Rosie Vargas. Blog # 5 Routman (2003) Chapter 9: Emphasize Shared Reading

Rosie Vargas. Blog # 5 Routman (2003) Chapter 9: Emphasize Shared Reading

        I have always enjoyed shared reading. I like teacher directed instruction because I feel like I have more control of the classroom and I know what everyone is doing. I am able to practice shared reading in my Spanish classes, after school reading groups and adult English class. In the lower grades I am the main reader and I expect the students to follow along. I usually provide a copy for the students to follow along with.  Routman explains that as the teacher progresses word by word and line by line with a pointer or sliding piece of paper, students should join in visually and/or orally. In my adult English class I have them join in orally. Routman goes on to say that these repeated readings build confidence, fluency, and word familiarity as well as provide practice in phonemic awareness and phonics (Routman, p 131.)

In the upper grades I usually begin by reading it first but then I allow the class to read also. I usually pick volunteers to read first. Most often the students that raise their hand to volunteer tend to be strong readers and it works well. However, if I see that the reading is not flowing well I will continue reading it myself. Routman explains that one of the advantages of shared reading is that it moves at a brisk pace and it helps students stay engaged and focused, so if we start losing that flow then students become disengaged and meaning is lost. During my Spanish classes I like to use books on tape or I find an online reading of the story. This way the students will continue to hear a strong, model reader and it gives me a break from having to read the story over and over again.

Something that has always concerned me about shared reading is that occasionally I have a student that is pretending to be following along but they really aren’t. However, Routman gives some really great cloze and evaluation activities to help with this. The author suggest to let students know upfront that you will occasionally pause in your reading and expect them to fill in the next word. This sets expectation for students and lets the teacher know if students are following along. Two other evaluation possibilities that I am taking away from the readings are to draw an important or favorite scene or have the students read the last page independently or with a partner and then discuss as a class how the story ends (Routman, p.137). I have enjoyed reading this chapter on Emphasizing Shared Reading and I am looking forward to trying out some of these strategies in my classes.