Most classroom teachers feel there just isn’t enough time in a school day to get through the curriculum they need to, let alone the “fun stuff.” Schedules are jam-packed and you have to get through new content and skills, not to mention helping your struggling readers to close the gap and master the skills they are missing to be successful readers.
Fluency is often one of the literacy skills that gets pushed aside or bumped when there just isn’t enough time. Yet, it’s one of the most important skills in reading. It’s the bridge between decoding and comprehension and the glue that holds it all together. So, how do we fit it in?
Maybe you don’t have an entire week to do a Fluency Boot Camp, but perhaps you can carve out a few minutes a day? or even a week?
Why Use Daily Fluency Task Cards?
Daily Fluency Task Cards are the perfect supplement to any classroom reading program and are perfect for reviewing each of the components of fluency. Use the cards as part of your literacy centers, interventions, small group instruction, guided reading, independent practice. You can even use them as an informal assessment of fluency skills.
If you love my Daily Fluency Activity Packs, these fluency task cards are a modified version of the resource. (Not familiar? Read more about this product series here!) The big difference is that the task cards feature one task per card, as opposed to five tasks per page. The categories are the same, but the content is new!
Each task card allows students to “dig deeper” into fluency and focuses on specific fluency skills. The Daily Fluency Task Card activities are quick, and you can customize which tasks the students complete. Differentiate your sets of tasks cards to fit your students needs.
Introducing Fluency
Before using my Daily Fluency Activity Packs or these Daily Fluency Task Cards, I would highly recommend teaching what fluency is. It’s important for students to be able to identify the different parts of fluency before completing these task cards. For younger students, a unit on fluency (i.e, Fluency Boot Camp) may be necessary to introduce fluency and the different components, but for older students who have been exposed to fluency instruction previously, you can use my FREE “What is Fluency?” reference sheet to do a quick review.
The Daily Fluency Task Cards resource include fluency posters that can be used to review the components. Display the posters in your classroom or print them out for student fluency folders. You can even print four to a page (using “Print Preferences”) to create a one-page student reference! (Beginner & Upper levels available!)
What’s Included in Fluency Task Cards?
There are 116 task cards (29 different tasks) included in each resource. The first five tasks are dedicated to reviewing the major parts of fluency: Pace, Phrasing, Expression, and attention to Punctuation.
The remaining 24 tasks reinforce these fluency components. The variety of tasks provides students with the opportunity to practice specific fluency skills in a fun and engaging way. Pick and choose which to include in your sets, or use them all!
Printable Task Cards
The prep for these task cards is simple! If you are choosing to use the printable resource, all you have to do is print, laminate, cut, and sort. You can sort the cards by set (i.e., A, B, C, D), one task card per activity in each set. Or you can sort them by target area (i.e., Pace, Phrasing, Expression, Punctuation). You can include ALL the cards or just pick and choose the task cards you want your students to complete.
I like to use key rings to organize my different sets. I hang the task cards around my classroom for students to have easy access. Plus, it keeps the cards together! If you don’t wish to use key rings, you can also organize the task cards with envelopes, baskets, or index card organizers.
Student Accountability
To help manage Daily Fluency Task Cards as an activity or literacy center in your classroom, encourage students to record which task cards they’ve completed. Not only does it ensure that students eventually work through all the tasks, but it also provides a level of accountability. Use the log if you’re using custom sets or having students choose the cards at random. Use the checklist if they’re working through a specific set.
Using the Task Cards
There is a “Directions” task card that can be included with each task card set. Directions for each activity are also listed on the task cards themselves. Be sure to read the directions and model each activity with your students so that they may complete the tasks independently. You can introduce them ALL at once or introduce one a day/week.
Once your students have practiced each of the activities, they should able to work in partners or independently to complete the tasks. Build them into your daily routine, or use them when you have a few minutes before lunch or dismissal.
Digital Task Cards
If you tutor online or teach remotely, the digital task cards are a wonderful option. You can easily assign them in Google Classroom or SeeSaw for the students to complete independently, or you can present each slide for your students to complete with you! A digital log is also included with the digital version.
The digital task cards are set up so that there is one task card per slide. It is organized exactly the same way as the printable task cards, but feel free to rearrange the slide order to fit your needs. You can assign all the task cards together or just a few at a time, just by making a copy of the digital file and deleting the slides you don’t wish the students to complete. This allows you to focus on targeted fluency skills or one set at a time.
Differentiated Levels
To meet the needs of your diverse learners, there are two levels of these fluency task cards – Beginner and Upper. The beginner set was designed for grades 1-3 and the upper set for grades 3-5. I use my upper set with advanced students in the lower grades and the beginner set with the remedial students in the upper grades. If you feel you can use both levels, a discounted bundled option is available.
Free Task Card Collection
Not sure if these task cards are for you? Check out my FREE fluency task cards that you can use throughout the year. There is a set for Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer… and each set includes sample activities from my larger collection of Daily Fluency Task Cards!
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Happy Teaching!
