(1) Reading Fluency - Beginner 📖

Reading fluency refers to the ability to read a text smoothly and accurately, with appropriate speed, expression, and comprehension. It's not just about reading words correctly but also about reading them in a way that makes sense within the context, allowing for better understanding and enjoyment of the text. Fluency involves: 1. Accuracy: Correctly identifying words, with minimal errors. 2. Speed: Reading at a pace that supports comprehension, not too fast to miss meaning or too slow to disrupt flow. 3. Expression: Using natural intonation, pauses, and emphasis, similar to how one would speak the text aloud, reflecting understanding and engagement with the material. 4. Comprehension: Being able to understand and interpret what’s being read, not just read words aloud. Fluency is an essential skill in reading development, as it allows readers to focus more on the meaning of the text rather than decoding individual words. It is considered one of the key components in becoming a proficient reader.

(7) The Dental Exam Jerry sat nervously in the dentist chair. The clock on the wall showed 9:13 am. The dentist came in and told Jerry that the first thing they would do would be to take x-rays of his teeth. Next, she started poking around Jerry's mouth with her sharp, shiny metal instruments. Dr. Gonzalez told him that it would take just a few minutes to check and clean his teeth. Jerry's mind started to race as he felt the tapping and scraping on his molars, which are the teeth in the back of the mouth. Was Dr. Gonzalez going to find any cavities? Jerry wondered if he had been eating too many foods with too much sugar. Jerry thought about what his dad told him about drinking soda, and how bad it was for his teeth. Jerry started to sweat in the dentist chair as the assistant came back in the room with his x-rays. Jerry tried to remember if he had been brushing his teeth every morning before going to school, and every night before going to bed. To Jerry, it seemed like it took forever. He had to keep his mouth open for a long time. He felt drool leaking out of the sides of his mouth. The paste Gonzalez used to clean his teeth tasted really bad, like medicine. "That's it", Dr. Gonzalez finally said with a smile, "No cavities." Relieved it was over, Jerry looked up at the clock again. It was 10:02 am. It seemed like the appointment had taken all day. He thought he'd be going back home now, but as he got in the car with his mom, she said, "Great! I can get you back to school in time for you to take your spelling test."

Basketball Practice (10) Roger and Gary are brothers. Roger has basketball practice with his team, the Rockets, every day after school. All the kids on the team are between nine and eleven years old. After Roger's mom picks his younger brother Gary up from school, they go to the park to watch Roger practice. Roger is tall and is good at passing the ball to his teammates. He is also good at shooting free throws. He hopes to play on his high school team someday. Gary is only seven years old and is too young to play, but he enjoys watching his brother. Gary is proud of his brother and hopes to play basketball like him when he gets older. At home, Roger always seems to have a basketball close by, under his arm, or next to his bed while he sleeps. He even has one of those plastic toy basketball hoops attached to the top of the door to his bedroom. At night, before he goes to sleep, he and Gary throw balled-up socks toward the rim and count how many 'baskets' each one of them makes. Roger sometimes watches basketball games on TV with his dad, but he would rather just play 'b-ball' (as he and his friends call it), with his friends at the park, or in his driveway with other kids who live on his street. Roger recently started practicing dribbling with his left hand and between his legs. He isn't learning how to do these things to show off but rather to be able to outmaneuver players who are guarding him in a game. Roger is dedicated to the game of basketball!

The Birthday Party (11) Mike's family had a birthday party for his little brother Steven at CHUCK E CHEESE. All the kids in Steven's second-grade class were invited. Seven of Steven's classmates came. Four of their cousins came all the way from the state of Texas. In all, 23 people were at the party. Everyone ate pizza, and salad, and ate a slice of the birthday cake. Only one person did not eat the cake, which was chocolate, and had superheroes on top. Everyone had a good time. Steven was happy that so many people were there to celebrate his birthday. After everyone ate, the kids played in the tubes, slid down into the ball pit, screamed, and generally had a lot of fun. Some of the kids, and even some of the adults, played the games that spat out tickets the kids could use to get cheap stuff like candy, stickers, erasers, and those gooey, rubbery figures that can be stretched out of shape. Steven opened his presents after he blew out the candles on the chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Steven got the slice with his favorite character, Spiderman, on it. The present Steven liked best was the one he got from his Uncle Howard, which was a soccer ball that glowed in the dark. Mike was so happy that his brother enjoyed the party, which Steven said was the best one he ever had!

