Popcorn Reading

Popcorn reading.  Volunteer reading.  Sparkle Reading.  Lightening Bug Reading.  Round Robin Reading.

Just say, “No!”

As professionals, we manage to direct students all day long in every facet of their day, but we have the hardest time putting an end to the outdated method of round robin reading.

Sharpen your pencil? No.

Go to the bathroom? No.

Read outloud to a group and butcher the words, slow down instruction and become embarrassed? Sure.  No problem.

According to The Literacy Dictionary, round robin reading is defined as “the outmoded practice of calling on students to read orally one after the other” (Harris & Hodges 1995, p.222)  By definition, cute names like Popcorn Reading and Volunteer Reading are STILL round robin.  Call it whatever you want, just please eliminate it from the classroom.

A teacher recently asked me if it was OK for her to tell her students “no” when they want to read aloud to the class one by one.  I reminded her that there is not one shred of research that supports round robin reading as an effective instructional method.  In fact, Timothy Rasinsky sheds light on how harmful it can be and the long term effects are less than glowing.  (Check out his text with Michael Opitz called Goodbye Round Robin Reading.)

So, of course I told this sweet, caring, and conscientious teacher to just say, “no.”  I took it one step further and said, “Tell them we don’t read like that in our classroom because there are more effective ways to read.”

She was so relieved that she no longer had to engage in this painful practice that she thanked me and we went on to discuss more authentic ways of reading.  How about let them read silently?  Maybe they could read in their head like we do in real life?

By setting her students up to read on their own, this allows them to not only pace themselves and apply comprehension strategies, but it also allows her the freedom to actually conference with them as individuals.  Research is clear that these are practices that increase reading achievement.  Hallelujah!

Interestingly, when I was looking up the definition of round robin, I came across this gem: “The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified.”  How in the world we thought this would work with reading is hilarious.  No wonder NAEP reading scores are a little flat.

So the next time you feel the urge to have students read aloud, one after the other, and then call it something cute like Popcorn Reading, please stop yourself.  Better yet, if you see a colleague going down this road, please stage an intervention.  Rescue them with some research, some updated information, and teach them how to just say, “NO”.