We all know reading to our children is important and having our children read to us is important. However, there is a real superpower that takes place when students reread a story. No doubt it is important to read a variety of books and genres, but never skip the simple act of rereading stories. This post will explain the importance rereading stories and simply ways to enhance engagement.
When practicing shorter passages or stories it is important to have students reread a story. Below are three key reasons why this is a crucial step in reading development.
Reading fluency isn’t just about reading with speed, but rather is about reading with good pace (not too fast or too slow), expression (not monotone) and with accuracy (reading words correctly without laboriously decoding each word or reading words incorrectly). You can read this blog post here to learn more about reading fluency. When students reread text they have the chance to read smoother and at a better pace because they have seen the sentence before and already spent time decoding words. They also have determined the cadence of the story. Have you ever read a story to your children so many times you can read the exact cadence without putting much effort into it? In order for students to read with automaticity they must encounter and read words and sentences multiple times. Rereading stories is a great way to build reading fluency.
Initially, when students read a story they are focused more on decoding and remembering sight words and less on comprehending the story. When students reread a text they now need to decode words far less and therefore can take a deeper dive into understanding the different aspects of a story. Students now may better grasp things such as character, setting, plot, etc. When giving students the chance to read a story multiple times we are not only building their fluency, but also their reading comprehension. This is crucial because we read to comprehend.
Building a strong vocabulary foundation begins with encountering a variety of vocabulary words. By having students reread stories they encounter and retain vocabulary words at a higher rate. Since they’ve reread the story and comprehended it they can better grasp the true meaning of new vocabulary words.
As you can see, having students reread stories builds three important components of reading development; reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.
Students who struggle with reading often need more time and practice with decoding. By providing the opportunity to reread a story multiple times students develop critical reading skills.
Having struggling readers reread a story provides them with additional decoding practice. With each reread they will spend less time decoding and more time with reading fluency. This builds their confidence because they can immediately see their reading ability improve.
Rereading a story helps students practice decoding skills. Not only will they receive practice decoding unfamiliar words but they will also start to recognize patterns within words. Since our brain is wired to find patterns and phonics instruction should also be explicitly taught this way, having students reread text helps them to see the connection with word patterns and newly acquire phonics skills.
Reading a story 2-3 times can be incredibly boring if done the same way each time. To increase engagement and put the fun back into the process of rereading use one of the following techniques; echo reading, choral reading, partner reading, whisper reading and independent reading.
Echo reading is when the teacher or parent reads a sentence or short passage and then the students reads (echos) it after. This is a great way to read the first time students see a new story.
Choral reading is when everybody reads together. This can also be used for the first encounter with a new story or passage. Remember to read at a slower pace when choral reading for a first time. Students will need more time to process the new story or passage.
Partner reading is when partners take turns reading. This can be done by partners taking turns after every sentence, paragraph or page. Using partner reading as a rereading strategy makes reading more engaging but also takes some of the pressure off of students because they aren’t having to read as much text.
Whisper reading is when students use “whisper phones” (pretend looking phones for reading) to read a story. This allows the student to hear themselves read with immediate feedback, but also allows the teacher to hear all students in a small group reading without distractions. This is a great strategy to use after students have seen text several times.
Independent reading is just as it sounds. Students read a story to themselves either out loud or in their heads. This strategy is best used after a student has seen a story multiple times. I usually use this strategy as the last reading a student will do when rereading text.
Like with anything, rereading stories is as effective as you make it. Below are some tips to support this process.
Rereading helps build fluency, comprehension and vocabulary but only if done regularly. Students don’t have to reread every story, but being consistent with using this model in reading instruction will be the key.
Having a student reread a story they dislike won’t be effective. If a student already is having a challenging time reading and they don’t like a book and then you ask them to reread it this will just taint the process of rereading. We want students to want to read books more than once so an easy introduction to this is to read stories they enjoy. Have students pick a few favorites and begin the process of rereading using those preferred books.
Use one of the strategies listed above to make reading more interactive. Partner reading is a great method for rereading text. Sharing the reading experience will make reading feel more fun and collaborative and less like a chore and test.
The power of rereading should never be skipped. Again, this doesn’t have to be done with every story a student reads but it should be used consistently. Rereading supports reading fluency, comprehension, fluency, confidence and decoding practice. That is a lot of reading development that takes place when students reread a story multiple times. My recommendation is always to reread 3-4 times in varying ways. Make it fun and engaging and watch your little readers excel.
There are so many ways to support your child’s reading journey, but sometimes knowing the journey and what to expect is the hardest part. Click here or the image below for important milestones parents often skip. Is your child on track? What can you do to support? I’ve taken the guesswork out of it for you.
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