatre.ecsd.net/index.html. Simple rhymes, rhyming stories and
chants, divided into reading parts.

Rasinski, Timothy. “Timothy Rasinsky, Ph. D.” < http://www.timrasinski.com>. A wealth of

information on fluency and reading instruction. Go to Presentation Material; then From
Phonics to Fluency for his 3 fluency components.

Walker, Lois. Readers Theatre: A Reading Resource, A Teaching Tool, A Performance Vehicle,
and a Chance to Play with Language! http://www.loiswalker.com/catalog/teach.html.
Step-by-step instructions for introducing Reader’s Theater in the classroom.
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Articles and Reports
Blau, Lisa. "5 Surefire Strategies for Developing Reading Fluency." Instructor Apr. 2001: 28-30.
EJ627303. Strategies: Model fluent reading, use repeated readings, promote phrase
reading, enlist tutors, use Reader’s Theater.

Bomer, Randy. "Reading with the Mind's Ear: Listening to Text as a Mental Action." Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy 49.6 (2006): 524-535. EJ737957. Listening is an important
component of reading; listening is connected to fluency. One mini-lesson: small groups
of children prepare choral readings of the same poem.

Borgia, Laurel, Deborah Horack, and Carol Owles. “Terrific Teaching Tips.” Illinois Reading
Council Journal 34.2 (2005): 56-60. Reminds readers of the “wonder of poetry.”

Brennan, Patricia A., Leidig, Cheri Petras, and Giovanna G. Picicco. "Improving Reading
Fluency." (2001). ED455503. Report of a program for improving reading fluency in first
and second grade classrooms. Site C, the only one of three that incorporated poetry
exhibited the most growth.

Faver, Sherri "Repeated Reading of Poetry Can Enhance Reading Fluency." Reading Teacher
62.4 (2008): 350-352. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Oct. 2009. A
second grade teacher explains her routine for using weekly poems with students.

“Gliding Along: Ideas for Developing Fluid Readers.” Mailbox Grades 2-3 Dec. 2005/Jan. 2006:
4-9. A variety of ideas; most use rhymes. Reproducibles included.

Griffith, Lorraine Wiebe, and Timothy V. Rasinski. “A Focus on Fluency: How One Teacher
Incorporated Fluency with Her Reading Curriculum.” Reading Teacher 58.2 (2004): 126-
37. Reports on activities that promoted fluency gains in this 5th grade classroom.
Describes Reader’s Theater and partner reading.

Grimes, Nikki. “The Power of Poetry.” Book Links Mar. 2000: 32-36. Based on a talk for Young
People’s Poetry Week. Quote: “Poetry is portable.”

Krehel, Susanne. “Poetry Performance in the Elementary Classroom.” Michigan Reading

Journal 35.3 (2003): 20-23. Shows “that poetry performance in the elementary grades is
an effective method that links oral and written language, aids in conceptual vocabulary
development, enhances comprehension, and increases oral reading fluency.” Poetry
performance is multi-sensory, works with all ages and abilities.

Meagher, Sandy. "Presenting Poetry." Teaching PreK-8 36.7 (2006): 66-67. Recommends Plum
Gum and Other Chunk Poems by Adele Tolley Wilson (Meadowbrook, 2005) for primary
teachers to use in improving children’s fluency through phonics.

Nathan, Ruth G., and Keith E. Stanovich. “The Causes and Consequences of Differences in
Reading Fluency.” Theory into Practice 30.3 (1991): 176-84. Psychology of reading
research: fluent word recognition is necessary for good comprehension and enjoyable
reading. Use of nursery rhymes and poems with primary children.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Report of the National Reading
Panel. Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific
Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction (NIH
Publication No 00-4769). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2000.
Download at http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/Publications/summary.htm.
 9
National Reading Panel. Teaching Children to Read. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 2002.
Twenty-minute video. Highlights the main points of the National Reading Panel's report
on reading instruction. Explains research-based findings through classroom applications
with real students. Order the free video file or view an abbreviated version at
http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/Publications/nrpvideo.htm.

