Building Independent Readers with Interactive Read-Alouds and Shared Reading : Lessons for Modeling Comprehension Strategies and Engaging Students in Effective Guided Practice

Guided practice is a key component of reading instruction that is too often shortchanged in busy classrooms. Reading experts and veteran teachers Valorie Falco and Rochelle Soloway share their research-based, classroom-tested strategies for filling this instructional gap: interactive read-alouds and shared reading. These engaging whole-class lessons scaffold students' learning about reading strategies, genre, text structure, text features, and more. Investing time in guided practice pays big dividends in student learning-students experience success and move to independence more quickly. Model lessons, book lists, and management tips give teachers everything they need to implement these strategies effectively in their classrooms.