Vicky McLain's Post 7: Routman Chp. 9 Emphasize Shared Reading

This is an excellent chapter that is full of useful examples of how to successfully implement shared reading.

The opening paragraph grabs my attention because she says that utilizing shared reading makes reading enjoyable, helps us with small groups, enriches the classroom bonds, and improves reading achievement.  Shared reading makes our reading “visual” for our students as discussed in Chp.8 about teaching comprehension.

The method: Teacher models by reading a text with fluency and expression and invites the students to read along.  I can see why this method tapers off in upper elementary grades.  Students become more self-conscious to the point of inhibiting such enjoyable participation. We can reclaim this enthusiasm by modeling and encouraging. I think poetry is an excellent way to implement this “purposeful teaching, discussing activity” (pg. 133) into my schedule.

Shared reading is much more than the method listed above.  Shared reading can take on various forms…teacher: student, teacher:students, student: teacher, and I think even (with practice) student:student.  Changing it up keeps it exciting.  The framework on pgs. 134-137 is helpful.  I noticed that in the student section there is nothing about answering questions in response to the text.  Interestingly, that is how we usually evaluate understanding.  The purpose for questioning is found in the teacher section is more focused on resulting in purposeful and meaningful discussion than assessment.

Routman’s gift of detailed shared reading lessons of picture books, informational texts, and other genres provides us with a closer look at how we can make shared reading doable and enjoyable in our classrooms.  Since we don’t use transparencies we could use Big Universe or other texts online to facilitate this activity.

In the past, I’ve relied on the teacher’s manual of the basal as a helpful tool for conducting shared reading.  I didn’t call it that at the time.  But that is what was happening though it didn’t involve as much meaningful discussion as Routman’s examples.