Fluency Tutor: Working to Automate Running Records

Trial!

Fluency Tutor by Google is a web app for Chrome that allows teachers to create classes in the app or import classes from Google Classroom and then assign students enrolled in the class reading passages. Once assigned, students can use tools to support their reading of the passage before recording themselves reading it.

To begin, teachers must download the app and give permission to the app, so it can sync with their Google Drive and/or Google Classroom. Next, teachers should click the “Students” option to enroll students into their class. Teachers can either enroll students by sharing a passage with them or having students download the Fluency Tutor app to their Chrome and then inputting the class code. (The class code can be found on the bottom left of the teacher’s screen.) To assign an article, teachers can click the “Share Passage” option on the left of the screen, choose the passage they wish to share with students, click the “Google Drive” icon on the top of the screen, and then either share it via email with students or give them access to the link.

At this point, students will access the article either through the Fluency Tutor web app or via their email. Once students have the article loaded, they can preview the text by highlighting unfamiliar words and using the Dictionary, Picture Dictionary, and Translate tool to define them. In addition, students can click the play, pause, stop, repeat, and fast forward buttons to have the app read the text to them.

When ready to read, students can click the “Record” button followed by the “Start Recording” button and then read directly into their computer. Fluency Tutor will then record the student reading the article. When finished reading, students can click the “Stop Recording” button, they can then choose if they wish to start recording again, playback the recording, or download the recording by clicking the corresponding button. To submit the recording, students will need to click the “I’m Finished” button, and Fluency tutor will import the recorded reading into the teacher’s dashboard.

To evaluate recordings of student reading, teachers will need to click the “Assessments” button on the left of the screen and locate the file they wish to evaluate. On this screen, teachers can view essential statistic for the passage and the students reading of it that includes when the passage was read, the passage’s lexile score, and the time it took a student to read the passage. Finally, to complete a miscue analysis, teachers can click the green icon under the “Score” heading followed by the “Score this Passage” option.

A new screen will then appear, and teachers can click the “Play” button on the top right of the screen to listen to the recording. When students come to a challenging word that interrupts their fluent reading of the text, teachers can click the word and choose the type of mistake. Fluency Tutor will automatically make a notation in the text and log the error on the right of the screen. In addition, Fluency Tutor will report on the metrics for the student’s reading of the overall passage. When finished, teachers can click the “Save Scoring” button on the bottom right of the screen and then complete a brief survey of the recording. After completing the survey, Read Fluency will automatically save the data to the teacher’s dashboard, so the students’ reading activity can be monitored over time.

Instructional Ideas for Fluency Tutor

1. Teachers can have students read a passage using this tool each week of the school year and analyze them, in an effort to track growth and improvement. They can then report their analysis to additional stakeholders, such as parents/guardians, literacy coaches, colleagues, to support the students’ reading development.
2. Teachers can assign passages based on lexile score. As students progress in their reading ability, teachers can increase the lexile of the reading passage.
3. As part of professional development, teachers can compare a traditional, paper-based miscue analysis against this version. Teachers can discuss the pros and shortcomings of each and make a professional decision regarding if they wish to use the Fluency Tutor or continue using a paper-based approach.

Screenshots of Fluency Tutor