Pitcher, Sharon M. "The Great Poetry Race." Reading Teacher 62.7 (2009): 613-616. ERIC.
EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2009. An activity to promote repeated readings at home.

Stanley, Nile "A Celebration of Words." Teaching Pre K-8 34.7 (2004): 56-57. Academic Search
Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2009. Practical advice for repeated readings and other
activities.

Rasinski, Timothy. “Reading Fluency Instruction: Moving Beyond Accuracy, Automaticity, and
Prosody.” Reading Teacher 59.7 (2006):704-706. Components of fluency: accuracy in
word decoding, automaticity in recognizing words, and appropriate use of meaningful
expression while reading. Repeated reading is one of the best ways to develop fluency.
Genres that lend themselves to performance: poetry, song lyrics, chants, rhymes,
monologues, dialogues, and letters.

Rasinski, Timothy, William H. Rupley, and William Dee Nichols "Two Essential Ingredients:
Phonics and Fluency Getting to Know Each Other." Reading Teacher 62.3 (2008): 257-
260. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Oct. 2009. Explains the value of
using rhymes that focus on word families.

Rasinski, Timothy V. "Speed Does Matter in Reading." Reading Teacher 54.2 (2000): 146-151.
“Poetry and reading fluency are an excellent match in nearly any classroom and for all
students.”

Seitz, Sheila, et al. Poetry: A Feast to Form Fluent Readers. 2002. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 24
Nov. 2009. A lesson plan for grades 3-5. Uses Internet sites for students to hear poetry
read aloud and for students to find poetry to perform. ED482393.

Sekeres, Diane Carve, and Madeleine Gregg. “Poetry in Third Grade: Getting Started. Reading
Teacher 60.5 (2007): 466-75. Includes a list of resources and suggestions for choosing
appropriate poetry and incorporating it in content areas, as well as detailed advice for
small group instruction. Benefit of poetry for struggling readers: “short lines, lots of white
space, repetition, and rhyme.”

Swartz, Elizabeth. “A Plethora of Poetry.” Teaching PreK-8 Apr. 2003: 54. Classroom activities
for National Poetry Month.

Wicklund, LaDonna K. "Shared Poetry: A Whole Language Experience Adapted for Remedial
Readers." Reading Teacher 42.7 (1989): 478-481. EJ385148. Chapter One teacher
reports shared poetry experience as a powerful tool for improved fluency. Example:
Christiana Rossetti’s “Who Has Seen the Wind?”

Wilfong, Lori G. “Building Fluency, Word-Recognition Ability, and Confidence in Struggling

Readers: The Poetry Academy.” Reading Teacher 62.1 (2008):4–13. Community
volunteers use repeated reading, listening-while-reading, assisted reading, and modeling
with poetry during weekly one-on-one sessions.
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Worthy, Jo, and Karen Broaddus. “Fluency Beyond the Primary Grades: From Performances to
Silent, Independent Reading.” Reading Teacher 55.4 (Dec. 2001/Jan. 2002): 334-43.
Overview of fluency-promoting activities for upper elementary and middle school.
Research-based; addresses struggling readers and ESL students; lists easy-to-script
poetry collections.

Worthy, Jo. “‘I thought about it all night’: Readers Theatre for Reading Fluency and Motivation.”
Reading Teacher 56.3 (2002): 294-97. Benefits of Readers Theater, advice on choosing
scripts and preparing for performances. Suggests sources for scripts – some are poetry
collections; includes references. Readers Theatre “excellent activity for grouping
students by interest rather than by reading level.”

Wysocki, Barbara. ”What Rhymes with Math?” School Library Journal Apr. 2007:56-60. “…
every subject under the sun, and beyond, can be enhanced by a poem.” Annotated
bibliography of poetry collections to use in all areas of the curriculum.