A Generous Person (12) Kimberly, a generous person, had 36 new, unsharpened Power-Glow-Girls pencils. She wanted to share it equally among three friends. She gathered her friends together. As they huddled around Kimberly, the girls wondered if they would each receive the same number of pencils. Luckily, Kimberly knew how to divide. She informed the friends that they would each get the same amount. Kimberly knew that if she gave one of her friends more than the others, the ones who got fewer might be jealous. Without using a calculator, Kimberly was able to solve the division equation 'thirty-six divided by three.' Each of her friends received a dozen pencils from their generous friend. At home, Kimberly was just as generous with members of her family. She would always share her pillows and stuffed animals when her little sister Rebecca had trouble sleeping. When her older brother Francisco needed help with his math homework, Kimberly would stop working on her assignments and help him until he understood his. Kimberly's grandmother Maria recently arrived from the Philippines to live with their family. If she wanted to practice her English, Kimberly would stop whatever she was doing and help her learn words for things around the house, like 'refrigerator', and verbs for things people do, like 'vacuuming'. Kimberly often served as a language translator for parents and teachers at her school, even if it meant leaving her friends at recess to do it.

A. What is Autism? Autism Awareness Autism is a neurological condition (having to do with brain development), that starts in early childhood, where toddlers have difficulty in talking to and playing with others. Autism affects the ability of a person to communicate their needs and learn. It is a condition that is now showing up in children at an alarming rate. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.), autism may occur in as many as 1 in every 68 children. Psychologists and pediatricians are looking for answers as to why so many people now have autism, and what can be done about it. They have been looking for signs 131 146 160 of autism in young people for more than 30 years. There is no cure, but there is a lot that can be done. To understand more about autism, experts studying this disease first look for symptoms. What are some of the symptoms you might see in a person diagnosed with Autism? B. Symptoms of Autism If you were to point out an object across the room, would a child with autism look at it? (For example, if you point at a toy or an animal, would the child look in the direction of the toy or animal?) The child may not. Children with autism can show a lack of focused attention on toys and others. Some children with autism at times even behave in a way that makes them appear to be deaf to others. Would a child with autism respond when you call his or her name? (For example, would he or she look up at the person who is talking?) The child may not. Children with autism can have difficulty responding to others. Would such a child play pretend or make-believe? (For example, would the child pretend to drink from an empty cup, pretend to talk on a phone, or pretend to feed a doll  or stuffed animal?) Children with autism frequently show a lack of imaginative play. Sometimes children with autism make unusual wiggling finger movements near their faces. Many children with autism show a lack of interaction with others. Does a child with autism show an interest in other children? Does the child watch other children, smile at them, or go to them? Instead of interacting, children with autism might separate themselves from others. Does the child get upset by everyday noises? (For example, does the child scream or cry when hearing loud noises such as a vacuum cleaner or loud music?) Many children with autism have a hypersensitivity to loud sounds like an ambulance siren or a school bell. C. Does the child look you in the eye when you are talking to him, playing with him, or dressing him? Children with autism might not make eye contact with people speaking to them. Children with autism might show an avoidance of touch, closeness, or contact with water. A child with autism may avoid hugs, and touches like "high-fives' or 'fist bumps', or take steps to avoid contact with water, such as a sidewalk that is made wet from lawn sprinklers. Some children with autism frequently walk on tiptoes, others pull on their earlobes, and many like to spin in circles. These are not the only symptoms children with autism may show, and not all children with autism will display all of these symptoms. But these are signs, that often help psychologists make an early, preliminary diagnosis of autism. There are other signs of autism seen during pediatric psychological evaluations that specialists refer to as 'indicators' of autism. These include lining up toy cars instead of the child making them go. "Vroom, vroom", or using blocks to make slender towers instead of a more elaborate "house' or other creation. Speech delay, where the child has few or no words in his vocabulary, long after the time when most typical 1 and 2-year-olds begin talking, is the most telling symptom of autism in children. D. Many children with mild autism don't begin to speak until they are three or four years old. And even then, the number of words the child will use is limited to just a few dozen. Children with severe autism may never speak at all. In older children, teens, and young adults, some symptoms that manifest themselves are 'self-talk" (talking to self in a low voice that others nearby can hear), scratching their skin, biting the skin on hands and fingernails, and a habit of tearing bits of paper and saving the scraps. These are generally indicators of stress that the child feels about school, social situations, or concern about being punished for secretly damaging something in the home. Many young people with autism can have food allergies and serious issues with digesting certain kinds of foods. E. The Autism Spectrum What does the word Spectrum mean in the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (A.S.D.)