1. Round Robin Reading Rethought
Dr. Kristen Pennycuff Trent

2. 12 Reasons for Using Oral Reading
1. To whet students’ appetites for reading.
2. To share or perform.
3. To help beginning readers better understand how speaking is related to the other language arts and to their lives.
To whet students’ appetites for reading.
Teachers need to fill Ss heads with the beauty and rhythm of language. Through a wide variety of literacture, show Ss what it means to live a full, literate life. **As Friere (1985) says, “Reading is not dancing on top of words. It is grasping the soul of them.”
To share or perform.
Sometimes sharing is informal (hey, listen to this) and sometimes it’s formal (presentation of a paper). Students need to see the value of reading it the pleasure it can bring.
To help beginning readers better understand how speaking is related to the other language arts and to their lives.
R,W,S,L,T all interconnected and integral to everyday life both in and out of school. Ss begin to see that what is written can be read.

3. 4. To develop listening comprehension and vocabulary.
5. To assist students in developing numerous skills associated with reading.
6. To promote language learning for students whose first language is not English.
7. To build confidence.
8. To further develop comprehension.
To develop listening comprehension and vocabulary.
As Ss listen to others read aloud, they expand their listening vocabularies. Provides models of what written lang. sounds like. Huey says, “The ear and not the eye is the nearest gateway to the child’s soul.”
To assist students in developing numerous skills associated with reading.
Fluency, expression, correct phrasing, all indicators of effective reading. Oral reading is best to dev.
To promote language learning for students whose first language is not English.
4 factors for acquisition of 2nd lang: low anxiety environment, repeated practice, comprehensible input, and dramm (McCauley and McCauley, 1992)
To build confidence.
Repeated rehearsal builds confidence and ability to perform in front of others. Provides time to work through problems for easy reading and focusing on expressing meaning.
To further develop comprehension.
Authors use specific language and typographic cues, oral reading helps Ss use both to gather intended meaning.

4. 9. To determine the strategies used when reading.
10. To provide a means of shared reading progress with self and others.
11. To provide children with additional reading time necessary for ongoing reading growth.
12. To address national reading and language arts standards.
To determine the strategies used when reading.
Oral reading is often used as a window for how children read on their own (Goodman). T & S listen, observe, and take notes to determine which strategies were used and which strategies need more development.
To provide a means of shared reading progress with self and others.
Children demonstrate growth to themselves, parents, and other stakeholders by reading aloud. Reading on tape and creating own graphs is an excellent way for SS to see own growth and progress.
To provide children with additional reading time necessary for ongoing reading growth.
Research shows that increasing reading time increases comprehension. Oral reading practice is a good way to increase practice time. Ss are engaged in authentic, meaningful practice. To find a perfect poem, you must read many.
To address national reading and language arts standards.
Std 4 of IRA/NCTE calls for Ss to use spoken language in different ways so they can communicate with diff. audiences for a variety of purposes. OR is perfect!

5. Share the Purpose
Students think the only purpose of oral reading is assessment.
Share with students your reasons for having them read aloud.
If I walked into a primary classroom and asked the Ss, “Why do you think your teacher has you read aloud?” Most Ss would say something like “So she can check my reading.” Let’s tell them why we’re having them to read aloud. To build fluency? To build confidence? To improve comprehension?
RT Script Here

6. Why Move Away from Round Robin Reading?
1. It provides students with an inaccurate view of reading.
2. It can potentially cause faulty reading habits instead of effective reading strategies.
3. It can cause unnecessary subvocalization.
*The Literacy Dictionary defines RRR as “the outmoded practice of calling on Ss to read one after the other”.
It provides students with an inaccurate view of reading.
In real life, we are rarely called upon to read before a group without preparing in advance. When we do read in front of a group, we expect them to listen instead of following along. Students also dev. a misconception that all reading must be word perfect.
It can potentially cause faulty reading habits instead of effective reading strategies.
Ss read at different rates with eyes making stops across page when they focus on 3-4 words. If a S is expected to follow along as another reads, the reader absorbs only 2-3 words at each stop, repeats them several times, and identifies so few words that the meaning is lost.
It can cause unnecessary subvocalization.
While one reader is reading aloud, others are expected to follow along, reading silently. B/C oral reading is slower than silent reading, silent readers are encouraged to subvocalize every word. This may become internalized causing a slower reading rate.

