Partner Reading…in the Dark!
At City Springs, we don’t just want our students to be able to read. We also want them to be able to read well. In education, we use the term “reading fluency” to describe the ability to read easily and accurately. Reading fluency affects many parts of an individual’s daily life. Everyday tasks like reading emails, quickly deciphering the words on a sign, and completing school assignments require a high level of reading fluency. Also, having the ability to read fluently allows readers to improve their comprehension when reading books or stories of different genres. It makes reading a lot more fun!
Ms. Alt knows the importance of reading fluency, and after every reading lesson, her students take part in partner reading. In partner reading, students pair up and take turns reading a story. They practice the use of expression in their tone of voice. They also learn how to read smoothly in order to understand the author’s main point. Occasionally, the students get to read in the dark with a flashlight to make the experience even more exciting! Additionally, the students work one on one with Ms. Charlotte, who volunteers to help them when they are struggling with reading by practicing different passages, reviews previously taught skills, and builds relationships with the students.
Working with a partner allows students to coach each other, direct one another to reread a word or sentence if it was misread, and build social skills. The skills that our students are learning during partner reading will help them both in a classroom setting and in the real world.