Phonics: Lesson 5 - Rereading to Build Fluency

Introduction

Today, you will read words with vowel-consonant-e syllables and write in response to reading.

Let’s review how to read unfamiliar words.

Step 1. Look for the word parts at the beginning of the word (prefixes).
Step 2. Look for the word parts at the end of the word (suffixes).
Step 3. In the base word, look for familiar spelling patterns.
Step 4. Sound out and blend together the word parts.
Step 5. Say the word parts fast. Adjust your pronunciation as needed.

Reread the passage.

Medical Robots

A man lies on an operating table having heart surgery. A robot’s hand is holding the scalpel. Is this a science fiction movie? No, it’s really happening!

Of course, there is a doctor close by who controls the robot. The doctor is using a special computer to guide the robot’s movement. Together, both doctor and robot perform the surgery to save the man’s life.

All around the world today, robots are helping doctors do surgery. Using robots has many advantages. A robot’s movements are perfectly steady, so the cuts it makes are more precise than those made by a human hand. A robot has little clips that act like fingers. These clips can reach into tiny holes, so smaller incisions can be made. When small cuts are made, patients are able to heal more quickly. The risk of infection is reduced, and scars are smaller, too. Patients feel less pain, recover faster, and leave the hospital sooner.

Not all medical robots do surgery. Some robots work with patients and have them exercise. Others move around the hospital delivering supplies and medicine to doctors and nurses. Scientists keep thinking of new uses for medical robots and new ways they can help us.

Discussion:
Why do some doctors use medical robots to help them perform surgery? What other tasks can medical robots do in hospitals? What are some advantages of having them do these tasks? Find details from the text to support your answers.