Echo Reading

Echo reading is a rereading strategy designed to help students develop expressive, fluent reading. In echo reading, the teacher or parent reads a short segment of text (sentence or phrase), and the student echoes back the same sentence or phrase while following along in the text. When students are reading with some degree of fluency, you may choose to alternate taking the lead in echo reading.

How echo reading can foster fluency for struggling readers

When you are echo reading with a student or group of students, your support ensures that students are successful with manageable segments of text. You are also providing a model for fluent, expressive reading. Over time, you will probably vary the amount of support that you provide as the student gradually takes on more responsibility for reading text independently.

Researchers have found that echo reading (as a component of a multi-step intervention program) contributes to the reading growth of low-achieving readers (see Mathes, Torgesen & Allor, 2001).

Great Texts for Echo Reading

Poetry

Favorite picture books, such as:

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. (1970)
• I Went Walking by Sue Williams (1990)
• Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox (1988)

First-person stories

• One of Three (Angela Johnson (1991)
• Enzo the Wonderfish by Cathy Wilcox (1993)
• My Friend by Taro Gomi (1990)

Plays (see Readers Theater)

Teacher Tips

How do you use echo reading in your class? Submit your ideas here!

Resources and Links

Websites

WiLearns The Role of Parents and Families: Echo Reading
http://wilearns.state.wi.us/apps/Default.asp?cid=575

References

Caldwell, J. S. & Leslie, L. (2005). Intervention strategies to follow informal reading inventory assessment: So what do I do now? Boston: Pearson.

Cunningham, P. (2005) Phonics they use: Words for reading and writing. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Mathes, P. G., Torgesen, J. K., & Allor, J. H. (2001). The effects of peer-assisted literacy strategies for first-grade readers with and without additional computer-assisted instruction in phonological awareness. American Educational Research Journal, 38, 371-410.

Rasinski, T. V. (2003). The fluent reader: Oral reading strategies for building word recognition, fluency, and comprehension. New York: Scholastic.