7. 4. It can cause inattentive behaviors, leading to discipline problems.
5. It can work against all students developing to their full potential.
6. It consumes valuable classroom time that could be spent on other meaningful activities.
7. It can be a source of anxiety and embarrassment for students.
8. It can hamper listening comprehension.
It can cause inattentive behaviors, leading to discipline problems.
Although Ss are expected to follow along, they rarely do. Instead, they’re reading ahead because they’re practicing their part or not paying attn at all. Little attn is given to the meaning of the passage. Some kids are reprimanded for not following along, leading to poor view of reading.
It can work against all students developing to their full potential.
Research by Allington has shown that when struggling readers make mistakes, they are corrected by others before they can correct themselves. Don’t develop self correction skills. One of the most important skills is learning to monitor yourself.
It consumes valuable classroom time that could be spent on other meaningful activities.
B/C oral reading takes longer than silent reading, the # of words a child reads will decrease. Slower rate + time spent on keeping kids on track = fewer words read throughout the school year.
It can be a source of anxiety and embarrassment for students.
Students are anxious to save face and forget the real purpose of reading is to comprehend.
It can hamper listening comprehension.
Ss looking ahead bc they’re bored or pre-reading, not listening.

8. Why Move Away from Round Robin Reading?
“In terms of listening and meaning making, this strategy is a disaster.”
Sloan and Lotham, 1981

9. Why Move Away from Round Robin Reading?
“Clearly, although oral reading can be beneficial, round robin reading is not. It often prohibits rather than facilitates the ability to read… It fails to meet the legitimate purposes of reading aloud.”
(Opitz & Rasinski, 1998, p. 8)
We discussed 12 reasons why having Ss read aloud is important, but RR does not meet those needs.

10. “After lunch Miss Tyler called the Rockets to the reading circle
“After lunch Miss Tyler called the Rockets to the reading circle. I’m a Rocket. Rosemary read the first sentence. And Tom read the next one. They didn’t make any mistakes today. When it was my turn, I said, ‘Sally was a horse.’ Miss Tyler said, ‘Ronald, that’s not right.’ Rosemary said, ‘Sally saw a house.’ And Tom said, ‘Some Rocket you are.’”
-2nd grader
We’ve heard from the research, let’s hear from a child. (Let teachers read.)

11. Research Base Second graders’ reading growth
Traditional round robin reading vs shared reading
Shared reading
Moved average students from 50th to 80th percentile in word analysis (letter sound correspondences) and they became 20% better in oral reading than the round robin group.
Helped below average students perform 41% better on oral reading than the round robin group.
Eldredge, Reutzel, and Hollingsworth (1996)
1996 study found shared reading to be more effective than RR in word analysis and fluency

12. Why Does Round Robin Persist?
Tradition
Classroom Management
Reading Assessment
To Save Time
Not Knowing What Else To Do
How did it get started? Not sure, but hypothesis: Story method at turn of century where T read lit orally to model, S rehearsed and performed. Some disliked emphasis on literature and felt should be on individual words. Gradually words became the focus of teaching and evaluating. Ss assessed on attempts to read words accurately. Oral reading became primary method and RR was born.
Tradition
New teachers learn about RR from observing other teachers and although they know several alternatives, feel they would be “rocking the boat” if they break with tradition. In interviews with veteran teachers, most explain that they learned about the practice during student teaching and hesitated to give it up for fear of causing problems. They gradually came to believe that it didn’t hurt kids and therefore continued the practice. However it can be harmful to kids!
Classroom Management
Teachers feel better able to control Ss behavior. Actually creates more behavior issues: restless, playing with books, distracted, teacher has to refocus
Reading Assessment
Asking Ss to read aloud in front of others appears to kill 2 bird with 1 stone: students read the story and teachers simultaneously assess students’ reading. However, when T uses oral reading for assessment, it must be in private. Reading material “cold” is hard enough w/o having to think about performing for an audience. In fact, it can cause learners to make more mistakes invalidating any conclusions about their reading ability. If teachers use these results to design instruction, they could inadvertently plan inappropriate instruction.
To Save Time
We feel pressured to require Ss to read a set # of stories. It seems as though asking the ss to read orally once is enough, and then we move on. Cover more stories in oral reading, but act. silent reading is faster.
Not Knowing What Else To Do
Well intentioned and well meaning, but there are other alternatives that are not harmful. Pt. is students are actively engaged during silent reading and silent reading should be used more frequently.
Many alternatives

13. First Reading of a Selection
Never have students read aloud a selection cold.
Always provide time for students to first read silently or have the teacher read the selection or part of the selection first.

