Fluency Activity: Shared Reading

Shared Reading is an interactive reading experience. Children join in the reading of a big book guided by a teacher. Student interactivity is the distinguishing feature of Shared Reading versus Reading Aloud. The books that you read need to be at the students' level in order for them to join in. The reader involved the children in reading together, allowing the students to participate. Shared Reading models the reading process and strategies used by readers.

Example video of a Shared Reading activity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu3QH9AJn0s

Teaching Methods: - Initial reading (done by teacher) follows this pattern: Gather children in an area close to the book. The book must be easily seen by the children. Chose a book that relates to topics being studied in the classroom, or books that the children are interested in. • Introduce book (share theme, examine title, cover, illustrations, etc. make predictions) o Prompt the students with questions about the illustrations, characters, and themes. Encourage the students to make predictions. • Excite student's imagination and relate prior experience to text o Encourage students to make connections to their prior knowledge and share any background information they may have. • Concentrate on enjoying the text as a whole (Read with few stops) o Teacher should read the book fluently. • Encourage spontaneous participation in the reading of the story o Reread the book several times. • Discuss personal responses to the book • Be positive in accepting/encouraging children's responses • Direct children's attention to various aspects of the text, and reading strategies, and skills. Many of the strategies needed for independent reading can be taught during shared reading, especially when shared reading takes place with a small group versus the whole class. • Identify vocabulary, ideas and facts, discuss author's style, skill, and viewpoint. Remember to focus on the enjoyment of the story. Try not to draw attention away from the story with too many teaching points or too much attention to detail. o Keep students engaged. • Experiment with intonation and expression, discuss colorful phrases or words. o Talk about expression and smoothness. • Attend to teaching points as they arise. (http://www.oe.k12.mi.us/balanced_literacy/shared_reading.htm)