Alisha Bridges Jan/Feb Blog post Ch. 9 Emphasizing Shared Reading

For my January and February blog, I selected the chapter on shared reading. As a first grade teacher, doing shared reading came naturally as all students wanted a turn and this was the best solution to model my fluency in reading. I do feel, as the author suggests, that upper grades could benefit from shared reading as a powerful tool. The opportunities to model thinking as a reader, voice inflection, and fluency are ripe in shared reading. Sometimes older students may scoff at the idea of "needing help" or "not reading independently", but done right the fun factor will draw in these detractors. I think some key components to making shared reading work are highlighted by the author when he mentions "a relaxed setting, maximum support" and "no fear of failure". This is one of the reasons I enjoy having a small group of 2nd graders that I pull to do reading intervention. The small group makes it so inviting and less inhibiting, so that even the very shy students can participate. In front of a whole class of watchful eyes and students who may make fun, reading aloud can be scary. The students who need the most support tend to participate less, speak more softly when reading, and fall back on coping mechanisms they have learned to mask their reading deficits. This is why small groups, where mistakes are encouraged as a clue for what the teacher can better teach the group and where there is no chance of hiding reading weaknesses, are so important. While reading, I also noticed that the author mentioned the cost effectiveness of shared reading and the fact that every student doesn't require their own copy of the text during shared reading. I think that is something that sometimes prevents teachers from trying it. Of course, my tech trainer mind immediately decided that one text, projected via document camera, was the way to do this shared reading. OR you could find a shared reading example online and project it on the Promethean board. Possibilities are endless! I like how the author also suggests shared reading aloud as powerful tool. I find my students perform at such a higher level when they know that they will be showing someone else their work at some time. World Read Aloud Day Skype-a-thon on Feb. 24th is providing my 2nd grade pull out group with just such an opportunity. We are Skyping (as well as at least 2 other classes and the school's librarian, GO BOBO!) with another class to read aloud to them and they to us. It makes meaning for their reading practice and for finding the context clues in the book we are endeavoring to read for this. The example in the text by Routman of how the reading lesson progresses with what the teacher says and what the teacher does was great to read before implementing this practice to prepare! I hope to implement more shared reading and shared read alouds with my small group.