Gina Middleton & Joanna Santos

Subject of Lesson: Dr. Seuss Fluency

Time Estimate: 45 Minutes
Grade Level: 3
PLANNING AND PREPARATION
Central Focus: Lesson Purpose and Rationale
The purpose of this lesson is to start students on a path to increased fluency and
comprehension. While fluency can be focused on throughout individual lesson plans, it is
a long-term goal and cannot simply be taught in a few lessons or even a year. Fluency is
something that needs to be focused on and incorporated into teaching and lesson plans
throughout their schooling.
The lesson will begin by activating students prior knowledge of Dr. Seuss and using it to
prepare students for the lesson ahead by having them notice and think about the type of
writing (i.e. rhymes and tongue-twisters) that Dr. Seuss books contain. The teacher readaloud as well as the paired-reading among students are both incorporated into this lesson
as proven strategies that, when used over time, help to increase both fluency and
comprehension in students; two skills that have been found to be linked in student
achievement. Furthermore, the teacher read-aloud provides a model to students of what
fluent reading should look like.

Specific Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.2
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine
the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details
in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and
relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.5
Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an
understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance
certain facts or details.
Pre-Assessment Data

Running Reading Records

Lesson Objectives
Students will employ their fluency skills by participating in a paired reading activity.
Modifications/Accommodations
One modification for the paired reading activity for students with special needs or
students who are struggling more with reading and fluency would be having an aide
participate in the paired reading activity with the student. If there is no aide available you
could also work with the student one-on-one. It is important if this modification is
employed, that the student do the majority of the reading and the teacher is only there for
support. If a student does not know a word the teacher can then help by first having the
student focus on the word, reading the word aloud then giving the definition to the student
and having them re-read the sentence that contained the word.

Research-Based Strategies
Paired-Reading
Read Alouds
Materials/Resources
The Sneetches PDF : http://bowmanatbrooks.weebly.com/uploads/8/3/8/3/8383240/thesneetches.pdf
The Sneetches Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBCUkdd57qc
Story Map
Dr. Seuss Hat Map

INSTRUCTION
Steps

Key Questions, Comments, Directions, Assessments

A. Introduction

Ask students what they know about Dr. Seuss books. What have

the noticed about his style? (ex. rhyme/rhythm, repetition, fluidity,

etc.)
B. Lesson Body
If teacher led, read The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss to the students
while they have a copy of the text in front of them. Have students
follow along in their copies of the book.
**(If you wanted this activity to run independently in stations,
have students watch the The Sneetches video while following
along with their texts).
After students have heard a rendition of The Sneetches have
them get into groups for paired reading. Ideally pairs would be
assigned with one advanced reader and one struggling reader.
Students will alternate reading at about halfway through, or when
they felt comfortable. Both Students must read. While one student
is reading, the other should be following along on his or her copy,
and helping when the other student is struggling with a word, or
makes a mistake. After students have completed reading in pairs,
they will complete a story map.
C. Closure

Exit Ticket: Main Idea of Sneetches

D. Follow-up Activities

Fluency is a lesson that needs to be continuously taught and

focused on and is a skilled that is built throughout a student years
in school. As such, to follow this lesson up, teachers need to make
sure that they continue to create lessons that focus on building
fluency and comprehension such as read-alouds, paired reading,
book circles and reading based activities. A single follow-up
activity will not be capable of increasing fluency in students,
however, a commitment to consistent fluency and comprehension
based activities within your classroom will help students.