Read to Someone

We made it to 8 minutes of Read to Self after about 9 days.  Our best incentive was the other kindergarten class beating us to it!  Once they were able to hit the 8 minute mark, my class was sure they could do it, too!

As I promised them, once we reached 8 minutes of quiet independent reading, I introduced Read to Someone. First, we made a chart to hold our ideas about how to make sure everyone was reading.

Read to Someone chart.

New Read to Self chart - I made them smaller so they fit under my whiteboard, a more permanent position.

We reviewed the ways to read a book with a partner.

Next, we modeled EEKK (Elbow, Elbow, Knee, Knee) and how to share one book.  After one pair modeled in front of the class, everone had to sit EEKK at the carpet to see how it felt.  This was difficult for a few students: one with special needs that tends to avoid sitting so close, and for those who have trouble controlling their bodies in such close proximity to others.  This will take time for them, but we keep practicing and reminding each other.

We also modeled a quiet voice - just loud enough for our partner to hear.  I have them show me with their hands how big their voices need to be for different activities - Read to Someone needs a voice about as big as holding an apple; Read to Self needed silent voices (hands clapped together flat), and recess uses big monster voices!

We began reading in short practices.  For the first days, I chose partners.  I used my jar of name sticks and just pulled two at a time.  I didn't worry about matching reading levels or splitting behavior challenges - I just matched them up to get them seated and trying to sit next to someone and choose a book.  I used my timer for 4 minutes the first day, and the class did a great job.

What is so nice for my class, and I would assume for most kindergarteners, is that this mode allows them to talk.  They had such a hard time not talking for several minutes in Read to Self.  Now, they can stay still much longer because they are in a conversation with their partner.

Today, I allowed them to choose their own partner.  They had one minute to find a partner for themselves.  When they had one, they stood on the carpet with their backs together.  Anyone without a partner was matched after that.  Everyone got right to reading, and we did a solid 7 minutes with no disruptions.

A note about the book: The Daily 5 Book has a lot of detail about training kids to take turns reading, check each other's comprehension, etc.  My students are not really reading in depth, so we have focused on taking turns "reading" or telling the story, making sure that both partners get a turn to talk.  As we move through the year, I expect that they will be reading more and we will likely need to revisit how we spend out time together in Read to Someone.