14. First Reading of a Selection
Fluency Development Lesson
Teacher reads to students
Teacher and students discuss selection and expression
Students read chorally
Students read as partners
Oral Recitation Lesson
Teacher reads to students
Students discuss and summarize selection
Students chorally read
Students practice in pairs or partners
Next 2 slides are lesson frameworks that are useful for read a selection the first time through.
Good opportunities for scaffolding in all: teacher reads to Ss, choral reading, partner or independent reading

15. First Reading of a Selection
Supported Oral Reading
Teacher reads to students and stops for discussion
Teacher and students read chorally
Students read as partners
Fluency Oriented Reading Selection
Teacher reads basal selection
Students discuss
Teacher and students practice rereading all or part of selection
Students daily read independently in easy text

16. Strategies for Practice Reading of a Previously Read Selection
The following activities are meant for 2nd or 3rd reading of a selection.

17. Read it again and again! Underwater With a cold Like a mouse
Like a monster
Fast
Slow
Sad
Angry
Happy
Like a robot
High voice
Low voice
Opera-style

18. Collaborative Reading
The teacher reads the story.
The group reads the story aloud with the teacher.
The group reads the story aloud in pairs.
Individuals read the story aloud to the teacher.
Appropriate for first reading also.
Great for emergent or struggling readers

19. Echo Reading Teacher reads a line of the story.
Students echo the teacher’s model by reading the same line, imitating the teacher’s intonation and phrasing.
Later, the teacher reads a whole paragraph and students echo.

20. Choral Reading The whole class reads together. Variations:
Girls and boys alternate reading
Rows/Tables alternate reading
Familiar variations: Refrain (I’ll Love You Forever), Impromptu (fun, unpredictable, performative)
Model with

21. Cut-Apart Story
The story is cut into sections. One section for each group member.
Students practice their section silently.
Each section is read aloud in sequence.
Envelopes at tables, pass around, everyone take a slip and practice reading with expression. Then, when your table is ready, practice your parts in order.

22. Simultaneous Oral Reading with Whisper Phones
Students read individually into Whisper Phones.
With a Whisper Phone the sound is immediately repeated back to the student, and background noise is diminished.
Teacher moves around group listening to individuals.
If student finishes, (s)he rereads until teacher gives the signal to stop.

23. First Read Silently
After silent reading, students use oral reading to demonstrate skills in locating answers to specific questions or challenges set forth by the teacher, e.g. illustrating character mood, finding supporting details for making predictions, identifying aspects of the author’s style, and so on.
Students read the selection silently but to answer questions must locate the section of the text with the answer and read aloud.

24. Self-Selected Titles
Students bring self-selected titles to the reading group.
Each is encouraged to tell something about his unique book and to read aloud an interesting portion (which he has already read silently and practiced for fluency).
Fun, different way to do reading groups.

25. Jigsaw Divide class into home groups.
Assign each person in the home group an “expert” number.
Students reassemble into the “expert” groups (that correspond with the number they were assigned) to practice orally reading their assigned page or story. Students work together to decode unknown words and practice expression.
Experts return to home groups, and each home group member shares or reads aloud his/her assignment.
Other students listening.

26. Popcorn Reading
Students highlight words, phrases, or sentences that create for them a memorable mental picture as they silently read the selection.
Highlighted phrases or sentences are then shared orally by readers who “pop up” in random order.
Not the Popcorn Reading you might be familiar with.
Underline or highlight words, phrases, or lines that create a memorable mental picture
Randomly read these words, phrases, or lines in no particular order, just pop up when you’re ready

27. Everyone Read To (ERT)
The teacher tells students how much to read silently. While students read the teacher writes an open-ended comprehension question on the board.
Students read the segment and then think about question on board.
Students share their answers with a partner or with the class.
The teacher assigns the next section to read.
As a silent reading strategy, use whiteboard and marker

28. Read Around Students read the story silently.
Then students are invited to look back through the story to find at least one favorite sentence or paragraph that they would like to share with others.
Students practice reading their selection silently.
Students read their selections aloud to the group.

