JP Pohl
Emphasize Shared Reading (Routman)

I do a lot of shared reading throughout the school year. I agree that it builds confidence and fluency in most readers. I find that at the beginning of the school year that a lot of my students know the words or can recite the words to several books but the majority can not find or point to the words in the text. Which is not a bad thing because more exposure to those best loved stories the more chances to pick up those words in later stories.
I agree that a shared reading story is quick and typically keeps all students engaged. Also, I find that the students are eager to answer questions about the book and offer support to those students who might continue to struggle. I think guided reading groups is a great opportunity for shared reading, the groups are smaller, the conversations are more in depth and it allows the students a chance to try and not be embarrassed if they got the word wrong. The book listed several great reasons for shared reading and I agree with all but one. I do not think that shared reading a time to teach a phonics lesson, I think the teacher would model how to decode unfamiliar words but I would think the best time to teach that would be during smaller, guided reading groups.
On page 133, in the teaching tip, I had never really thought about this but it makes sense that when your reading and thinking aloud, to move the book down or away from you when you are expressing your own thoughts/ ideas. Several times I have been stopped by students who quickly inform me "that's not what the book says" and I have to stop and address that in fact they are right, its what I am thinking in my head or what I am wondering about.