One night, in a phosphorescent sea, he marveled at the sight of some whales spouting luminous water; and later, lying on the deck of his boat gazing at the immense, starry sky, the tiny mouse Amos, a little speck of a living thing in the vast living universe, felt thoroughly akin to it all. Overwhelmed by the beauty and mystery of everything, he rolled over and over and right off the deck of his boat and into the sea.12
11 This text is used for fluency instruction and practice in Grade 3 Module 1 Lessons 4–8.
12 Steig, William. Amos & Boris. Square Fish, 2009, p. 9.
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Grade 4 Modules 1 and 2 Fluency Instruction
Directions:Review the following chart, which outlines fluency instruction in Grade 4 Modules 1 and 2. Note how the modules address teaching, practicing, and evaluating fluency.
Standard RF.4.4: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.13
Lesson Text Student Learning Description of Fluency Instruction Module 1
2–5 Quotations about the literal and figurative heart
Practice and assess fluent reading.
Students practice fluently reading the quotations at home.
In class, pairs practice reading and assess partner’s fluency.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
4 Quotations about the literal and figurative heart
Listen to and analyze a fluent reading.
Teacher models reading the quotations with appropriate phrasing and expression.
Students discuss oral interpretation choices.
7–8 The Circulatory Story, Mary Corcoran
Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher reads aloud a new core text.
Students follow along to notice and wonder.
8 The Circulatory Story, Mary Corcoran
Practice reading with appropriate expression.
Pairs practice reading dialogue, focusing on appropriate expression.
One pair performs the dialogue for the whole group.
8–11 The Circulatory Story, Mary Corcoran
Practice and assess fluent reading.
Teacher models fluent reading of the passage.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
12 The Circulatory Story, Mary Corcoran
Practice fluent reading with support.
Scaffold: A small group of striving readers whisper-reads key text to support fluency and comprehension.
12–15 The Circulatory Story, Mary Corcoran
Practice and assess fluent reading.
Teacher models fluent reading of the passage.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
In class, pairs practice reading the fluency passage and assess their partner’s fluency.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
14 The Circulatory Story, Mary Corcoran
Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher models fluent reading.
Students follow along, focusing on new information.
14 Shared writing about figurative language in The Circulatory Story
Practice fluent reading. Class Choral Reads a collaboratively written introduction.
13 Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, © Copyright 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers (NGA Center, CCSSO). 2010. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Washington, DC: NGA Center, CCSSO, p. 16.
Focus on Fluency • Fluency Resource Packet • Grade 4
Lesson Text Student Learning Description of Fluency Instruction Module 1
15 The Circulatory Story, Mary Corcoran
Practice fluent reading. Class Choral Reads key text multiple times, focusing on expression.
Students analyze the purpose of the text and determine main idea.
16 The Circulatory Story, Mary Corcoran
Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher models fluent reading.
Students follow along, focusing on essential ideas.
18 “The Red Wheelbarrow,”
William Carlos Williams
Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher reads aloud the poem multiple times.
Students follow along to notice and wonder, sketch images, and analyze structure.
18–22 “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Robert Frost
Practice and assess fluent reading.
Teacher models fluent reading of the poem.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
19 Love That Dog,
Sharon Creech Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher reads aloud a passage from the text.
Students follow along to notice and wonder.
21 “dog,” Valerie
Worth Practice fluent reading. Pairs practice reading the poem.
Class Choral Reads the poem multiple times, focusing on phrasing.
Students analyze how punctuation shapes phrasing.
21 Love That Dog, Sharon Creech;
“The Tiger,”
William Blake
Practice fluent reading. Scaffold: A small group of striving readers whisper-reads key text to support fluency and comprehension.
22 “The Tiger,”
William Blake
Practice fluent reading. Pairs practice reading aloud the poem.
Students snap to mark the poem’s meter as the teacher reads it aloud.
22 “The Pasture,”
Robert Frost Practice fluent reading. Students Choral Read the poem multiple times.
Class analyzes the poem’s meter.
22 Love That Dog,
Sharon Creech Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher models reading aloud with expression.
Students follow along to notice and wonder about the character’s feelings.
23–30 Student-selected poetry
Practice, perform, and assess fluent reading.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
Students perform the poem, first with a partner, then for the whole class.
Students assess their fluency performance.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
24 “Street Music,”
Arnold Adoff Practice fluent reading. Pairs practice reading aloud the poem.
25 “Love That Boy,”
Walter Dean Myers
Practice fluent reading. Pairs practice reading aloud the poem.
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Lesson Text Student Learning Description of Fluency Instruction Module 1
26 Love That Dog, Sharon Creech
Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher models reading with expression.
Students follow along to notice and wonder about events.
27 Love That Dog,
Sharon Creech Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher models fluent reading of the text.
Students follow along to notice and wonder.
29 Love That Dog,
Sharon Creech Practice fluent reading. Students independently practice reading with expression.
Students perform a fluent reading for a partner.
Module 2 1–2 “All Summer in a
Day,” Ray Bradbury
Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher models fluent reading of the text.
Students follow along to notice and wonder.
1–5 “All Summer in a
Day,” Ray Bradbury Practice and assess fluent reading.
Teacher models fluent reading of the passage.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
7–10 “Dust of Snow,”
Robert Frost
Practice and assess fluent reading.
Teacher models fluent reading of the passage.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
9 “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Robert Frost
Practice fluent reading. Pairs practice reading the poem, alternating stanzas.
11–14 Mountains, Seymour Simon
Practice and assess fluent reading.
Teacher models fluent reading of the passage.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
17 Hatchet, Gary
Paulsen Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher models fluent reading of the text.
Students follow along to notice and wonder.
18–22 Hatchet, Gary
Paulsen Practice and assess fluent reading.
Teacher models fluent reading of the passage.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
In class, pairs practice the fluency passage and provide feedback by using a checklist.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
19, 21–22,
27, 29
Hatchet, Gary
Paulsen Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Scaffold: Striving readers listen to an audio recording of the text or read aloud with a small group.
Focus on Fluency • Fluency Resource Packet • Grade 4
Lesson Text Student Learning Description of Fluency Instruction Module 2
23, 25, 27, 33–34
Students’ own
survival stories Practice and perform fluent reading of one’s own writing.
In class and at home, students orally rehearse their own survival story.
In class, students discuss what makes a story engaging for listeners.
Students perform a reading of their survival story in an Author’s Chair celebration.
25–28 Hatchet, Gary Paulsen
Practice and assess fluent reading.
Teacher models fluent reading of the passage.
Students practice the fluency passage at home.
On the last day, students reflect on their progress.
28–29 Hatchet, Gary
Paulsen Listen to and track a fluent reading to support comprehension.
Teacher reads aloud or plays an audio recording.
Students follow along with the recording, pausing to analyze character motivations and the plot.
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