Shared reading just happens in big books ANY big book can be used for a shared

reading lesson Repeated reading of a big book is a

sufficient shared reading lesson, it doesn’t need to be systematic

If all kids sound like they’re reading chorally, they’re all engaged and learning

If there aren’t any big books in my classroom, I’ll just use poems or songs everyday

my phonics program’s materials are sufficient for shared reading

Where the students join the teacher to read aloud in unison from an enlarged text

The teacher guides the reading by using a pointer

Can be used with the whole class or a small group

Based on research by Don Holdaway (1979) and builds from a child’s experience with bedtime stories

Provide children with an enjoyable reading experience

Introduce them to a variety of authors and illustrators

To teach children systematically and explicitly to be readers and writers themselves

To support young readers as they begin to attend to the details of print while still focusing on meaning and enjoyment

Builds on previous experiences with books Provides language models Expands vocabulary Lays a foundation for guided and

independent reading Supports children who are on the verge of

reading so that they can enjoy participating in whole class stories

Provides an opportunity for the teacher to demonstrate phrased fluent reading and to draw attention to critical concepts about print

Helps children become familiar with texts that they can use independently as resources for reading and writing

Shared reading resources should be carefully selected to teach specific skills and strategies in reading and writing

Each book should be used in many different ways over a long period of time

What you teach will depend on the needs of your class

Look carefully at your assessments and conference notes to determine what needs to be focused on in shared reading lessons

Big books Well known poems Well known songs Non-fiction pieces Interactive writing Narrative stories

Chart paper Books Overheads Posters Teacher made

books Student copies

Rhyme Repetition Rich language A simple,

satisfying story line

Clear spacing between words

Action A dramatic ending A strong, rhythmic

quality to the language

Revisiting a text for an entire week will allow students to see how the three sources of information are used when reading

Developing familiarity with a text will allow students to focus on the skill or strategy being taught

Shared reading should be used to support the overall teaching of reading

The five key areas of reading instruction are:

ComprehensionPhonemic awarenessPhonicsFluencyVocabulary

let’s consider adding decoding and concepts of print

Monday: focus on comprehension

Tuesday: focus on decoding/phonics/concepts of print

Wednesday: focus on vocabulary/sight words

Thursday: focus on phonemic awareness/phonics

Friday: focus on fluency

Arrange your week in an order that makes sense for your grade level

Consider how and when you teach reading in other formats

How often and in what format do you work on those 5 key areas of reading instruction?

Consider using Isabel Beck’s book, Bringing Words to Life, to teach vocabulary at another time

1. Teacher and students reread a familiar text

2. Teacher and students read a new text3. Teacher explicitly models a specific

skill or strategy in the new text4. The teacher invites the students to try

the skills or strategy modeled in the new text- guided practice

5. Teacher reviews skills/strategy covered6. Teacher and students reread the new

text or portion of the text