Using Big Universe with Shared Reading

Balanced Literacy is a way to instruct students incorporating a variety of reading and writing approaches since students must use multiple strategies to become proficient readers.  In a Balanced Literacy Program, the teacher reads TO children (read aloud), reads WITH children (shared reading), and supports reading BY children (guided reading).  The reading WITH children part, known as Shared Reading, is an important piece of Balanced Literacy.

According to EduPlace.com:

The shared reading model was developed by Holdaway (1979). It builds from the research that indicates that storybook reading is a critically important factor in young children’s reading development (Wells, 1986). The storybook reading done by parents in a home setting is particularly effective (Strickland & Taylor, 1989). However, in school, in most cases, a teacher reads to a group of children rather than to a single child. The shared reading model allows a group of children to experience many of the benefits that are part of storybook reading done for one or two children at home (Ferreiro & Teberosky, 1982; Schickendanz, 1978).

The shared reading model often uses oversized books (referred to as big books) with enlarged print and illustrations. As the teacher reads the book aloud, all of the children who are being read to can see and appreciate the print and illustrations.

Can books from Big Universe Learning be used for Shared Reading in the classroom?

I have seen Big Universe books displayed on interactive white boards (SMARTboards and ActivBoards). I have seen Big Universe books projected on the wall or overhead screen. I have even seen Big Universe Books displayed on large flat screens/monitors.  When viewing books in those ways, they are BIG books with oversized text and illustrations. Teacher can use annotation tools to circle, underline, star important text and to point out details in the illustrations to assist with comprehension of the story.

EduPlace.com also shares the benefits of Shared Reading:

• Rich, authentic, interesting literature can be used, even in the earliest phases of a reading program, with children whose word-identification skills would not otherwise allow them access to this quality literature.
• Each reading of a selection provides opportunities for the teacher to model reading for the children.
• Opportunities for concept and language expansion exist that would not be possible if instruction relied only on selections that students could read independently.
• Awareness of the functions of print, familiarity with language patterns, and word-recognition skills grow as children interact several times with the same selection.
• Individual needs of students can be more adequately met. Accelerated readers are challenged by the interesting, natural language of selections. Because of the support offered by the teacher, students who are more slowly acquiring reading skills experience success.

Those sound like good ways to use books from Big Universe to support student learning in your classroom!

image from BigUniverse Learning