Round Robin Reading

Question: What is round robin reading?

Answer/Quote: “The classroom is quiet. All the students have the same book open on their desks. One student is reading aloud. Other students are counting ahead or gazing out into space. The student who just finished reading sighs with relief when her turn is over.”

Question: What is wrong with round robin reading?

Answer:

> “Slower reading rates. …oral reading is typically much slower than silent reading.  Round robin reading encourages the audience to follow along and sub-vocalize along with the student reading aloud.”

> Lower quantity of reading. If round robin reading is the main instructional tool for reading instruction, students will not read frequently enough.

> Off-task behaviors. :In round robin reading, all students are expected to follow along while students take turns reading, usually moving up and down rows or tables.” Students can be observed preparing for their turn and once they have read aloud, they will disengage from the activity.

> Models of dysfluent reading. Fluency requires models. The oral reading in round robin reading is often not fluent.

> Problems with comprehension. “By itself, round robin reading will not help students comprehend better. Passively listening to the words as read by a peer does not mirror the comprehension processes used by effective comprehenders. “

> Problems with self image. Poor readers struggle with their reading, projecting their failures as readers.

Comment: Does anyone still use round robin reading? Apparently, yes. Somehow, this dinosaur of a technique has returned under the guise of fluency in reading. Round robin reading is a time-waster, with no purpose other than to embarrass poor readers, RayS.

Title: “A Literacy Spring Cleaning: Sweeping Round Robin Reading Out of Your Classroom.” L Hilden and J Jones. Reading Today (April/May 2012), 23-24.