Normally I post all of my app posts at my other blog, iPad Curriculum. Because iDevices are becoming SO common place as a technology in the classroom, I’m going to start posting them here as well. If you just want apps, head over to iPad Curriculum and you can search apps only! Just like iLearn Technology, you can search any app by Bloom’s Taxonomy level. All of the websites I share on iLearn Technology are completely FREE, the apps I review tend to be a mix of free and paid apps. At the bottom of each post, I share the cost of the app.
Fluency Finder
What it is: In the US it is back to school time! I love these first days of school when you get to meet a new group of students and uncover their passions, strengths and weaknesses. Fluency is one of those measures that is great to have from the beginning of the year because it means that we as teachers are armed with the background knowledge to help build reading confidence in students. You can easily find and track fluency rates so that you have more time to help students strengthen reading skills and find books that are confidence-building and enjoyable for them. I have written about Fluency Finder before (here), but I’m writing about it again because they have just come out with some great new features worth another mention! Fluency Finder now has a data-sharing email function so that you can share fluency results with all stakeholders easily. Comprehension questions have been built-in so now you have a one-step fluency and reading comprehension assessment. Very handy! Reading passages are being updated with a snapshot list so that you can quickly compare passages. 32 brand new passages are also being added from literary classics for 1st-8th grade reading levels.
I like Fluency Finder because of the way that it instantly calculates results and then stores them in your Student Record for instant access. Really handy when you are in the library with students and want to quickly remind yourself of their current fluency levels to assist them in selecting the perfect, not-to-hard-book that will keep them reading with enjoyment.
How to integrate Fluency Finder app into the classroom:
Fluency Finder makes it simple to assess reading fluency in 1st-8th grade reading levels. To get started:
- Add students to the app
- Select an appropriate grade level passage for the student to read
- Print the passage from the www.fluencyfinder.com website (students could also read from their own iDevice or computer if you want to save paper)
- Begin assessment, start the app timer as the student begins reading
- Student will read from printed passage as you follow on your iDevice marking any mistakes
- Tap the (+) button when student makes a reading mistake
- Tap the (-) button if the student self-corrects a mistake
- End the timer when the student finishes
- Tap the “finish assessment” button to instantly see results
Now instead of focusing so much on keeping track of the fluency and score, you can focus on what actually matters: listening for fluency, comprehension and expression.
Being a paperless school, we are LOVING this option for helping students choose books that are at a level that is “just right.” It gives us the opportunity to help students hunt down the perfect amount of challenge and really focus on a story they can love. We are all about encouraging an absolute love of reading!
Tips: Target Fluency Rates
First Grade: 60-70 wpm
Second Grade: 80-95 wpm
Third Grade: 100-120 wpm
Fourth Grade: 120-135 wpm
Fifth Grade: 130-145 wpm
Sixth Grade: 140-150 wpm
Seventh Grade: 150-160 wpm
Eighth Grade 160-175 wpm
Cost: $6.99 (iTunes link)
Compatible with: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later
Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Fluency Finder in your classroom.
Hi! My name is Kaley McDonald. I’m an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. I took a class this past summer, which was a course to orient the study to the fundamentals in the teaching of reading, during which we were required to tutor a struggling reading student. For every session we always began and finished with a Running Record. It is an assessment that requires you to follow along as a student reads while marking mistakes, self-corrections, and assessing whether the student displays adequate reading rate and expression. The Fluency Finder App is absolutely genius! It can be challenging to locate reading material that is level appropriate. It is also difficult to do these types of assessments with pencil and paper while remembering all that you’re looking for and what symbols go where and mean what. The data-sharing email function, comprehension questions, reading passages, and student record storage would provide easy access for teachers, ultimately saving an enormous amount of time and paper. Another awesome attribute is that it is reasonably priced and so worth it! I would recommend this app to any teacher who is searching for an updated technological assessment for fluency.
Hello, Thank for this information about Ipad Curriculum. I will share with my coworkers about the Fluency Finder app. I currently teaching Math but I know the Reading teachers will love this app. Please continue to write about any new apps or new technology being used in your classroom.