Second Graders Use Digital Tools for Repeated Reading

Building from yesterday’s visit with Kent State faculty members Dr. Frank Sansosti and Dr. Sanna Harjusola-Webb the second graders worked in pairs this morning to do repeated readings, a research-based reading strategy that aims to improve accuracy, speed and expression with each reading. Evidence-based research on the strategy shows that as a student’s reading of the passage improves, so does their comprehension because they are no longer focused on the mechanics of reading. Their reading becomes more automatic, allowing them to devote their attention to creating meaning from the text. This morning the second graders worked with a partner to complete three timed repeated reading trials using the K12 Timed Reading & Comprehension Practice  app.  Each student has a reading folder with materials to guide them through their repeated reading trials. After reading a passage, the app calculates the student’s reading rate of words per minute (WPM)  for the passage. The students are learning how to record their WPM rate after each trial and later in the week will learn to graph their daily WPM so that they can monitor their progress.