29. Paired or Partner Reading
Paired Reading
Fluent reader with less fluent reader
Begin reading simultaneously
Signal for when the less fluent reader wants to read alone
Back to simultaneous reading if experiencing difficulty
Partner Reading
Both partners equally involved
Alternating pages
Take turns reading entire selection
Read chorally
There is a difference.
Don’t waste valuable time choosing partners, set up a simple device like clock buddies.

30. Partner Reading with “Say Something”
One partner reads the first paragraph while the partner follows along and listens.
When the reader finishes, the listener must “say something” about what was read.
The partners switch roles.
Great comprehension strategy

31. OREO Partner Reading
Students take turns reading one page at a time with a partner.
Partners list two ‘o’vations and one ‘re’commendation on the OREO recording sheet.
Example ovations: “Read with expression.” “Self-corrected.”
Example recommendation: “Think about what makes sense.”
See attached handout.
List possible ovations and recommendations on board then model

32. Cumulative Choral Reading
One student begins reading the passage.
A second student joins in on the second line.
A third student joins in on the third line and so on.

33. The Pet Shop By Brenda B. Covert
The sun had come up. Birds sang in the trees. Hunter and Sally went down the street. Their mother was with them. She had said they could get a pet.
“I cannot wait to see the pets!” Sally said. She wanted a cat. Hunter wanted a frog or a snake.
Others: Read Around with favorite parts, modeling initial pages (2-3 little, 5-6 bigger)

34. Guidelines for Responding to Miscues
1. Do not correct miscues that do not disrupt meaning.
2. If the miscue disrupts meaning, give the student time to self-correct it. Wait until the end of the sentence or paragraph.
3. Model self-monitoring behavior and meaning making. (“That didn’t make sense, did it? Let’s try that again.”)

35. 4. Suggest or demonstrate an appropriate strategy
4. Suggest or demonstrate an appropriate strategy. (“Let’s skip that word and come back to it.” “Look at what it starts with.” “Let’s look at this chunk of the word.”)
5. Praise appropriate strategy use. (“You did a great job of looking at the picture to help you!” “I like the way you went back and read that again when it didn’t make sense!”)

36. 6. Tell the child the word when appropriate.
7. Do not let the reading become slow, labored, and unpleasant. Take over the reading, do echo reading, or take turns reading with the student; then choose an easier text for the next time. Always make reading a pleasurable experience.

37. Questions? Comments?

38. Dr. Kristen Pennycuff Trent kpennycuff@tntech.edu
Readers' Theater
Dr. Kristen Pennycuff Trent

39. What is Readers’ Theater?
Script reading
Using the voice to make the performance meaningful
Isn’t
It is not putting on a play.
No costumes, props, or scenery required.

40. Why use Readers' Theater?
It’s an authentic, entertaining, and educationally powerful way to read and communicate meaning.
Opportunity for students to practice reading in multiple and meaningful ways.
Yields improvements in students’ word recognition, fluency and comprehension.

41. Why Use Readers’ Theater?
“…I ask myself, what would make me want to engage in repeated reading? To improve my rate of reading? Not really. What would really inspire me to engage in repeated reading or rehearsal is performance. If I were to give an oral reading of a passage, I would most certainly have an incentive to practice, rehearse, or engage in repeated readings. All of us, at one time or another, have read for an audience. It is likely that we practiced in advance of that reading, and if we didn’t it is likely that we wish we had.”
Rasinski, 2006

42. Why Use Readers’ Theater?
Second grader Lucia wrote in her journal, “I never thought I could be a star, but I was the best reader today.”

43. Research Base Two second grade classrooms over a ten week period
Thirty minutes a day to Readers' Theater instruction, practice and performance
Students exhibited fluency gain of 17 words per minute in reading unrehearsed texts
Students gained one to two grade levels on comprehension scores on IRIs
Strecker, Roser & Martinez, 1999
Students doing repeated readings with Readers Theatre made twice the gains in reading rate than the control group, even thought they were focused on expressive, meaning-filled reading and not speed.
Also made significantly greater progress on an IRI, which included comprehension.

