Growing Independence
& Fluency
SHH!
We’re Reading!
Rationale: To be a
fluent reader, a child must be able to read both aloud and silently to
themselves. To increase reading speed, fluency, and comprehension,
students
need to learn to read silently. In this lesson, students will learn
techniques
to read silently. In this lesson, the children will be reading a
decodable book
of their choice (with independent reading level stickers) to learn how
to read
without talking.
Materials:
1. Yellow (high
reading
level), red (middle reading level), and blue (lower reading level)
stickers for Independent
reading
levels for books.
2. Classroom library
containing books with Independent Reading level stickers on them.
3. Book talks for a
few of
the books
4. Pencils
5. Reading Journals
6. Worksheet for
cross-checking (at the end of the lesson)
7. Chalk for
chalkboard
8. Sample books for
your
classroom library – Kite Day at Pine Lake by Sheila
Cushman, Teach
Us Amelia, Bedelia by Patricia Parrish, and Leftover Lily by
Sally
Warner
9. Technique
checklist for silent reading
Procedure:
1. Begin the lesson
by
telling the students that they are going to start a reading a different
way
than they have in the past. We are going to learn how to read
silently
today. The teacher will then give a few book talks to get the
students
interested in some of the books they will be able to select from.
(Examples: Kite Day at Pine Lake
by Sheila Cushman, Teach Us Amelia, Bedelia by Patricia
Parrish, and
Leftover Lily by Sally Warner).
Sample Book
Talk for Leftover Lily – Six-year-old Lily is left
out when
her friends exclude her. Lily picks a
new friend to boss around, but her new friend Hilary does not want to
be
controlled by Lily! What is Lily going to do now?
2. The teacher will
also
explain that they will be reading silently so that they can read
faster, and so
they can understand what they are reading a little easier. When we
read out
loud we can sometimes get distracted or distract those around us. When
everyone
is silent, you are able to concentrate on the book you are reading.
Before we
start reading silently, we are going to review a few strategies to help
your
reading be smoother.
3. The teacher will
begin
this by explaining cross-checking to the students. The teacher will
make sure
that when the students read silently, they read for comprehension, not
just for
speed. The teacher will pass out a worksheet with sentences on it
like: The cat
barked when it found its bone, and Sally the mouse ate a piece of
cheese. The
children will go through these sentences on their own, then decide
which ones
make sense to them. Then, the teacher goes over the right answers with
the
whole class and make sure that everyone understands. It is
important to
remember to cross-check, or see if what you are reading makes sense,
when you
are reading silently.
4. Next, the teacher
should
review how to do the cover up method. Write the word "mouth" on the
board. Ask a student, how would you use the cover up method to read
this
word? Good, first you would see what sound the vowel makes, then add
the first
letter to the vowel, and finally add the last sound. (While
explaining this, the teacher will show the ou first, then uncover the m, then add the last sound /th/)
The teacher should
then model how to do some harder words that the children might not know
(absolute, numerous, etc.). For numerous, the teacher should uncover
nu/mer/ous
part by part and explain how to put the sounds together to say the word.
5. Class, I am going to pick
up a book and read the first paragraph. Notice how I read silently, not
where
you can hear me. (Teacher should read silently so students know
how it should
look while they are reading.)
6. Now we are
going to
have some of our own silent reading time. Everyone may pick out one
book to
read from our classroom library. You may pick a book that I gave a book
talk on
earlier, or you may choose another book. Make sure you pick a book that
has the
same color sticker as the stickers that were given to you earlier
today. If you
are reading a chapter book, read as many chapters as you can in the
time you
are given. We are going to be doing silent reading daily from now on,
so you
will have plenty of time to finish your book. Then, the students
will find
a seat wherever they want to in the room and read their book silently.
7. If the teacher
believes a
student is not reading during this time, ask the student what they read
after
the silent reading time is over. The teacher can assess the children by
observing them while they read. The teacher will look at their silent
reading
techniques (checklist for all students):
_____ Voicing
_____ Whisper
_____ Lips Only
_____ Silent
Then, the teacher can
allow
each child to go to the front of the room and share a sentence or two
about
their book. This is to make sure that they read it, and that they
comprehended it.
8. Have the children
write in
their journals what they liked and didn’t like about silent reading.
Also have
them write a sentence or two about what they read in their book. After
the
children have completed their journal entry they will gather together
again and
have a discussion on the importance of silent reading. The class
can then
talk openly about their silent reading experience. They can
discuss the
problems some may have had while silent reading and how each student
can become
a better silent reader.
References:
O’Brian, Barclay “Silence
for
Solo Reading” CTRD Student Spring 2001
Harbour, Mary Ann “Shh…Silent
Reading” CTRD Student Spring 2001
Wilson, P. (1992)
Among
Nonreaders: Voluntary Reading, Reading Achievement, and the Development
of
Reading Habits. In C. Temple and P. Collins (Eds), Stories and Readers:
New
Perspectives on literature in the elementary classroom (157-169).
Norwood,
MA:Christopher Gordon.
Click here to return to Constructions
Worksheet for
Cross-checking
1. The
cat barked when it found its bone.
2. Sally
the mouse ate a piece of cheese.
3. Johnny
does not like her dress.
4. I
bought my dog at the grocery store.
5. Mary
wore her swimsuit in the summertime.