Fluency toolkits can be a great way to keep engagement up when focusing on fluency. I’ve put together a list of items you can include in your toolkits. These toolkits can remain in a fluency center, at your small group table, or even be placed at each student’s desk. The goal is for students to be excited to focus on fluency since it’s so important when it comes to building literacy skills. Check out my favorite items for your fluency toolkits, below!
Focus on fluency with fluency toolkits
You can focus on fluency during your read aloud time so students can see a fluent reading model. However, in order for them to become more fluent readers, they need practice, on their own.
Students can practice developing their fluency skills in:
- small groups
- literacy centers
- independent reading time
- at home
When students are focusing on fluency on their own, fluency toolkits can help keep them on task. You can simply make a few fluency toolkits to keep in your classroom. Students will each have a turn to grab a toolkit when it’s their time to work on fluency.
Check out the links below to take a closer look at each tool for the fluency toolkits! Below are Amazon Affiliate links and I earn a small commission.
- Photo box containers
- Timers
- Whisper phones
- Fake microphones
- Fake glasses
- Dry erase markers
- Dry erase sleeves
- Highlighter strips
- Googly eye rings
- Fluency passages
Using Each Tool
First you’ll want to grab some small photo box containers. These are going to be your actual fluency toolkits where most items listed above, fit inside. You can also grab the Fluency Toolkit Cover and Checklists!
Next, inside each toolkit, you’ll place a timer, fake pair of glasses, a dry erase marker, a highlighter strip, and googly eye ring.
- The timer will be used when students are working on improving their speed and accuracy. They can time themselves reading for one minute, using the timer.
- Fake glasses and googly eye rings act as an engagement tool, and a reminder that they’re focusing on fluency, when putting these tools on. The googly eye rings are very helpful if students are tracking print and need to remember to keep their eyes on the page.
- Highlighter strips also work as a tracking tool. These are especially beneficial for older students who are reading texts with smaller print and more words on a page. It helps keep their eyes on the right line, as they move along.
- The dry erase marker can be used to check off items on their fluent reader checklist, if using those.
- Students will use the fake microphones while they’re practicing their repeated readings of the text.
- The whisper phones also work great as a tool to help students hear how they are reading. They often help students improve their pace and expression.
Your Toolkit for Fluency
Here is one more item you may want for yourself as you focus on fluency. The Fluency Files is your toolkit for fluency. It includes 90 minutes of professional development, broken down into bite sized videos. Each module and lesson provides you with specific ideas to use in the classroom. I’ve kept it simple and to the point, so you can maximize your time.
The Fluency Files also includes Your Fluency Toolkit, exclusive passages (and more), and Your Course Notebook. The toolkit includes the checklists mentioned above, as well as many other tools you can just print and use to focus on fluency. Read more about The Fluency Files here!
Creating fluency toolkits and focusing on fluency, on a daily basis, will help your students become more confident readers. They will also sound more like you while they read, and have a better understanding of what they read.
Now is the perfect time to create toolkits for your readers, and to begin focusing on fluency in a big way!
