Sara Malone - March/April Blog - Chap.9 Emphasize Shared Reading

Shared Reading is a concept that is an absolute must in my classroom and should be across all early childhood classrooms. Shared Reading is a crucial concept that a young learner benefits from in so many ways. Not to mention, it’s one of my favorite parts of teaching literacy. I get to model correct pronunciation, fluency, and I get to add my personal touches with enthusiasm and expression. When we are emphasizing shared reading in our classrooms, it brings a little bit of comfort to those who could possibly be uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the content or text.   

It is ideal for guided participation and students are encouraged to participate without any pressure or fear of failure. I think that the fear of failure in reading, especially reading aloud, can be a plague to several early learners who lack the confidence or the ability. I can always see the fear on some of my learner’s faces when I say that we are going to read our text together. It can sometimes fill them with such anxiety that I know that they are completely unwilling to participate. I never want that to be the case for any of my learners.  Shared reading almost always increases the confidence level in these anxiety ridden students. They are simply modeling what they’ve seen modeled by me. The fact that they strive to model reading the correct way, gives them confidence and me satisfaction knowing that my struggling readers are trying their best to comply and feel included.

And yes, it provides a lot of teaching and practice in a short period of time. I always feel more connected to my learners when they are sitting at my feet. Having a shared reading time with my learners so close to me, allows me to hear them, see them, and know how engaged they are with me. The multiple mini lessons that can be taught during shared reading are endless. I love how many connections to the real world can be made through shared reading. So many grammar concepts can be highlighted and it can be used effectively for teaching and learning across the curriculum.

I also love shared reading in that it sets up what is necessary for my small group literacy conversations. Because we’ve already used shared reading, my small groups can spring board off of that onto other skills and even apply certain strategies. The groups become much more efficient to manage and my expectations of them can be much higher. It boosts and supports what has already been demonstrated and practiced.

I do feel that we have somewhat moved away from using Big Books in the early childhood classrooms. I love Big Books! Yes, I am a fan of using smart boards and other means of technology and even some packaged curriculums, but there’s something intimate about using a big book, with your learners at your feet, feeling the pages, and pointing the words together. If I had my druthers, I’d use  big books every week! (maybe a possible grant in the future??)

I hope that shared reading continues to be a high priority for all early childhood classrooms. I know that I will always make it a top priority in my own classroom. Many of our learners do not have the appropriate model for reading at all. I know that I can be, and that I should be, that constant model - especially when it comes to reading.