Spring Into Fluency

Another Season is on the horizon. I know I'm not the only one who is more than ready to say farewell to Old Man Winter for quite some time. This also means we're getting ready to move into a new season of fluency in our classroom!

{Download the FLUENCY label from my basket HERE}

Whenever possible I try to label bins and choices on our room with the standards that they hit. Since I have two places where I've got our Flash Fluency materials for grabs, the sign is in both spots.

Just like the Fall and Winter  sets, my Spring Flash Fluency has ten themes that are relevant to the season. These new cards will last us from March-May. (Truth be told we're a little ahead and are ready for the new set about a week early.) The goal is to practice sight words in context, with a focus on becoming more fluent readers.

I like to keep the current set of cards displayed on rings like this one. I pick up a pack of rings like the one above Target for about $2. Or a pack of all the same sized rings at Staples.

Here are a few ways these get used in class on the daily...

1. Guided Reading

If I'm doing a running record with a student while the rest of the group reads independently I might leave them a ring of cards and a timer. They can time themselves reading the ring before or after their book.

Other times, we might begin or end a guided reading lesson with a sight word game.

2. Early Finishers

Add sand timers and these guys get SERIOUS about beating it!!!

Early finishers can grab a ring from the board and practice their fluency independently. I introduce a ring a week usually, and retire one of the earlier weeks into, "the basket"...

...the basket doesn't house the cards. But it does house all the past Flash Fluency pages.

Hello, Halloween words! Haha. But I like it because at any given time now there are around 20 lists that someone can grab, even if there are no rings of cards available. The most current ring of cards is usually the one everyone wants.

If this looks like something your crew could use to freshen up those fluency skills, you can preview all the themes for the Spring Flash Fluency pack. This one is taking us straight into Summer vacation!

I'm secretly hoping that by getting a jump on the Spring cards that the weather is going to warm itself right on up and I can wear my flip flops once again. I don't care what that groundhog said. ;)