Activity Objective

The goal of Read to Someone: A Component Of The Daily Five is to use a method developed by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser to build students reading fluency and comprehension skills by having students read to a partner on a regular basis.

What You Need

Prep Time:

10-20 minutes
- Prepare Read to Someone I-chart
- Gather books for book bins
- Prepare Check for Understanding cards

Task Time:

2, 30 minute sessions
Session 1:
- Teacher and students brainstorm ideas for the Read to Someone I-chart
- Students model how to Read to Someone
- Students work in pairs and practice reading to someone

Session 2:
- Teacher gives mini-lesson
- Teacher reviews activity
- Students select Read to Someone as part of The Daily Five

Materials Required:

Teacher:
- Chart paper
- Markers

Students:
- Book bins
- Check for Understanding cards (1 per pair)

What You Do

Teacher Role:

Direct instruction:
- while teacher and students brainstorm ideas for the Read to Someone I-chart and teacher gives mini-lesson

Supporter:
- while students model how to Read to Someone

Facilitator:
- while students work in pairs and begin reading to someone

Student Grouping:

Whole class:
- during brainstorming session, student modeling and mini-lesson

Pairs:
- when students Read to Someone

Assessment Ideas:

- Make observations and record anecdotal notes on appropriate behaviour
      a. Use this information to provide students with oral feedback

- As students become independent invite students to join you in a one-on-one student-teacher reading conference

Quick Tips

Activity Extensions:

- Have students keep a record of the books they have read throughout the year by writing the title and author of each book on a Book Tracking card kept in their book bins

- Keep a record of the books that students have read as a class by writing the title and author of each book on a piece of chart paper or separate cards posted around the room

- Introduce different ways to read to someone including choral reading and turn-taking

- Invite students to interview their partner by asking them questions related to their opinion of the book

Additional Comments:

- Read to Someone is a component of The Daily Five. Through modeling, discussions and practice students will become independent in choosing to read to someone on a regular basis. Choice and independency fosters a motivation for literacy.

- Introduce Read to Someone at the beginning of the school year.

- Each student should receive a book bin. Encourage students to select "good-fit" books (books that are at their own level and of interest to them). Have the students keep up to 8 "good-fit" books in their book bins. Visit the classroom or school library on a regular basis. Changing books maintains interest and a love for literacy.

- EEKK stands for elbow-to-elbow and knee-to-knee. Sitting EEKK while reading to someone allows both students to follow the text.

- Modeling how to Read to Someone will establish clear expectations for this component. Invite 1 student to model the "reader" and 1 student to model the "checker". As the "reader" reads the selected text aloud the "checker" will check for understanding by describing the characters and events from the text. 

Other Adaptations/Modifications:

- Provide quiet work spaces for students disturbed by sound