What?
When?
During reading
Why?
How?
- Select a Perspectives text or passage to read aloud. Display it in a visible location.
- Read the text aloud or enlist an expert reader. Only one person at a time actually reads aloud, but everyone should be silently reading along.
- Encourage and support student comprehension with prompts and modeling of Think Aloud strategies that are rooted in the text. For example, you should prompt students to
- answer questions about who, what, where, when, why and how;
- retell the story with details;
- determine the text's main topic or central message;
- describe characters, the setting and major events;
- identify who is telling the story; and
- explain how the illustrations provide information about what is happening next.
- After reading and ensuring all students understand the story and its elements, possible shared reading activities include:
- Take a stand: Present a position related to the text. Ask the children to indicate if they agree or disagree with the position by showing thumbs up or thumbs down.
- Support what you know: After the reading, students take a stand about a topic or theme from the text, then cite evidence from the text to support that stance. Younger children can draw their responses.
- Story dramatization: Students reenact all or part of a story. They share a story, plan the scenes, cast the characters, dramatize and evaluate.
English language learners
The following adaptations can be made for English language learners:
- Pair English language learners with a partner at least one proficiency level higher.
- Offer sufficient wait-time during each pause. (At least 10 seconds is recommended.)
- Scaffold the shared reading with the appropriate structure and methods (e.g., turn and talk, teacher Think Aloud, etc.).
- Plan for several, varied rereads (e.g., choral reading, reading with a partner, silent reading).
Connection to anti-bias education
Shared reading contributes to a positive learning community. The strategy allows students to get to know each other as individuals regardless of in-group and out-group identities. Shared reading ensures that all students feel successful by providing support to the entire group.