round robin reading

STOP Round Robin or Popcorn Reading

Research doesn’t support round-robin or “popcorn” reading. Students do less reading with the round-robin or “popcorn” format. Poor readers are stigmatized; this method lacks differentiation and slows reading rates. It’s an outdated practice. Pulling names on popsicle sticks for students to read aloud must also stop!

The following methods are flexible. You can use different methods during one lesson.

Shared Reading: The teacher reads aloud, modeling fluency and expression, while students follow along in their text copy. The teacher stops and models comprehension strategies.
Choral Reading: More than one student reads at a time. The teacher may or may not choose to read with the readers. You can split into ‘this half’ and ‘that half’ of the reading group (or the class) to read at once. Fluent readers can pull along slower readers. This also has a musical quality that is very attractive to students. Students can also repeat sections as needed to build fluency and intonation.
Echo Reading: This is wonderful for building fluency and expression. The teacher reads part of the text with enthusiasm, expression, and fluency. Students are then asked to read that same part of the text in the same way.
Independent Silent Reading: Students read to a clear stopping and starting point. They read for a purpose. Follow this up with a discussion to assess comprehension. Students who finish early may respond in response journals. Beginning readers can read into whisper phones to avoid getting distracted by others.
Whisper Reading: Beginning readers whisper read so the teacher can listen in and intervene when necessary.
Reader’s Theater: Individuals practice their parts to “perform.” The Reading A-Z website has reader’s theatre selections in many guided reading levels. Consider becoming a member! Here are free Free Reader’s Theater Scripts.
Teacher Cloze Reading: The teacher begins reading aloud while the students follow along. They read when the teacher drops out of the reading on important words that students need to stress. This may include a word or two in every sentence. This method is often used in the intermediate grades with informational text.
Partner Reading: This is when two students read using reciprocal teaching. The teacher sets a purpose, a clear starting and stopping point, and what to do when finished reading. Students “Check for Understanding” after each page by telling who/what each page was about. To pair students, research suggests listing the students in descending order of reading ability. For example, in a class of 24, the most proficient reader is #1, and the one who needs the most support is #24. Divide the class list in half to have numbers 1–12 on one list and 13–24 on another. Align the two lists so that #1 is lined up with #13, #2 with #14, #3 with #15, and so on until #12 matches #24. There will not be such a significant difference between each pair’s proficiencies.
Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies: These strategies are a form of partner reading. Teachers assign partners to match higher and lower-needs students. The partners engage in a series of turns reading, rereading, and retelling. PALS focuses on three activities to support fluency and comprehension. These are partner reading, paragraph shrinking, and prediction relay. In pairs, each partner takes the lead as Coach, alternating with the role of Reader. The reader reads aloud, and the coach listens and provides positive feedback. The students work together to ask questions as they read, shrink paragraphs or summarize, and relay their predictions (following the steps of predict, read, check, and summarize). Watch this YouTube of it: Peer Assisted Learning Strategies.

Instead of Round Robin Reading, Focus on Individual Fluency

Timed Repeated Readings: Pairs of students read an instructional-level text. Students usually read passages of 50–100 words. Each pair should have a copy of a repeated readings chart and a pencil; they should share a stopwatch. First, students read the texts silently. One student reads the passage aloud while the other times the reading and marks errors. The student should maintain appropriate expression. After 6 readings, the student records the information on a chart and the other reads. Weekly charts can track students’ growth. Teachers can meet with each student to confirm the measurements.
Peer Repeated Reading: Peer-repeated readings are without stopwatches. Students read a familiar text. Again, the student pairs read the text silently using a short passage (50–100 words). Then, taking turns, the students read the text orally 3 times. After the first reading, the student who is reading assesses their own reading. After the second reading, the student self-assesses, and the student who is listening comments on how the reading is improving. Then the student reads a final time, self-assessing and listening to their partner’s positive comments. The partners switch.
Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction: FORI is for content area instruction in the primary grades. It involves students rereading a selected text several times over a week. The teacher first reads aloud by the teacher, with the students following along in their copy. Comprehension is emphasized. Over the next few days, the students echo-, choral-, and partner-read the text. Extension activities occur as part of the literacy curriculum.
Radio Reading: In radio reading, students are assigned parts of the text to practice reading. After they have practiced reading their section, they develop questions to ask their peers. The following day, the students read their section aloud like radio announcers. Once their section is finished, they may ask their peers the questions they developed. If necessary, they may reread sections of their selection to help their classmates answer the questions. This is not round-robin reading because students practice their reading before they read aloud.

Instead of Round Robin Reading, Have the Whole Class Read at Once

Reciprocal Teaching: Break students into groups of 4. The purpose is to make reading techniques that good readers use visible to all students, to show and MODEL and DO what good readers do. Students must internalize that they must do these things in their heads with everything they read. Good readers use these steps, although they are not always visible:

Predictor (makes and revises predictions)

Clarifier (clarifies difficult points and vocabulary)

Questioner (clarifies points of uncertainty)

Summarizer (tells main points, in order)

Students rotate roles.

The best reading specialist website. How to teach reading and writing. Stop round robin reading.

Reciprocal Teaching Plus: Students read literally, inferentially, and critically. This method is based on reciprocal teaching (Palincsar & Brown, 1984). First, the teacher models the four parts of reciprocal teaching. Next, the teacher moves the students towards using the 4 strategies in pairs. Students read pieces of text silently, taking turns questioning, summarizing, clarifying, and predicting. Finally, Reciprocal Teaching Plus asks students to critically evaluate the text, identify the author’s perspective, and analyze what points of view are omitted from the text. Prompts to use:

Whose story is being told? What is the author’s point of view or perspective?

Is the author taking one side or another? Does the author tell the reader that they are doing this?

Whose story is not told? Why might that be?

What might another point of view or perspective be?

Crazy Professor Reading Game: Check it out here: Crazy Professor Reading Game. This is a 4 step method.

Step 1: The students read independently with dramatic expressions. This helps them emphasize keywords and increase comprehension.

Step 2: The students use hand gestures to add a critical motor element to deepen comprehension further.

Step 3: The students teach their neighbor. Partners dramatically ask questions about what they’ve read (using hand gestures), and the other student answers dramatically, using hand gestures as well. While doing this step, both students build their summarizing and paraphrasing abilities.

Step 4: The pairs take on roles. One is the crazy professor, who summarizes everything very dramatically. The other is the student who eagerly repeats what the crazy professor says.

Jigsaw For Content Area Reading: Assign reading sections, and split students into different groups. Have the whole class count off by 1, 2, 3, 4. Then all the 1’s are a group, 2’s are a group. etc.) Assign each group a text section to read and become an expert on. Cooperatively, the students will read and comprehend. Each group member becomes the expert on one section of text to teach the other groups. The teacher decides which graphic organizer is the most appropriate for each group to synthesize information to teach different groups. Then, students get in mixed groups, each with 1, 2, 3, and 4 members, and teach their section.

01/18/2015

Edited on 08/20/2024

References

Edutopia