Shared Reading (We - Group)
Similar to a read aloud, I read a book to the class in shared reading. However, in shared reading, the students join in and read in unison with me, either silently or aloud. I use an enlarged text, such as a big book, or the Smartboard or document camera, which are technological tools that allow students to easily see the text and illustrations. As we read, I may point to the words, which draws their attention to the printed text. Shared reading helps familiarize students with text that they can later use independently for writing and reading. In fact, I encourage students to re-read these books during independent reading times. By doing this, it helps the students expand their awareness of the function of print, familiarity with language patterns and word recognition skills.
Shared reading is especially helpful to meet the needs of our diverse class. For example, students who are accelerated readers may enjoy the challenge of reading the interesting and natural language of the books. Likewise, students who may be struggling, such as our English Language Learners, would benefit from shared reading because it is a highly effective technique to develop confidence and build on students' skills in reading and speaking English.
Shared reading is especially helpful to meet the needs of our diverse class. For example, students who are accelerated readers may enjoy the challenge of reading the interesting and natural language of the books. Likewise, students who may be struggling, such as our English Language Learners, would benefit from shared reading because it is a highly effective technique to develop confidence and build on students' skills in reading and speaking English.