One of LightHouseReader’s most versatile tools is Fluency Builder. This feature allows you to create reading and writing assignments that are integrated with any subject your child is studying, giving you maximum flexibility and customization.
For a reading assignment, you choose whether to type your own text or select text from a book in your child’s library which your child then records him or herself reading. Instead of spending extra hours working on reading skills, this tool allows your child to work on fluency while simultaneously reading material assigned for another subject. And reluctant readers will be more excited to complete assignments that are based on books they already love. Writing assignments work in the same way. You can assign a writing topic of your choosing, integrate writing into other subjects, or let your child pick their own topic.
Every aspect of the Fluency Builder tool is designed to be tailored to a child’s needs, from the time limit a child gets to perform an assignment to how it looks, such as font, background color, text color, and text size. You can choose whether to use the pre-set instructions for the assignment or write your own, and you can give either written or recorded instructions. Once you have created a fluency assignment, your child will see it when they log into their dashboard on LightHouse Reader.
When it’s time to grade, you can either choose one of the pre-set grading rubrics or create one that fits your homeschooling style. For writing assignments, for example, a pre-set LightHouse rubric might suggest grading vocabulary choice, syntax and sentence structure, and the completeness of the child’s written response. You can shift the point scale up and down and otherwise alter the grading rubric in a way that molds to your child’s abilities and your teaching style.
The “running record” feature allows you to make detailed notes about your child’s reading performance. You can mark which words your child reads incorrectly, choosing categories such as repetition, mispronunciation, self correction, and more . “Running record” tabulates your child’s words correct per minute, and there is also a space for your comments and encouragement to your child.
With Fluency Builder you have the power to incorporate reading and writing assignments into the other subjects of your curriculum while gaining unprecedented ability to assess your child’s skills and progress. The flexibility of this feature ensures that assignments can be aligned with your child’s interests and that the grading rubrics used are consistent with your unique homeschooling goals.
