Paired Reading (also called Partner Reading)

Paired reading is a form of choral reading in which two readers, one more proficient than the other, read a familiar text together. This strategy helps students develop fluency and word recognition skills. There are many variations on paired reading. A few researched forms are described below.

Paired Reading (Topping, 1989)

Paired reading was originally developed as a strategy for parents and children reading at home, but it is easily adapted for classroom use or intervention lessons.

• In paired reading, two students of different reading abilities read together for 15 to 30 minutes. The less proficient reader selects the text.
• If one student makes an error or hesitates on a word, the other reader waits to see if it is corrected. If not, the partner says the word while pointing to it, and the pair continues reading.
• When the less proficient student feels comfortable to read independently, he or she gives the other reader a signal (such as a gentle elbow nudge). Pairs may use the same signal to resume paired oral reading when desired.
• At the end of the session, the students talk about the text and compliment each other on their reading rate, phrasing, expression, or word identification strategies. Praise is very important in paired reading.

How Paired Reading Can foster Fluency in struggling Readers

Research on paired reading has shown that students of all ages can make extraordinary reading gains. In one study of paired reading over a period of 6 to 10 weeks, students made a gain of at least six months in reading (Limbrick, McNaughton, & Cameron, 1985). In another study, students made an average of three months' gain for every month of paired reading. The less proficient readers were not the only ones who benefited; the student who served as tutors also made substantial gains in their reading abilities (Topping, 1989).

Paired Repeated Reading (Koskinen and Blum, 1986)

For this approach to repeated reading, students work with a partner to read short self-selected passages of text with the goal of improving fluent reading. The entire activity can be completed in ten to fifteen minutes because the passages are about 50 words each.

1. Each student selects an interesting short passage from an easy text and reads it silently, counting out about 50 words. (The authors note that having the students select different passages makes it more interesting and discourages direct comparison of reading proficiency.)
2. One partner reads the selected passage aloud while the other partner listens, helping with words if asked.
3. The reader evaluates his or her reading, considering reading rate, expression, phrasing, smoothness, and attention to punctuation.
4. The reader then rereads the passage, striving for improvement, and self-evaluates the reading. The listener provides positive feedback about improvement from the first and second readings.
5. The reader reads the passage for a third time, self-evaluates, and gets positive feedback from the listener.
6. The students change roles and follow the same procedure.
7. Students may record their notes and feedback on a recording sheet.

Teacher Tips

Teach and model paired reading procedures. Because students are working with one another, modeling desired behaviors, feedback, and support is crucial. Students should first learn:

• The procedures for paired reading;
• How to listen carefully and make positive comments about reading improvement; and
• How to select material for repeated reading (independent reading level).

Give students opportunities to watch others demonstrate the role of the reader, then the role of the listener, and finally practice the procedure while the teacher watches. After students have had the opportunity watch and practice these activities, they are usually successful on their own.

->How do you use paired or partner reading in your class? Submit your ideas here!

Resources and Links

Websites

Paired or Shared Reading -- description
http://www.childliteracy.com/paired.html

The Paired Reading Method -- description of the steps
http://www.d21.k12.il.us/dept_instr/langarts/parentinfo/paired_rdg_method.html

Books

Paired Reading, Spelling and Writing: The Handbook for Teachers and Parents by Keith Topping (Cassell Academic, 1995)

Articles

Paired reading: A powerful technique for parent use by Keith Topping. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 40, pp. 604-614.

Peer tutoring and paired reading: Combining two powerful techniques by Keith Topping. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 42, Issue 7, pp. 488-494

Paired repeated reading: A classroom strategy for developing fluent reading by Patricia S. Koskinen and Irene H. Blum. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 40, Issue 1, pp. 70-75.

References

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

Koskinen, P. S., & Blum, I. H. (1986). Paired repeated reading: A classroom strategy for developing fluent reading. The Reading Teacher, 40, 70-75.

Limbrick, L., McNaughton, S., & Cameron, M. (1985). Peer tutoring: Update. Birmingham, England: Positive Products.

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

Strickland, D. S., Ganske, K., & Monroe, J. K. (2002). Supporting struggling readers and writers: Strategies for classroom intervention 3-6. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Topping, K. (1987). Paired reading: A powerful technique for parent use. The Reading Teacher, 40, 604-614.

Topping, K. (1989). Peer tutoring and paired reading: Combining two powerful techniques. The Reading Teacher, 42, 488-494.