How Would You Develop a Reading Program?

Setting Up a Reading Program (Year 3-Yr 8)

When I studied teaching at University, one of the things I was almost surprised with was the lack of practical advice given to teachers nigh the day-to-twenty-four hour period workings of actually running a classroom. Yes, I got some "thrilling" lectures about the theory behind learning to read (obviously important), but what I wanted to know was the nuts and bolts reality of running a reading programme: the how, the what, the when, the why – all of it.

This blog mail service is my style of helping teachers to empathise some of the fundamentals of a balanced reading plan. Disclaimer: Is this the simply way to run a reading program? NO! I am not a fan of anyone who says there is only one manner of doing pretty much anything. I push back on that big fourth dimension! People are different. Classes are different. Classroom environments are dissimilar… and the clincher – KIDS are dissimilar. The following is what I found worked for me, the fashion I enjoyed teaching reading, and tips I constitute useful. Take what yous wish from this weblog mail service and add together it to your cognition, skills, preferences and experiences.

Setting Up a Reading Plan

I based my reading program on

1. Effective Literacy Exercise – Years 5-eight which is a volume that should exist in every New Zealand resource room. Information technology is also available via TKI's website hither.
2. The enquiry past literacy expert, Alison Davis. I highly recommend that you lot check out her book "Teaching Reading Comprehension." Yous can find information technology in lots of online retailers, including here (this is not an affiliate link).

My reading program consisted of four areas: reading to, shared reading, guided reading, and contained reading. While I am not in the classroom now (#MUMLIFE), for ease of explanation, the following will exist written in the nowadays tense.

Reading To Students

I read daily to my students from a novel so they are exposed regularly to vocabulary-rich texts. In most cases, they would be unable or unlikely to read these texts independently. Reading aloud allows the teacher to model good reading behaviour and foster a shared honey for a particular book. I love bringing characters alive to students past bringing a bit of interim into the classroom with different voices – students love seeing their teacher being a little less directly-laced from fourth dimension to time!

Some of the benefits of reading to students include opportunities to:

• Model a range of decoding and comprehension strategies e.m. what to practise when you come up to a word that is unfamiliar, how to use prior knowledge.
• Get engrossed in a story without having to worry about decoding – this tin exist a really enjoyable feel for lower readers who are ordinarily so focused on the skills of decoding in their own reading.
• Model your (as the teacher) enjoyment of reading.
• Develop a sense of community in the classroom.
• Explore language features and highlight how they can be used e.thou. "Look at how this simile has been used to depict Mrs Twit."
• Develop students' listening comprehension skills. Every bit Literacy Online says, "Listening to texts read fluently, accurately, and with expression is particularly useful to students who need boosted support in oral language evolution or who are learning English as a new language."
• Bring fun into the classroom!

I really love this book by Dallas Clayton – An Awesome Book! I highly recommend it! It is all near challenging students to dream big dreams; perfect for the outset of the year or every bit an end of the year challenge.

I love Roald Dahl, Morris Glietzman, Paul Jennings, David Walliams… only to name a few!  Here is a great listing that suggests l books that all 9 and 10-year-olds should read. I would extend that out to 8-12-year-olds. Do you lot have a favourite on the listing?

Shared Reading

I used to recall that shared reading was only something done in inferior classrooms, simply after seeing it in practice in a Year 5 and 6 classroom, I became a quick convert. Once or twice a week I read a motion picture book or a large book with the intention of reinforcing strategies that are or will be a focus in guided reading sessions (such as identifying different themes or using the visual information in the text). I likewise utilize it equally a chance to highlight a new type of text that we would be exploring e.1000. a listing of instructions or a scientific report.

All students see a large re-create of the text during shared reading eastward.g. a big book, a poster, a book that is projected onto the board or a screen via an in-course projector or boob tube. When taking function in shared reading, the teacher and students discuss as they go, and read along, or read certain parts individually. As Literacy Online explains. the instructor "will question, prompt, model, tell, explain, direct, and/or give feedback to the students."

The difference between shared reading and 'reading to' is with shared reading both the teacher and students are reading the text together. I more often than not read the words while the students read along (silently). Sometimes students ask to read a paragraph here or there, and I am fine with that besides – a mutual theme hither: there is no "ane" correct fashion.

To gear up for shared reading, I plan my objectives before the lesson and consider what I want to model or hash out using the book. So on each folio, I apply a post-information technology note with any reminders that tin jog my memory. This way I don't demand to refer to a lesson plan throughout the reading session.

To learn more than about the steps in a shared reading lesson, I would highly recommend Alison Davis' book "Teaching Reading Comprehension." Click here to run into more. This is not an affiliate link – I just recall her book is smashing.

The Education Reading Comprehension book pictured is the Commencement Edition. This book now has a Second Edition.

Guided Reading Logistics

I'll let the Guided Reading guru, Alison Davis, give you the definition of guided reading:

Guided reading is a small-group apporach in which students with similar instructional needs are grouped together for explicit comprehension instruction. Students are supported as they read, recall, talk, and question their fashion through a text.

Teaching Reading Comprehension, p212.

I group my students for guided reading based on the students' reading ability. The children are placed in these groups based on diagnostic testing, and prior reading ages from the previous year. This is one fashion to grouping students for guided reading. I accept heard other teachers have success using mixed ability grouping, likewise.