? Spectrum, as we know from art, describes the range of a color tint mixed in, to make a light, mild shade of a color, or with a larger amount of tint mixed in, making the color more 'severely visible. Spectrum, as it applies to a diagnosis of autism, means that a person can have mild autism with few symptoms, or more severe autism with numerous, obvious symptoms. Therefore, the more severe the autism, the more difficult it is for a child to communicate with siblings, parents, and teachers. Children with severe autism have more pronounced symptoms, are more distractible, and create greater challenges for their parents and teachers in raising and working with them. Regardless of the severity of the autism a child has, providing what is called "Early Intervention" is critically important in helping a child with autism overcome these challenges, learn to make friends, take care of their personal needs, and learn in school. F. Early Intervention What are some practices that teachers and parents can use to help a student diagnosed with autism? Teachers and parents should always try to be kind and patient. They should show an enthusiastic love of learning. They can encourage a child to take up a musical instrument, interact with animals, or play a sport with peers, like youth soccer. Teachers and parents need to give clear instructions on how to do something, like brushing their teeth, putting toys away, or using their Google Drive account, one step at a time. Parents can help their child overcome a hypersensitivity to sound by helping the child himself learn to operate a blender, juicer, vacuum, or volume control on a computer. Children with autism should be given opportunities to participate in art activities with their 'typical' peers. Here they can explore a variety of textures, using paint, shaving cream, clay, or glue with dried goods like beans and pasta shells when creating their art. They should have the chance to create pictures and describe them to others. People with autism are often 'visual' thinkers and learners. Many children with autism enjoy drawing, and they can use their drawings to communicate their likes and wants. F. There are many more techniques teachers and parents can use to help children with autism improve their social, communication, and academic skills. They can make good use of travel time by reading with or talking with the child in the car. Families can carry toys and activities with them when they are out of the house, at the doctor's office, or a restaurant. These games might include picture flashcards, mini-board games, and puzzles. Note that this does not include the use of video games, which only serve to restrict social interaction and speech with others, which are what children with autism need most. Establishing daily routines and following them (like doing chores and keeping a calendar) can lower a child's anxiety level and increase participation in activities at school and home. Children with autism often act out when faced with a surprise or change in routine. Helping children cope with these changes is important, but requires tremendous patience on the part of the caregivers. G. Knowing what activities are upcoming helps a child with autism mentally prepare him or herself. Teachers and parents can help find 'play buddies' and 'study buddies' for their children and make sure they have a lot of time to be together. Teaching with Lego and other toys fosters the imagination. A good prompt to promote communication is to ask the child to 'describe" the building product or scene with characters she has set up. Taking swimming lessons has proven to help children with autism gain self-confidence and become more comfortable with water, touch, and unusual textures. Self-confidence and independence can also increase as children learn how to ride a bike, ride a horse, skate, or learn tumbling or martial arts moves. Using plastic props to pretend they are running a store, a school, or a medical clinic can help children with autism take part in group dramatic play activities and improve their communication. Getting down on the floor with children with autism, making efforts to gain eye contact and initiate conversation, as outlined in the writings of psychologist, Dr. Stanley Greenspan, has also proven effective. Here, adults get down to the floor level, on one, and help the child to focus on the adult and the task before him. H. This could include naming objects, and choosing among objects based on a question like, "Which animal has a shell and can swim?" This is sustained time, repeated, ideally daily that children with autism recognize as time dedicated to communicating their learning. Another pioneer in developing methods to help children with autism is an adult who was born with autism himself. Ruan Kauffman, the original focus of the Son-Rise program was taught from early childhood with dedicated techniques developed by his parents to emerge from his confining autistic world. Basically, in the Son-Rise™ program, a windowless room with little visual simulation