Fluency in Perspective

This is a collection of passages designed to be used for fluency instruction in grade 8. Developed by Lisa Rogers, Laura Bross, Ayesatta Conteh, Teresa Oud, and Catherine Shawana, each passage focuses on a diverse changemaker from across Turtle Island – individuals who stood up for themselves and others, who fought hard to overcome obstacles, made a difference, and found joy and success in a variety of fields!

Content was carefully considered to ensure that it shares perspectives that have been underrepresented, it sparks students to think critically, and it reflects some of the history, values and experiences of diverse individuals who live, or have lived, in the place we now call Canada.

The passages are purposefully written to flexibly support a variety of different instructional routines (Quick Fluency Routine, repeated reading, partner reading/paragraph shrinking). Each passage has a teacher summary page with three key sections:

• Words that Matter: this section highlights words central to the passage’s message, unpacking pronunciation, morphology, and etymology if appropriate
• Vocabulary Spotlight: this section pulls out Tier 2 vocabulary words found in the passage that could be used with an explicit vocabulary instructional routine
• Spotting Syntax: this section showcases sentences with syntactical structures that may benefit from explicit instruction