Reading Fluency with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie!

Growing Independence and Fluency | Alaina Powell 

 

Rationale: To become fluent readers, we must have the ability to recognize words quickly to form sight words. As new sight words are made, young readers can read smoother, faster, and with more accuracy. Through reading, decoding, cross checking, and rereading, students will be able to improve their fluency and grow into great young readers. This lesson uses modeling nad practice of repeated readings so students can gain independence in their reading strategies and become more fluent. 

 

Materials: 

• Class set of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff 

• Coverup Critter

• Stopwatch and pencil per pair of students 

• Dry erase board and markers. 

• Record Sheet 

 

Procedures: 

1. Say:  We're going to talk about how we can be fluent readers! Being a fluent reader means reading faster, smoother, and with fewer mistakes. When we read fluently, reading is so much more fun because we do not have to decode every word anymore. Today, we are going to practice fluency with our new book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. 

2. First, let's practice fluency together. I am going to read a sentence from our new book two different ways and I want you all to tell me which way is easier to understand. ( Write the sentence “If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk.” On the dry erase board. Read the sentence the first time struggling like an emergent reader on the words mouse, cookie, and going. Then read the sentence fluently.) Which way was easier to understand, the first way I read this sentence or the second way? (wait for class to respond) Yes! The second way was much easier to understand because I was able to read it fluently and not stop too often. This is why it is so important that we learn how to be fluent readers. 

3. Now we will all read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff a few times in pairs. (students should get their copy of this book)

4. Booktalk: Say “In this book, there is a little mouse that asks a boy for a cookie. Once the boy has given the mouse the cookie, the mouse asks for some milk. The mouse continues to ask for many things where each request makes the mouse want something new! Well have to read this book to find out what the mouse asks for next and if he ends up getting it.” First, I want everyone to read the book quietly to themselves using our friend the cover up critter to help if you get stuck on a word. 

5. Once you have allowed adequate time, say: Okay everyone, now that we have read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie once by ourselves let's talk about some of the things that happened. What did the mouse ask for after the glass of milk? A straw! And what was the last thing the mouse asked for? Another cookie! The mouse made a giant loop around in his requests that was so funny! 

6. Say: Alright, now we're going to play a fluency reader game with your reading partners (have students get with one partner). Everyone find a spot somewhere in the room with your partners and make sure you have your pencil, your recording sheet, and your stopwatch. The partner on the left will be the recorder first and the person on the right will be the reader first. The reader will begin reading our new book and the recorder will press start on the stopwatch and record how fast the reader can read our new book. Once the reader is done reading, you must stop, record the time, and reset the stopwatch. Then, each partner will switch and the left will be the reader and the right person will be the recorder. Everyone will read the book to their partner a total of 3 times! When your partner is reading, answer the questions on the record sheet if your partner remembered more words, read faster, smoother, or with more expression than they did the last time. Now, it is very important that you read all the way through the book and you do not help your partner and your partner not to help you. Now you all may start. 

7. Once everyone has had a chance to read, say: Now that we all have had a chance to read our new story to a partner, we are going to take turns coming up to my table to read a couple pages. Wait for your name to be called and we will go one at a time. While it is not your turn, I want you to work on this worksheet that has a few questions about our book on it. 

8. Call each student to your table one at a time and have them read a few pages from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. As they are reading, use a stopwatch to time them as well as record any miscues that occur. After they are done reading, ask a few comprehension questions that relate to the pages they have read and record their answers. Record times on record sheet and calculate WPM (words per minute) to determine 

 

On record sheet include: 

Name:_________

Date:_________

Book:_________

 

 

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Comprehension Questions: 

1.  What did the mouse ask for after a straw? 

2. What was the last thing the mouse asked for?

3. What would you ask for if you were the mouse? Draw a picture! 

 

References: 

Numeroff, Laura Joffe. 2015. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

https://www.amazon.com/You-Give-Mouse-Cookie-Book/dp/0060245867 

 

Sullivan, Mollie, “Fluency with Junie B.” https://mollieasullivan.wixsite.com/mysite-1/copy-of-emergent-literacy-design 

 

Vosteen, Kellie, “Ms. Frizzle’s Field Trips to Fluent Reading” https://kellievosteen.wixsite.com/literacylessons/growing-independence-and-fluency 

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