Modelled reading is an instructional strategy where an adult reads a text aloud to a group of children, explicitly demonstrating skilled reading behaviours.
In essence, modelled reading allows students to observe how a proficient reader approaches a text. The adult acts as a "model," showcasing techniques and strategies that students can then apply in their own reading. This differs from shared reading, where the adult and students read together, and guided reading, where students read independently with support.
Key Aspects of Modelled Reading:
- Adult Reads Aloud: The teacher (or a skilled reader) reads the text to the students.
- Demonstration of Skilled Reading: The reader intentionally models strategies such as:
- Fluency: Reading smoothly with appropriate pace and intonation.
- Decoding: Sounding out unfamiliar words.
- Comprehension Strategies: Thinking aloud about the text, making predictions, asking questions, summarizing, and clarifying understanding.
- Vocabulary Development: Defining unfamiliar words and exploring their meanings.
- Using Prior Knowledge: Connecting the text to existing knowledge and experiences.
- Making Inferences: Reading between the lines and drawing conclusions.
- Variety of Texts and Styles: The texts selected should expose students to a range of genres, writing styles, and text structures.
- Purposeful Selection: The text is chosen to meet specific learning objectives or to address particular reading skills.
Benefits of Modelled Reading:
- Improved Comprehension: Students gain a deeper understanding of the text by observing how an experienced reader processes information.
- Enhanced Fluency: Hearing fluent reading helps students develop their own fluency.
- Vocabulary Expansion: Students learn new words and how to use context clues to determine their meanings.
- Development of Reading Strategies: Students learn effective reading strategies and how to apply them to different types of texts.
- Increased Motivation: Seeing and hearing a positive reading experience can foster a love of reading.
Example:
A teacher might be modelling how to make inferences while reading a picture book. As she reads, she pauses periodically and says things like, "The illustration shows that the character is frowning and his shoulders are slumped. I infer that he's feeling sad because something bad just happened." She is explicitly modelling the thinking process involved in making inferences.
In Summary
Modelled reading is a valuable teaching technique that demonstrates effective reading strategies to students, supporting their reading development across multiple dimensions from comprehension to fluency and strategy implementation. It allows children to see and hear how a skilled reader thinks and engages with the text.
