Lori Lonon -Blog Post #5 R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 9

This chapter is about Shared Reading, which Routman points out is a not just a fun extra to be added to your reading program.  She sees it as a necessary part of scaffolding reading instruction as the teacher models, guides and gradually hands over the responsibility to students as they begin to independently comprehend what they read.  It is important to practice this with all varieties of text, pointing out to students the differences in each one and helping them learn how the reader's purpose and strategies for comprehension can change depending on the text.  Doing a shared reading of  shared writing or a student-generated text is also suggested.  In my classroom I often use poetry and song lyrics for shared reading, and then these texts can be dissected even further through word work.  Students are familiar with the text making it less intimidating, and then they begin to examine the words within it with a specific purpose such as finding specific parts of speech, suffixes/prefixes, rhyming words, etc. 

Shared Reading involves reading aloud by the teacher and students, silent reading and discussion.  It takes a "read aloud" to another level.  Students are engaged in the process by not only listening but visually tracking, reading along silently/orally with the teacher and eventually independently or with a partner.  Discussion is crucial.  Students are encouraged to respond immediately to what is being read and collaborate with peers and the teacher to develop comprehension and ask questions.  I call these "book talks" and make them very short so that students stay engaged and focused.  Giving students the opportunity to first listen to me read sets the expectations high.  They then work in very small groups to read another section on their own and discuss the text which holds them accountable for practicing what I have demonstrated.  Hearing other readers share their ideas encourages even struggling readers to participate and builds their confidence.

Routman points out that teachers must choose books for Shared Reading with a purpose. I have found  Shared Reading to be an effective method for teaching comprehension strategies as I first model the strategy and then encourage students to try it out with partners or small groups.  I would like to become more proficient in using Shared Reading in my Science and Social Studies instruction.  The challenge will be finding texts that are both informative yet readable for my students.  I also would like to have students work in groups to create shared writings that summarize what they have learned from a group research project (for example in our upcoming units on weather and animals) and then use those writings for Shared Reading so that all students can learn about what each group has found through their research.