Do's+and+Don'ts

=ON READING IN CLASS= = = =BUILDING VOCABULARY=
 * __Unless the lesson is on improving reading aloud, reading aloud should only be done by a strong reader who is already quite familiar with the specific text.__
 * Even many strong readers have limited comprehension of text that they appear to read aloud proficiently as they pay more attention to the act of pronouncing and inflecting than to the content.
 * Readers need to hear a text read with the proper tone and inflections and a reader unfamiliar with the text, particularly a student, will not be able to provide this.
 * Avoid “popcorn” reading. This only increases reader anxiety.
 * Avoid “going around the room;” students simply look ahead to see what they’ll read, paying little attention to what others are reading aloud.
 * Do try “Read Alouds” in which the teacher reads to listeners who don’t have the text in front of them.
 * Do try “Shared Reading” in which readers follow along in a text as a proficient reader reads to them. This enhances word recognition as students see a word and hear its correct pronunciation, and improves reading comprehension as students hear sentences read inflected correctly. This provides ample opportunity for modeling good reading strategies.
 * Whenever you read aloud, pause and "think aloud,' sharing your own reading process with your listeners. Students need to see how frequently even a strong reader re-reads something or questions something, for example.
 * When building vocabulary with struggling readers, the first and most important step is to teach recognition and comprehension of the word.
 * Having a limited vocabulary keeps a student from reading at a higher level; Recognizing more words means the student develops stronger comprehension.
 * Learning to use the words in sentences should be secondary to simply recognizing them.
 * Using words should also be explicitly taught, and only taught after the student has mastered word recognition, pronunciation, and comprehension.