So I've gotten into the routine of rereading the story each and everyday of the week but in different ways. We don't get to all of them in a week but my kids have always enjoyed choosing and doing the different ways of reading each week.
Here are the current options my kids have;
Teacher Reading: This is just me reading the story normally. I ask the students questions while I read and model how I read to myself. I always begin a new story with this style of reading so they can hear the words the correct way.
Buddy Readers: The students get paired up and read one page at a time to each other and then switch. While others finish, they talk about what they liked or didn't. Trust me, when it comes to telling them what you expect... Tell them EXACTLY what you want to see the first few times. I also choose their partners by choosing sticks the first time and make the "deal" that should they do it correctly this time, next time they can choose there own partners. Then it becomes a biweekly routine of I pick, you pick.
Computer Reading: I like to incorporate technology in my room as much as possible but its hard and this is an easy way to do just that. Our reading program comes with online software that reads the weekly story aloud but I've also started checking You Tube each week to see if they have a movie of the story as well. I have my kids follow along in their books during this. Especially during the You Tube clips, I go over any possible changes and compare/contrast.
Echo Reading: Beware, this can be a really long one! It's exactly what it sounds like; you say a line from the test and the kids repeat it, then repeat the first two steps until the end of the story. I usually point to myself or them depending on who should be speaking but other than that it's pretty self explanatory.
Scary Story Reading: This is my kids' favorite every year. I turn out all the lights, with the exception of one so I can see as a walk and I carry the book and a flashlight around while my class stays in their seats following along. I read the entire story in a "scary" voice and even get loud for the last word on a page to startle them. When I had a rug in my room I used to gather them there as well. My kids love this one so much we have a two week limit on it. Meaning: after two consecutive weeks of scary reading, we don't have it as an option for a week.
Round the World Reading: Basically this is 'round the room' reading... I walk around the room and if my hand is on their shoulder they are reading, if not they are silent.
Flashlight Reading: Very similar to Round the World and Scary Story; I turn off the lights and use a flashlight. If my light is on your book, you read... If not, you're silent.
Popcorn Reading: I use Popsicle sticks for this. I make it a challenge for my kids. We see how quickly we can move from person to person with a break. I choose sticks at random and call out who reads after each paragraph or sentence.
Feel free to alter these however you would like... We all have our own preferences and they sometimes change with our classes.
Until next time...
