Frogs and Kisses and Fluency Fun!

I know it's getting late for Valentine's Day goodies but I just had to add this.  I went to a fluency seminar featuring Tim Rasinski and it was GREAT.  He had so many ideas to increase fluency and they are easy to implement and effective!  I know, I know, I had you at easy... So, as soon as I got back my wheels started turning.  I whipped up some easy Valentine Froggy fluency activities.

I {puffy heart} Froggy so I made a fluency phrase game as a follow up to the story Froggy's First Kiss using Rasinski's fluency phrases.  I'll add more later, but for now, I made cards using the first two pages.

To play, put three kisses at the top of the page and help froggy collect his kisses by reading the fluency phrases as he "hops" to the top.  Each time he reaches the top he gets to collect a kiss!

I left the top of the fluency pages blank because I see some leprechauns collecting gold coins in the future...maybe even a bunny collecting carrots...the possibilities are endless!  Click the image below to download the fluency phrase cards.  The oh-my-goodness-that-is-so-stinkin'-cute frog came from Mr. Bubblegum.  Check out his store for this cute froggy and more!

Now back to Rasinski...he talked A LOT about singing in the classroom to improve fluency.  And since I was in the Froggy/Kissing mode, a perfect tie in song came to mind.  Think frogs, mice, and romance - those all go together right?  Did you guess the song yet?  Froggy Went a Courtin'!  There are SO many versions out there.  Here's a link to a version I found on a nursery rhyme MP3  that you can download from Amazon for $0.99!

Dr. Rasinski emphasized the effectiveness of using songs to introduce vocabulary, as well as improve expression, phrasing, smoothness, and pace.  So if you hear a terrible noise coming from down the hall it might or might not be me...trying to carry a tune (which I couldn't do even if it had handles).  Don't I at least get credit for diligently trying to implement new strategies to help my students? 

I was also really excited to find this book to read.

Throw in a little Frog Prince and we have waaaaayyyy too much amphibian affection going on!