Fluency and vocabulary support comprehension skills. Students need to master skills in fluency and vocabulary to be able to comprehend and make meaning of the text they read. A way to integrate fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills is by planning and implementing an author study. The benefits begin with the notion that good readers study good writers. Additional benefits of author studies include cross-curricular integration, building critical thinking skills, and exposure to various literary styles in both fiction and nonfiction. As discussed in the Science of Reading, systemic and explicit instruction will best support readers as they engage with more complex texts.
Choose a grade level and identify 3-5 books that are written by the same author to develop an author study text set that would be appropriate for the grade level. Create a 750-1,000 word digital resource (e.g., website landing page, virtual bulletin board, handout) to share with other grade-level teachers. Include the following in your resource:
Part 1: Supporting Fluency and Comprehension Strategies
Grade level, author, and titles of all books in the author study.
Brief biography of the author and rationale for why this author and books chosen are appropriate for the grade level.
Identify two comprehension strategies that can be taught using the author study text set. Provide a detailed example of how you would teach each strategy.
Describe two research-based fluency activities to incorporate into your author study.
Part 2: Supporting Vocabulary
Choose one of the books from the author study text set and describe the following:
Identify vocabulary words for all three tiers of vocabulary.
Identify a research-based vocabulary strategy to explicitly teach each tier of words and provide a detailed example of how you would teach each strategy.
Part 3: Fluency, Comprehension, and Vocabulary Culminating Activity
Create a culminating activity or project that will engage students in reviewing the comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency strategies learned throughout the author study. The final activity or project should include the following information:
Brief description of the activity or project, including how the comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency strategies will be reviewed and used in the project.
At least one technology tool and a brief description of how it will be integrated into the activity or project.
Grade-level cross-curricular content and/or skills that can be integrated into the activity or project.
At least one strategy for integrating listening and speaking skills into the activity or project.
Suggestions for differentiating the activity or project to support students, including ELLs, early finishers, gifted students, and students with disabilities, such as dyslexia.
Support your assignment with a minimum of two scholarly resources.
