Meme Picture of Boromir from Lord of the Rings holding a hand with an O shape Words read One does not simply master the text when reading with fluency
Keeping it..... FLUENT!

Our theme for October is fluency! Continue reading for some great resources, information, and news!
Wait a Minute! Rethinking Fluency for Students who are D/HH
Picture of a bridge with the word vocabulary on the left side of the bridge fluency going over the bridge and comprehension on the right side of the bridge
Many professionals hear the word “fluency” and associate it with how many words a student can read in a minute. But what good is reading fast if they don’t know what they read? The definition of fluency for students who are D/HH includes being able to read efficiently, but in a way that makes text comprehensible. For some students that may mean translating from printed English into American Sign Language, two separate and distinct languages, each with their own vocabulary, rules, and structure. Having to navigate two languages simultaneously impacts the automaticity with which reading tasks are met. Translating between these two languages does not happen in a way that one word in English translates to one sign in ASL. The nuances of English, as well as those found in ASL, require that the student read chunks of text to translate it into a separate and distinct language. 

RMTC-D/HH staff, along with collaboration with staff from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, investigated the many and varied definitions of “fluency.” This team reviewed definitions developed by leaders in the field of literacy such as the National Reading Panel, Tim Rasinski, Sue Rose, and Susan Easterbrooks with Sandra Huston. What they found was that the definition of “fluency” was as varied as the students practicing this skill. Check out the Fluency Definitions Compared document. 

Tim Rasinski asserts the importance of reading fluency, its role in comprehension, and the misconceptions aligned with this practice in his article, “ Why Reading Fluency Should Be Hot! ” Though the premise is based on readers with access to auditory information, many of the principles discussed apply to students who are deaf and hard of hearing. It is our job, as professionals in the field of teaching students who are D/HH, to take what has been researched for the masses and use that knowledge to support smaller, highly-specialized populations, including those who are D/HH or deaf with additional disabilities (DWD). Making sure general education teachers understand the intricacies of literacy for students with limited or no access to auditory information is a task we share as professionals. Being able to speak to the reasons why traditional fluency practices may not be appropriate (or accessible) for students who are D/HH is one of the many confounding responsibilities of being a teacher for students who are D/HH. However, being familiar with current research and trends in general literacy instruction and applying and adapting those practices to meet the needs of students who are D/HH, is just one way to improve outcomes for our students.

To learn more about fluency and instruction for students who are D/HH, consider taking RMTC-D/HH’s new online module, Language Reading Connection for Students who are D/HH , available on the FLDOE’s PD Portal .
Running Out of Time: The Importance of Progress Monitoring
“When students read with accuracy and expression at an appropriate reading rate, their fluency supports their comprehension.” ( Reading A-Z , n.d.). A running record is a formative assessment tool that allows the instructor to see (and hear) what strategies students use during their oral reading ( LiteracyPages , 2017). Running records allow teachers to see if the student monitors their reading, self-corrects, and/or uses cues (i.e. meaning, structure, or visual) to help them when they do not know a word. Running records also allow the instructor to keep longitudinal data to see the child’s improvement or identify need for remediation.

When assessing a student’s oral reading fluency, it is important to note the words per minute being read in addition to accuracy, error, and self-correction rates. If a student has excellent accuracy rates but is only reading a limited number of words per minute, then the comprehension of the text may be hindered. Look at the target reading rates by grade level from Rasinki and Padak (2005) from Scholastic . A digital timer, a sandglass minute timer, or even a cell phone are practical tools that can be used to time a student for one minute. The instructor can also use this running record sheet to help keep data for any text a student reads aloud and use this running record calculator to calculate the student’s accuracy, error, and self-correction rates.
Chart with title Target Reading Rates by Grade Level Column titles from left to right grade level Fall words correct per minute WCPM Winter WCPM Spring WCPM
spotlight
Expanded Skills Spotlight
Florida's Expanded Skills standards outline the importance of a student's ability to effectively communicate in standards SP.PK12.DH.4.2 (PK-5), 4.3 (Middle and High School) which indicates that a student will “demonstrate communication through motor movements, facial expressions, vocalizations, and social interactions” and SP.PK12.DH.4.3 (PK-5) and 4.4 (Middle and High School) which states that students should “demonstrate nonverbal elements of communication, including proximity, turn taking, body shifting, facial expressions, and eye gaze.” Teaching students the process of fluency through poetry, signing, writing, or orally, allows for opportunities to cover these important Expanded Skills standards, as well. Check out the video above for a poetry performance by Alivia Brower about her self determination related to her hearing loss. She attends school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Broward County Florida. Also, be sure to attend the 2019 FEDHH Conference to meet Alivia and other students during the Saturday lunch panel!

