Hi! I wanted to share some reflections based on the book, Good-bye Round Robin Reading, by Opitz & Rasinski. Although many of us know round-robin reading isn't a "best practice", it still occurs in our classrooms. Of course, it's acceptable to use on occasion, but if it is the only practice used, things can be improved. Here are alternates and reasons behind a shift away from only using "round robin" reading...
Alternate strategies for Shared and Guided Reading
Silent reading is the key to effective reading. The reading we encourage in our classrooms should be silent, just as we typically do outside of school. Silent reading is faster and allows students to more easily recall information from text.
*Oral reading has a social dimension and is necessary when we want to share information. Here are a few reasons to use oral reading:
1. To whet student’s appetite for reading and books.
2. To share or perform or build confidence.
3. To develop listening comprehension and expand vocabulary.
4. To assist students in developing numerous skills associated with reading.
5. To provide a means of sharing reading progress
Alternatives to Round-Robin for Student Oral Reading:
*Radio Reading – students perform pre-selected portions that they have an opportunity to rehearse and then share. Other students are the listeners.
*Readers Theater – groups of students use their reading voices to perform a story or script for an audience (without memorizing lines or using costumes or props)
*Whisper Reading – while students are engaged in silent reading, the teacher circulates and listens to each child individually whisper read where they are in the text.
*Paired Reading – a struggling reader is paired with a proficient reader and share a text. The “tutor” should wait to see if the “tutee” self-corrects, before offering help.
There is a place for oral reading in the classroom in addition to silent reading, but it must be done for specific, authentic purposes. Here are some examples:
Teacher Led-Oral Reading:
*Think Aloud – teacher verbalizes his/her thoughts to ensure comprehension
*Induced Imagery – teaching students to make mental images as they read
*Directed Listening Thinking Activity (DLTA) – making predictions
*Read Aloud – offers students the opportunity to hear a reading expert (especially valuable for struggling readers to see a model of fluent and expressive reading)
**For further information and understanding please read:
Having students read orally, one after the other (ie,round-robin), poses the following problems:
1. It provides an inaccurate view of reading.
2. Students may not be able to fully develop their reading potential. (Others help them before they have a chance to self-correct.)
3. It can cause inattentive behaviors as students don’t necessarily follow along.
4. Oral reading can take much longer and consumes valuable classroom time.
5. It can be a source of anxiety and embarrassment for students.
(As noted per Opitz & Rasinski, but of course, the teacher’s own professional judgement is the key to any successful classroom. )
Alternate strategies for Shared and Guided Reading
Silent reading is the key to effective reading. The reading we encourage in our classrooms should be silent, just as we typically do outside of school. Silent reading is faster and allows students to more easily recall information from text.
*Oral reading has a social dimension and is necessary when we want to share information. Here are a few reasons to use oral reading:
1. To whet student’s appetite for reading and books.
2. To share or perform or build confidence.
3. To develop listening comprehension and expand vocabulary.
4. To assist students in developing numerous skills associated with reading.
5. To provide a means of sharing reading progress
Alternatives to Round-Robin for Student Oral Reading:
*Radio Reading – students perform pre-selected portions that they have an opportunity to rehearse and then share. Other students are the listeners.
*Readers Theater – groups of students use their reading voices to perform a story or script for an audience (without memorizing lines or using costumes or props)
*Whisper Reading – while students are engaged in silent reading, the teacher circulates and listens to each child individually whisper read where they are in the text.
*Paired Reading – a struggling reader is paired with a proficient reader and share a text. The “tutor” should wait to see if the “tutee” self-corrects, before offering help.
There is a place for oral reading in the classroom in addition to silent reading, but it must be done for specific, authentic purposes. Here are some examples:
Teacher Led-Oral Reading:
*Think Aloud – teacher verbalizes his/her thoughts to ensure comprehension
*Induced Imagery – teaching students to make mental images as they read
*Directed Listening Thinking Activity (DLTA) – making predictions
*Read Aloud – offers students the opportunity to hear a reading expert (especially valuable for struggling readers to see a model of fluent and expressive reading)
**For further information and understanding please read:
Having students read orally, one after the other (ie,round-robin), poses the following problems:
1. It provides an inaccurate view of reading.
2. Students may not be able to fully develop their reading potential. (Others help them before they have a chance to self-correct.)
3. It can cause inattentive behaviors as students don’t necessarily follow along.
4. Oral reading can take much longer and consumes valuable classroom time.
5. It can be a source of anxiety and embarrassment for students.
(As noted per Opitz & Rasinski, but of course, the teacher’s own professional judgement is the key to any successful classroom. )