Sally Gaskins' April Blog-Routman Ch. 9-Emphasize Shared Reading

I have been thinking all year that something was missing from my classroom, but I couldn't put my finger on it. The first line of this chapter gave me my answer. Regie Routman states, "Shared reading is an important missing piece in many reading programs, especially in grade 2 and above." I always used shared reading when I taught first grade, but it has not been part of my day in 2nd grade. In general, there has not been enough “balanced literacy” in my classroom this year. Shared reading, along with guided reading, independent reading, and read-alouds, are at the heart of a successful, engaging literacy program in early childhood, and 2^nd grade should be included in that group.

 

When I taught first grade, I became proficient at teaching most of those elements of balanced literacy, but I was never as comfortable teaching shared reading as I wanted to be.  This chapter is exactly what I need to understand it better and it is now my “handbook” that will not be far from reach when I plan instruction. Regie Routman expertly lays out “A Framework for Shared Reading Aloud for All Grades” on pages 134-137, and then follows it with her helpful “Teacher Talk” to help teachers know exactly what to say to students. The framework explains in detail the teacher’s job versus the students’ role during shared reading, as well as the type(s) of texts to use, the purpose, advantages, and procedures to follow during shared reading. Finally, it gives suggestions for how to evaluate student learning. What a wonderful guide! The last 10 pages of the chapter give blow-by-blow descriptions of shared reading lessons using different genres. Again, this is just what I’ve needed and I can’t wait to try the lessons out on my class.

 

I think to a certain extent there is no right or wrong way to read a book to a captive audience of 7 year olds gathered around you on the carpet. Or, better yet, to have them read it out loud with you. Just exposing them to more books is a wonderful thing, but to be able to get specific and focused with learning objectives that help the students improve comprehension skills or fluency will move them much further along in their learning. I look forward to bringing shared reading back to my classroom as soon as possible, and with this chapter as my guide, I will better understand why I’m doing it and how to do it effectively.