is first used where the child learns to focus on a family member or therapist. The child is encouraged to use whatever language he or she has to get needs met. This includes getting the adult to retrieve a toy down from a high shelf, share in imaginative play with a stuffed animal, make silly facial expressions, talk about Thomas the Train™, or whatever the child wants. Once some interaction with the adult is achieved, the adult responds with positive reinforcement and gradually seeks to get the child to extend the activity or begin to follow the adult's prompt for further communication or play. In this way, the child begins to trust the adult and follow social cues like conversational turn-taking, head nodding, smiling, and sharing. i. Little by little, the child can begin to interact with other people, showing what activities interest him, including playing with age-group peers, using these same skills. Once this happens with regularity within the confined space, the child can begin to function successfully with others, trained or untrained, in the real world of school, stores, restaurants, hospitals, amusement parks, a sporting event, or other places in the community. What can these peers do to help a child with autism? They can make eye contact and smile. They can talk together about what interests the child. If the child with autism cannot yet speak, the typical peer can point at objects, use the Picture Exchange System, or use sign language gestures to communicate. Age group peers can make an effort to always include a peer with autism in their clique. Adults can help to foster these relationships, meaning teachers and parents can try to group kids to playdates and schoolwork. Having patience and a positive attitude while socializing with a child can lead to many positive outcomes. With the right people using the right approaches, children with autism often can be nurtured to become the most friendly, affectionate, positive, and social people you will ever meet. J Conclusion There is no 'conclusion' to the commitment to assisting in the social growth and development of a child with autism. This is an ongoing, never-ending dedication to helping the child grow into a happy, social, successful, independent adult. The early intervention methods discussed here begin with the diagnosis of autism in a toddler and continue through consistent, creative support in the elementary years. Next will come the middle school and high school years, with puberty and awkwardness arriving along the way. Every new experience that approaches is a challenge and a potential learning experience that the child should be prepared for, whenever possible. Every difficulty or failure becomes an opportunity to learn to do better next time. This includes the child, the parents, and other adults the child knows. Much of the learning of children with autism is aided by repetition until the skill is mastered. People who work with the child should expect plenty of bumps and some unforgettable high points on this journey, ideally with a community of supporters eager to cheer the child on. Ruan Kauffman, the child of the Son-Rise™ program mentioned earlier, was at one time, a child who was diagnosed with autism, who grew into a college graduate of Brown University, and later became a best-selling author and engaging public speaker. His own experiences and early intervention advocacy have influenced millions of parents and teachers of children with autism and led to outstanding results for their children and students. What Raun's parents, therapists, and teachers attained shows what early intervention, research, insight, patience, and dedication can be achieved. More and more children diagnosed with autism today are making strides forward and realizing achievements as Raun did, which years ago were not thought of as possible. With early intervention, children diagnosed with autism can have a bright future. Henry Anker and his wife Barbara are public school teachers and parents of a college student with autism who realized great success using the methods presented here. Ms. Anker is a teacher of elementary students with autism. Mr. Anker is also an educational technology website author.

Making Pancakes (15) As Connie was getting dressed, she could hear Debra doing something down in the kitchen. Oh, no, Connie thought, Debra must be fixing breakfast again. My sister does many things well, but cooking breakfast isn't one of them. Connie sniffed the air to see if she could tell what her sister was trying to make. When Connie got to the kitchen, she discovered that Debra was making pancakes. She was also making a mess! Flour, eggshells, and puddles of milk were all over the counter and on the floor. The flame on the stove was very high, and the pancakes were burning on the skillet. Connie didn't want to hurt Debra's feelings, so she sat down and tried to eat. Suddenly Connie didn't feel well. "Maybe you're coming down with something," Debra said. Connie nodded. She just couldn't tell Debra that she thought the pancakes were making her sick. "I'm okay," Connie said weakly. "Maybe I'm still full from dinner last night." "Have some more," Debra offered. "No, thank you, really. One is just enough for me. By the way, did you add any special ingredients to the batter that were not part of the cooking instructions?" "Oh, yes, I did. Just a little leftover chopped celery from the fridge and some chili powder. Can you taste that?" Connie's eyes opened wide, she let out a gasp, put her hand over her mouth, and ran to the bathroom as fast as she could.