Remember being in school (in the early 80s) and counting the lines until my classmate (who struggled with reading ) would have to attempt to read out loud . It was so uncomfortable for them . Classes love paired and choral reading. And always asking ‘who would like to read?’.
Working with small group for literacy/SET in recent years, many children say it’s the most difficult thing to do in class and would ask
me to mention to their class teacher.
In smaller groups, with support and time, I have seen children becoming more confident in reading out loud. Thanks for raising it as outdated and ineffective practice.
Thanks a million for sharing. That memory of counting ahead for your friend really highlights how uncomfortable and stressful it was, not just for the child reading, but for everyone around them too. It’s so encouraging to hear how much of a difference supportive, small group settings can make. When children are given time, space, and encouragement, their confidence grows. Hopefully, by opening up these conversations, we can move away from practices that do more harm than good and keep working towards classrooms where every child feels safe to have a go.
I agree that ‘trauma’ is not too strong a word. Ask any dyslexic adult what it felt like to be asked to read aloud in class and they will be able to recall those feelings of dread. For some, it will be so detrimental that it causes serious behaviour problems that can snowball. I once attended a keynote speech at a conference by someone who had overcome this, but he recalled that at school he would rather ‘throw a chair across the room’ than read aloud in front of his peers. That really stuck with me.
Thanks for this. Interesting and persuasive. The issue I wonder about is the class text conundrum (as I put it in my last Substack piece). There are clear benefits to reading a class novel *together* which is when I think RRR or variants often get used. It seems to me that the alternatives listed above aren’t really compatible with reading through a long text at pace although obviously great for building fluency. There is a solution in Christopher Such’s new book which what prompted me to raise it as a conundrum but interested to hear about any other approaches.
Thanks, Mark. When I read your comment, my mind went straight to Chris Such’s work too! I think there are times when fluent readers can read aloud texts in class (and many are very happy to), but it’s the act of asking struggling readers to engage in reading aloud in front of their peers that I take issue with. Making sure they get the opportunity to read aloud with the support of the teacher in small groups where they feel safe to take chances with their reading is so important too. It’s that juggling act of differentiation that teachers are involved in on a daily basis, ensuring that all needs are meet as best they can with research-informed practices.
Yep, Chris’ models seem highly effective and have made a big difference to my practice. We are using his 3 lesson structures and they’ve really fired up passion for reading (primary). His second book has been particularly helpful. His gradual release of responsibility ensures that children get the ‘mileage’ without the fear (or detrimental impact) of round robin
👏👏👏👏
Remember being in school (in the early 80s) and counting the lines until my classmate (who struggled with reading ) would have to attempt to read out loud . It was so uncomfortable for them . Classes love paired and choral reading. And always asking ‘who would like to read?’.
Working with small group for literacy/SET in recent years, many children say it’s the most difficult thing to do in class and would ask
me to mention to their class teacher.
In smaller groups, with support and time, I have seen children becoming more confident in reading out loud. Thanks for raising it as outdated and ineffective practice.
Thanks a million for sharing. That memory of counting ahead for your friend really highlights how uncomfortable and stressful it was, not just for the child reading, but for everyone around them too. It’s so encouraging to hear how much of a difference supportive, small group settings can make. When children are given time, space, and encouragement, their confidence grows. Hopefully, by opening up these conversations, we can move away from practices that do more harm than good and keep working towards classrooms where every child feels safe to have a go.
I agree that ‘trauma’ is not too strong a word. Ask any dyslexic adult what it felt like to be asked to read aloud in class and they will be able to recall those feelings of dread. For some, it will be so detrimental that it causes serious behaviour problems that can snowball. I once attended a keynote speech at a conference by someone who had overcome this, but he recalled that at school he would rather ‘throw a chair across the room’ than read aloud in front of his peers. That really stuck with me.
Makes complete sense. Love the alternatives to round robin.
Thanks for this. Interesting and persuasive. The issue I wonder about is the class text conundrum (as I put it in my last Substack piece). There are clear benefits to reading a class novel *together* which is when I think RRR or variants often get used. It seems to me that the alternatives listed above aren’t really compatible with reading through a long text at pace although obviously great for building fluency. There is a solution in Christopher Such’s new book which what prompted me to raise it as a conundrum but interested to hear about any other approaches.
Thanks, Mark. When I read your comment, my mind went straight to Chris Such’s work too! I think there are times when fluent readers can read aloud texts in class (and many are very happy to), but it’s the act of asking struggling readers to engage in reading aloud in front of their peers that I take issue with. Making sure they get the opportunity to read aloud with the support of the teacher in small groups where they feel safe to take chances with their reading is so important too. It’s that juggling act of differentiation that teachers are involved in on a daily basis, ensuring that all needs are meet as best they can with research-informed practices.
Yep, Chris’ models seem highly effective and have made a big difference to my practice. We are using his 3 lesson structures and they’ve really fired up passion for reading (primary). His second book has been particularly helpful. His gradual release of responsibility ensures that children get the ‘mileage’ without the fear (or detrimental impact) of round robin