Next month, our Tech Notes theme is on Vocabulary. Have an idea or lesson plan for Expanded Skills standards related to this topic? Email your idea for Expanded Skills lessons to candace.mcintire@rmtcdhh.org to be added to the next Tech Notes!
Spotlight
Teacher Spotlight
Victoria (Tory) Pope has been working with elementary age students who are deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) for five years. She is also an adjunct professor at Daytona State College teaching American Sign Language and an adjunct professor of Deaf Education at the University of North Florida. Tory received a B.A. in Deaf Studies from the University of New Hampshire and an M.A. from Gallaudet University in Deaf Education: Advanced Studies. Tory’s classroom emphasizes language choice for individual students. She teaches fourth and fifth grade students who are D/HH at Lake Sybelia Elementary School with a team of six teachers and nine interpreters in Orange County Public Schools. She also works with a team of itinerant teachers and language pathologists.

Be sure to come see Tory Pope at the 2019 FEDHH Conference during her breakout session "Fairview Learning in Action!"

Know a teacher of students who are deaf/hard of hearing (TODHH) who is doing amazing things in their classroom? Email a description of what the TODHH is doing to candace.mcintire@rmtcdhh.org to be added to the next Tech Notes!
Teacher Toolkit
Teacher toolbox
News from Loan Library: The RMTC-D/HH Media and Materials Loan Library has DVDs and books related to Fluency for you to check out. In the search box, type in the title or number and add it to your queue. Once it’s added, Laura will ship it directly to your school. That is all you have to do! There isn’t a submit button. Here is just a sampling of what you will find: 
  • Leading from Behind: Language Experience in Action (DVD-catalog # 599)
  • Promoting Language & Literacy in Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DVD-catalog # 603)
  • Literacy and Deafness: Listening and Spoken Language (Book-catalog # 1869) 
  • Language and Deafness (Book-catalog # 1870)
  • Starting with Assessment - A Developmental Approach to Deaf Children's Literacy (Book-catalog # 1891)
  • Literacy: It All Connects (Book-catalog # 1908)
Additional Resources:
  • Use this running record sheet to help you keep data for any text a student reads aloud.
  • Use this running record calculator to calculate the student’s accuracy, error, and self-correction rates.
  • Reading A-Z has a plethora of information on running records and even has benchmark passages and books paired with running record sheets that you can download. They also have fluency passages that students can use to time themselves (or be timed by a teacher) and for analysis. A subscription may be required for this resource.
  • If you like using technology instead of paper, consider reading this blog by Eleni Kyritsis on taking running records in Microsoft OneNote! You could also use this information to do running records in Google Classroom if you do not have access to Microsoft OneNote.
  • Finding varied and dynamic models fluent in ASL can be a difficult task, but technology provides one solution. Gallaudet University has developed the product, VL2 Storybook Apps. Using these apps allows students to see books come to life in ASL. These translations are available in many different print and sign languages, including Dutch and Russian.
  • Another option for finding fluent models in ASL is to use the app, HP Reveal, formerly known as Aurasma. With HP Reveal, teachers can film fluent readers signing a text and create triggers in the book for signed videos. For more information, visit their website.
  • Additional resources for using HP Reveal include RMTC-D/HH's HP Reveal Aurasma web page and FSDB’s Pineapple PD's video on Aurasma.
  • The Georgia Tech Center for Accessible Technology in Sign (CATS) offers stories in ASL to "enhance language, literacy, and general world knowledge." (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019) These resources can be used for modeling read alouds. Students can have individual words, a sentence, or the whole page read to them from a story.
  • The American Sign Language Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (ASL CIA) resource offers videos linked to the ASL standards on a variety of fiction and nonfiction topics. These can be used to model ASL as well as to provide instruction in ASL. A paid subscription is required for full use of resources and a Google account is required.
  • Signed Stories are animated children's stories performed in ASL by native signers for modeling read alouds. Stories are available in American or British Sign Language and resources are available through OverDrive via your school district or public library.
  • Avenue PM has resources for students who use listening and spoken language and ASL. Check out the KidsSpeak app to have oral reading passages recorded and sent to you from your students!

News from RMTC-D/HH
We touched on the importance of running records for students who use listening and spoken language. But, what about students who use ASL? Don’t miss this month’s TALive! webinar on October 9th at 2pm with Brent Bechtold, FSDB’s Deaf High School Reading Specialist. The topic is “Keeping it Fluent: Signed Reading Fluency.” Be sure to register!
Did you know?
Upcoming Events: Save the Date!

Check out the  RMTC-D/HH 2019-2020 Calendar  for more upcoming events!
Do More. Be More. Achieve More.
RMTC-D/HH provides Tech Notes as a free resource to teachers, professionals, and parents around the state in order to pass along potentially useful information and expand the knowledge and opportunities available to educators and families of children who have hearing loss. This email was funded by the Florida Department of Education Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Part B funds. The information included does not reflect any specific endorsement by any parties involved.