Saturday, October 31, 2015

Meghan Blick - "Emphasize Shared Reading" (Routman: Chapter 9)


     After reading Routman’s Chapter 9, “Emphasize Shared Reading,”  I feel validated in my attempts to incorporate shared reading during my reading block and across content areas.  I love reading professional texts that are easy to understand and that give me simple ways to implement strategies in my classroom.  That is exactly what Routman does in Chapter 9!  
     I find myself using shared reading quite a bit in my classroom. I love shared reading because it is an interactive experience where students feel confident because there is great support through the reading. I also appreciate that shared reading allows students to enjoy texts that they may not be successful in reading on their own.  Sometimes I question myself…”Is this worth my time?” or “Should they be following along with me or reading on their own?” I have found that shared reading is an important component of my mini lesson.  Following the shared reading, the students often transition into guided reading groups or independent reading and conferencing.  I agree with Routman that when attention is given to shared reading, guided practice and independent practice is much more meaningful!
     Routman states “shared reading typically improves reading achievement.”   I love that Routman gives practical ways to use shared reading to introduce literary genres, informational texts, or to just simply enjoy a picture book together.  As teachers, we must think ahead about what we want to model for our students.  It is important for us to remember that the purpose of shared reading is not only reading the words together.  Routman suggests that teachers use shared reading to demonstrate and discuss the following:


  • Fluency
  • Author’s Craft
  • How to figure out vocabulary
  • Character Motivation
  • Confirming
  • How to read nonfiction
  • How texts work
  • Summarizing
  • Predicting
  • Asking questions
  • Making connections
  • Inferring
  • Learning new information
  • Enjoying reading


  Throughout the chapter, Routman includes a framework for shared reading that is applicable across grade levels and content areas, the advantages of shared reading, and purposes for shared reading.  Routman also includes questioning and modeling strategies that teachers can easily incorporate with any text.  This chapter is wonderful for anyone looking for new ways to use shared reading!  

2 comments:

  1. Shared reading is definitely an important part of balanced literacy. I hope other teachers are in tune with this chapter as well because I believe that it provides the connected sharing that teachers miss if they are only doing independent reading and guided reading. Thank you for sharing this important aspect of reading instruction with students and teachers alike.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It sounds like you got a lot of helpful tips out of this chapter! Shared reading does indeed teach a lot!

    ReplyDelete