At the beginning of the week, I brandish the guided reading activities on a reading task board. This is a unproblematic chart that I had displayed on my whiteboard then students could meet what activities they are doing during guided reading time. Activities include follow-upwards activities for after their guided reading, grammar and punctuation activities, spelling activities, independent reading, and iPad reading (I will explicate these in more detail later in this weblog mail service).

Here is an case of reading charts from @miss_t_nz. She creates these bully digital tables and then displays them on her class TV.

Here is another instance of reading activities task board from @thekiwiteacher (the logos are where student names are listed).

When I meet with each group for the offset time in the week, we practice our guided reading activities focusing on a particular comprehension strategy. I aim to have a second session with the group afterward in the week where I briefing with the children on the activities they have been working on and likewise mark their work. I detect that using modelling books is a great way to tape student learning due east.g. hunting for adjectives, working out a definition. You tin can also add a learning intention or focus question.

Guided reading sessions

The guided reading sessions focus on the explicit educational activity of a decoding strategy or comprehension strategy and the modelling and scaffolding of this strategy. It is frequently a follow on from a strategy I have modelled earlier during shared reading. I encourage the students to articulate what they are doing every bit they utilize the strategy and then aim for the students to apply the strategy independently as they read a range of texts.  The diagnostic cess at the beginning of the twelvemonth (PATs, Star, Asttle, running records) helps to highlight which strategies should be of particular focus during this teaching fourth dimension.

When we read the text, I prefer for the students to read the folio or paragraph silently while I have one student sit abreast me to read out loud (and then I can check how their reading is going). But remember, there is no 1 approach to rule them all. Some teachers adopt round-robin reading or everyone reading silently.

Yous can read more about guided reading hither.

Contained Reading

An important part of setting up a reading program is making time for independent reading. I make sure the students take a chance to read independently each day in grade (and promise that they will develop a dear for reading that spills into the remainder of their life!) I usually employ the time straight after tiffin every bit silent reading time. Information technology gives students a chance to calm down and settle afterward the craziness of lunchtime.

Now, I am aware that independent reading is not going to be anybody'south thought of a great time. All the same, as the instructor, it is my responsibility to brand independent reading as engaging every bit possible. This means providing a range of texts that will hopefully spark a love for reading in all children. In the spirit of being a expert role model, during the independent reading fourth dimension I recommend picking up a volume and enjoying 10 minutes of contained reading, as well!

Essentials for your reading programme

ane. A broad range of texts

• In my previous blog post, Four Ways to Engage Students in Reading Comprehension Activities, I talked about the importance of providing a wide range of text types. These include brochures, magazines, Net articles, advertisements, newspapers, recipe books, scientific texts, maps and even restaurant menus! Check out the blog post for more than information about guided reading texts.

2. Clear routines, areas, and displays and so students know what to practise, when to do it, and how to do it.

• How practice students know what to practise when non with you e.k. a visible timetable?

• Where exercise they notice their books? An like shooting fish in a barrel fashion to practise this is to put each group's books in a different book box. Caput to your resource room to notice empty journal boxes or head to a $2 shop or K Mart to purchase some inexpensive boxes.

• How volition you record notes on the group yous are working with? Modelling books, annotation book?

• Behaviour direction considerations – kids who know what they are meant to exist doing and have the tools they need are much more likely to be on task.

3. Follow up activities/Independent activities

• When yous are working with a grouping of students it is essential that the rest of your form are able to work independently. My fix up for contained activities included a rotation of:
  • Follow-upward activities from their guided reading session.
  • Spelling activities
  • Literacy skills activities (Grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, figurative language)
  • Independent reading
• In term one, the first vi weeks of the term is spent on modelling my expectations of how, where and when to do these activities. Past term ii, the students understood what to do and were able to move through the rotation hands.
• I also had a selection of early finisher activities bachelor when students had completed their work. In that location is nothing worse than being interrupted past "I'thousand Done, At present What?"

I will link to my resources that fit within each of the activity groups to a higher place.

Guided Reading Follow Up Activities:

Click here to see our Reading Comprehension resources.

Ready to Read Follow Up Activities

This follow-upward activities bundle provides follow-up activities for ALL the electric current Ready to Read readers found in New Zealand schools. That is a full of 133 sets of follow up activities in this bundle! Magenta, Ruby-red, Yellow, Blueish, Green, Orangish, Turquoise, Purple, and Gilt levels are covered and the activities suit each level and stage. An engaging format is used to develop your students' sense of agency and independence – perfect for your reading rotations.

Check out my previous blog posts nigh reading in the classroom.

Spelling Activities

Our spelling activity job cards and Print and Go student worksheets are designed to save you fourth dimension while providing students with a range of fun and interactive ways to practice their spelling words. The best thing most these activity cards is they piece of work with ANY spelling list, so they are perfect for differentiated learning. Click here to see more.

Literacy skills activities

Back to Schoolhouse Starter Kit

Our Back to School Starter Kit contains everything you lot need to go your classroom gear up up and ready for twenty-four hours one. This resource includes classroom decor and display materials, literacy and social studies activities, early finishers and team building activities, and more than!

Print, photocopy and laminate these resources and and so put your anxiety upward knowing you are ready for day one! You'll besides save with our generous discount (25% off!). See more here.

Also in our Kickoff Teacher series

Everybody likes a freebie

A collaborative reading activity, certain to engage your sports-mad students. Using the information sail and their own independent research (QR codes and additional web links are included), students nowadays their learning about Richie McCaw. Employ every bit an A4 affiche or utilize the large affiche pieces that make an A2 poster… and yes, information technology's FREE. Click here to download this gratis resource today.

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