44. Research Base
Struggling second graders who rehearsed and then performed poetry and other performance texts made significantly greater gains in reading rate than students reading but not rehearsing and performing the same material.
Rasinski, Padak, Linek, and Sturevant, 1994

45. Research Base Perfect for ELL students
Roser, 2001
Provides purpose and motivation for all students
Shepard, 1997
Creating scripts involves students in demonstrating comprehension, summarizing, synthesizing, and communicating information
Flynn, 2004 and 2005

46. Go Exploring in Books Reader #1: Explore the world, discover why
All: Planets whirl about the sky.
Reader #3: Make new friends and meet new faces,
All: Read of far-off golden places.
Reader #2: How people live, and how fairies look...
Reader #4: All the world is in a book.

47. “Doing the Book” Appropriate for kindergarten and first grade
A popular follow-up to reading is the reenacting of the book, with various children playing different parts as the rest of the class or the teacher reads or tells the story.

48. Adapting Basal Stories for Readers' Theater
Choose a story with peppy dialogue, a little action, humor, lively narration, and several parts.
Make copies of the story (1 to 3 pages of the story may be enough).
Highlight spoken parts in different colors.
Highlight narrator parts in another color.
Assign parts, practice, and perform.

49. Be Creative
Students can take an interesting article in the newspaper and write their own script.
Use the story from the literature book and write script from the view of a supporting character.

50. Cut! Variation on Readers' Theater Movie set
Director calls for the cast members to repeat their lines with different emotions: sad, happy, angry, or slower and faster
Fun!

51. Radio Reading
One student reads as the announcer and the other students act as listeners.
Only the announcer has a copy of the text.
Choose a text at the child’s reading level. Allow ample practice.
Allow the student to practice with a partner, then a small group.
Students create scripts from familiar nursery rhymes, fairy tales, or weekly readers/newspapers to perform in the style of an old-fashioned radio announcement.
Turn a trade book into a script. Bad Boys
Use books already formatted for scripts such as:
You Read to Me and I’ll Read to You series
Paul Fleishmann’s Poems for Two Voices and Poems for Seven Voices

52. One Teacher’s Guide to Using Readers' Theater
Before the week: Select or write a script to be performed. Make 2 copies for each group member.
Monday: Introduce or review the nature, purpose, and procedures for Readers' Theater.
Assign students individual parts by having them volunteer or audition. Parts can also be assigned by students within groups and can rotate from one performance to another.

53. 4. Tuesday-Thursday: Have students practice their parts on their own, in their group, under your guidance, and at home.
5. Friday: Invite students to perform their scripts for an audience, usually their classmates, but others can be invited as well.

54. Where do I find scripts?
Reader’s Theatre for Beginning Readers by Suzanne Barchers (Teachers Ideas Press, 1993)
Presenting Reader’s Theatre by Caroline Bauer (H.W. Wilson, 1991)
The Best of Readers' Theater, Vols. I and II by Lisa Blau (One from the Heart, 2000)
A Reader’s Theatre Treasury of Stories by Win Braun (Calgary: Braun & Braun, 2000)

55. Plays Around the Year by Liza Charlesworth (Scholastic, 1994)
12 Fabulously Funny Fairy Tale Plays by Justine McCory Martin (Scholastic, 2002)
From Script to Stage by Aaron Shepherd (H.W. Wilson, 1993)
15 Easy-to-Read Mini-Book Plays by Sheryl Ann Crawford & Nancy I. Sanders (Scholastic, 2001)

56. Folk Tale Plays From Around the World That Kids Will Love
Folk Tale Plays From Around the World That Kids Will Love! By Marci Appelbaum and Jeff Catanese (Scholastic, 2001)
25 Just-Right Plays for Emergent Readers by Carol Pugliano-Martin (Scholastic, 1998)
Frantic Frogs and Other Frankly Fractured Folktales for Readers Theatre by Anthony Fredericks (Teacher Ideas Press, 1993)

57. Websites www.aaronshep.com/rt/ www.readers-theatre.com

58. Questions? Comments?

59. Exit Tickets What I Learned What I Still Have Questions About
Strategies to Try in the Next Two Weeks
Oral Reading
First oral reading of a selection
Practice reading of previously read selection
Readers’ Theater