As an educator, one of my key
goals in language and literacy is to help my students develop the knowledge and
skills to become effective readers. What is an effective reader? As the Ontario Language Curriculum discusses,
an effective reader is one who is “able to think clearly, creatively, and
critically” about the information and ideas presented in a text and “to recognize
their relevance in other contexts” (p. 10). In this blog, I will focus on how
shared reading is a valuable instructional strategy that helps students to
develop their fluency and critical thinking skills.
What is Shared
Reading?
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| Wisconsin Watch. (2009, September). Online [Photo]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2e6FD2D. |
As the Ministry of Education’s A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction outlines,
shared reading is when the teacher instructs students in the use of a reading
strategy as they read and work through the text together. The teacher typically
presents an enlarged copy of the text to students, for example, in big-book
format or through the use of an overhead projector.
While the teacher is the primary reader, the students assume some responsibility of the text as they actively participate by reading portions of the text and working together to discuss and analyse the text. For example, the students might join in to read the repetitive phrases in the text or they may read the lines of a certain character in the books. Throughout the reading, the teacher pauses at strategic points to ask various questions that promote reading comprehension and critical thinking. While it is typically used in the primary and junior grades, the strategy of shared reading is a valuable tool for any grade level as it encourages students to develop and practice the skills necessary for independent reading. For example, a high school class could use shared reading to analyse a scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays.
While the teacher is the primary reader, the students assume some responsibility of the text as they actively participate by reading portions of the text and working together to discuss and analyse the text. For example, the students might join in to read the repetitive phrases in the text or they may read the lines of a certain character in the books. Throughout the reading, the teacher pauses at strategic points to ask various questions that promote reading comprehension and critical thinking. While it is typically used in the primary and junior grades, the strategy of shared reading is a valuable tool for any grade level as it encourages students to develop and practice the skills necessary for independent reading. For example, a high school class could use shared reading to analyse a scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays.
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| Key differences between reading aloud and shared reading. Abrams Learning Trends. Online [Image]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2ekFcPF. |
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What Reading Skills Can Be Developed through Shared Reading?
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Education.com, Inc. (2014, May). Online [Image]
Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1SJYICf |
Fluency
When I read aloud in shared reading, I am able to model for my students how to read a text fluently and with expression. My students then have the opportunity to practice this skill as a group when they read their portion of the text.
In his book Reasons to Teach Children to Read Aloud, Keith Polette emphasizes the importance of oral reading in improving reading fluency as it provides students with the opportunity to practice using cues to recognize words and reading with a high percentage of accuracy. As the student reads aloud with their peers, they are able to monitor their own voice to hear whether what they are reading makes sense and sounds fluent. This development of fluency corresponds well to the curriculum as the third expectation of the Reading strand is that students will be able to use their knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently.
When I read aloud in shared reading, I am able to model for my students how to read a text fluently and with expression. My students then have the opportunity to practice this skill as a group when they read their portion of the text.
In his book Reasons to Teach Children to Read Aloud, Keith Polette emphasizes the importance of oral reading in improving reading fluency as it provides students with the opportunity to practice using cues to recognize words and reading with a high percentage of accuracy. As the student reads aloud with their peers, they are able to monitor their own voice to hear whether what they are reading makes sense and sounds fluent. This development of fluency corresponds well to the curriculum as the third expectation of the Reading strand is that students will be able to use their knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently.
Critical Thinking
During shared reading, I can use prompts to encourage my students to develop their critical thinking skills. It is important that my students learn how to analyse what message is being presented and how it is constructed. As we work through the text, I would pause periodically to ask my students various questions that encourage them to make predictions and draw inferences.
For example, I could ask my students to make a prediction about the book based on its title page and to explain what clues they used to make that prediction. As we read the text, I might ask students why a certain illustration was used and what meaning it is meant to convey. I might also ask students to consider how the author’s choice of vocabulary or imagery contributes to the meaning of the story. This promotion of critical thinking corresponds well to the curriculum as the second expectation of the Reading strand is that students will be able to recognize various text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and understand how they are used by the author to communicate meaning.
During shared reading, I can use prompts to encourage my students to develop their critical thinking skills. It is important that my students learn how to analyse what message is being presented and how it is constructed. As we work through the text, I would pause periodically to ask my students various questions that encourage them to make predictions and draw inferences.
For example, I could ask my students to make a prediction about the book based on its title page and to explain what clues they used to make that prediction. As we read the text, I might ask students why a certain illustration was used and what meaning it is meant to convey. I might also ask students to consider how the author’s choice of vocabulary or imagery contributes to the meaning of the story. This promotion of critical thinking corresponds well to the curriculum as the second expectation of the Reading strand is that students will be able to recognize various text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and understand how they are used by the author to communicate meaning.
How Can We Integrate Technology in Shared Reading?
As a teacher in the digital age,
I want to embrace technology in education and use it to enhance my students' learning
experience. For shared reading, therefore, I would choose to
display the text using a LCD projector or a Smart Board as this would allow
students to easily interact with the text by creating digital annotations.
In his article "Do Your Students Read Critically?", Ben Johnson discusses how actions such as highlighting words, underlining phrases, and writing notes in the text’s margin are helpful steps for students as they critically analyze a text. Technology allows students to digitally annotate the text and to share this critical thinking with their classmates in a more visible way as everyone can see the text on a large screen. During shared reading, therefore, I would encourage my students to use the digital tools available to underline repetitive words or phrases, highlight rich vocabulary, or draw arrows to certain features or stylistic elements of the text that they think are important for communicating meaning.
In his article "Do Your Students Read Critically?", Ben Johnson discusses how actions such as highlighting words, underlining phrases, and writing notes in the text’s margin are helpful steps for students as they critically analyze a text. Technology allows students to digitally annotate the text and to share this critical thinking with their classmates in a more visible way as everyone can see the text on a large screen. During shared reading, therefore, I would encourage my students to use the digital tools available to underline repetitive words or phrases, highlight rich vocabulary, or draw arrows to certain features or stylistic elements of the text that they think are important for communicating meaning.
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| Scholastic Inc. (2012, April). Online [Photo]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2dVVIc5. |
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